Lit service provides managed connectivity over equipment operated by a service provider. It can be a strong fit when an organization wants a defined capacity, straightforward operations, and a provider responsible for the optical layer.
Unlit, or dark, fiber provides dedicated strands while the customer supplies and manages the electronics. This approach requires more technical ownership, but it gives the operator control over optics, capacity upgrades, encryption, protocols, and the pace of change.
The decision is not simply technical. Teams should consider growth forecasts, internal expertise, security requirements, contract horizon, route diversity, and the cost of future capacity. DRDI helps customers evaluate those tradeoffs against the physical route, not in isolation.
This article was originally published under the Harbor Link brand and has been updated to reflect Direct Reach Digital Infrastructure.