Dark Fiber vs Managed Wavelength

Trusted Advisor for IT & Telecommunications Sourcing

Dark Fiber or Wave: Which solution suits your company?

Companies with growing data traffic are often faced with a central question :

Full control with dark fiber or efficiency with wave service?
Both technologies offer high-performance connectivity, but they differ fundamentally in terms of responsibility, flexibility and costs.

In a nutshell:

Dark Fiber: maximum control, but also full operating costs
Wave service: preconfigured, quickly ready for use and provider-managed
The wrong choice can lead to bottlenecks, misconfigurations or unnecessary costs

The solution:
Those who understand the differences can make a targeted decision as to which fiber optic solution is the better choice for their own application.

Below you can find out how Dark Fiber and Wave differ, which variants are available and how Savecall can find the right solution for you.

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Dark Fiber vs. Wave: The fundamental difference

If you are thinking about using dark fiber or wave services, you should know the differences.

With dark fiber, you have to “switch on the lights” yourself and take over the complete management.
Wave services, on the other hand, are already illuminated – the network operator takes over configuration and operation.

Dark Fiber – full control, full responsibility

Companies that want maximum capacity and full control over their connection turn to Dark Fiber.
You operate your own equipment, define protocols and determine the bandwidth yourself.
Changes can be made internally at any time, but the entire responsibility lies with you.

To operate your own optical fibers, you need to invest in WDM (Wavelength-Division Multiplexing) devices, which are installed at both ends.
WDM enables the transmission of multiple signals at different wavelengths through a single optical fiber – allowing multiple data streams to be sent simultaneously without interfering with each other.

Wave service – managed performance with no effort on your part

With a Wave service, you get the benefits of dark fiber – without having to manage it yourself and without high investments.
Multiple protocols can run in parallel while your provider takes over operations.
You save time, costs and effort and still benefit from dedicated high-performance connectivity.

Faster to the right connection: individual advice, vendor-independent comparison, efficient implementation.
Savecall accompanies you from analysis to implementation.

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Two high-rise buildings at night, connected by glowing data streams - a symbol of Site Connectivity, SD-WAN and secure corporate communication through Savecall.

What are wavelengths?

Site Connectivity via a wavelength within the backbone network uses DWDM technology (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing)
to transmit several services in parallel and transfer them via optical interfaces (SDH, OTU, FC).

Depending on the carrier, this site coupling is typically offered in two variants:

Wave

Key technical data:

Bandwidth: 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, 100 Gbps
Coverage: Metro, national, international
Fail-safe: Unprotected / Protected
Technology: DWDM
Interfaces: Ethernet, Ethernet LAN PHY, SDH, Fibre Channel, OTU
Routing: predefined transmission routes

A Wave connection is available via metro, national and international networks.
The infrastructure is not exclusively assigned to the customer.
Compared to Ethernet, a Wave connection is around 20% more expensive, but offers higher performance.
The next higher product is Private Wave, which is based directly on the physical fiber optic level in the backbone.

Private Wave

Key technical data:

Bandwidth: 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, 100 Gbps
Cover: Metro
Fail-safe: Unprotected / Protected
Technology: WDM
Interfaces: Ethernet, SDH, Fibre Channel, OTU
Routing: customizable, incl. diversity with KMZ-supported route planning

Private Wave is only available in metro regions.
Here the customer receives a dedicated, private infrastructure – ideal for companies with the highest requirements.
Bandwidths are only available in fixed increments (1G, 10G, 40G, 100G).

The advantages of the Wave service

Wave services combine the performance of dark fiber with the simplicity of a managed service.

Your advantages at a glance:

Low latency: multiple redundant routes between locations and markets
Security: Private, dedicated connections for maximum data security
Flexibility: Multiple shaft options and redundant paths for business continuity
Compatibility: Supports Digital Hierarchy, SONET and Ethernet interfaces
Proactive management: permanent monitoring for maximum availability
Independence: Geographically separate network points, no conflict with third-party traffic

The right solution not only saves costs, but also ensures maximum performance and stability.
Savecall finds the right option for your requirements – neutrally, quickly and efficiently.

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