Dark Fiber for Businesses
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Full control. Maximum security. Lowest latency.
Site Connectivity with Dark Fiber
Dark fiber (also known as “darkfibre”) is a fiber optic cable without an active infrastructure. It is therefore sold or leased unconnected or without light on it (dark). The fiber optic cable is spliced through point to point between two locations.
The customer is responsible for selecting, operating and updating the optical components, which is why the bandwidths and possible protocols can also be selected by the customer. The costs of the line therefore do not depend on the speed used.
The advantages of Dark Fiber in a nutshell:
- Scalability: The bandwidth can be flexibly increased at any time without having to replace expensive routers.
- High security: Data transmission via dedicated lines, logical separation of the network ensures security at the infrastructure level.
- Simple connection: Connection of local networks via Ethernet interface, without additional routers. Flexible bandwidth adjustment without additional investment in hardware.
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Features of a Dark Fiber
Flexible network topologies
Various structures such as ring, star or cascade networks enable an optimum connection depending on the location and redundancy requirements.
Full control
Selection, operation and updates of the optical components are entirely up to the company. Bandwidths and protocols can be freely defined.
Redundancy
Existing reserve fibers in the cables can be connected if required, thus increasing reliability.
Independent scalability
Bandwidths can be flexibly increased at any time – independent of providers or fixed tariff models.
Maximum security
Dedicated lines with logical separation ensure maximum security, as there is no external use.
Lowest latency
Ideal for SAN couplings, metro storage or other latency-sensitive scenarios.
Network configuration options with Dark Fiber:
1
Ring network
The ring network resembles a string of pearls. The pearls represent the locations. Locations that are geographically close to each other can thus be efficiently connected to form a network.
2
Star network
The Star network is a point-to-point connection in which each location is connected to the central main point. This network connection is used for geographically distributed locations. This network variant is more expensive to cover the greater distances between the locations.
3
Cascade network
When locations are connected one after the other in a series, this is referred to as a cascade network. This is a non-closed connection that is more efficient in terms of costs and length of connection.
Provider overview
Costs & provider comparison
WAN
SD-WAN
Ethernet
Dark Fiber costs
The prices for dark fiber can vary greatly depending on the provider and options selected. You can check your individual options in our online check .
Dark fiber provider
Finding the right provider for your dark fiber solution is not easy. As different as your requirements and wishes are, as different are the offers of the individual providers.
What is important:
- Location of the sites and routing
- Availability in the city or (wide-area) area
- Matching topology with ring, star or cascade
- Responsibility for optical components and operation
- Need for guaranteed service levels and provision times
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Manage data flow yourself
Dark fiber: responsibility, redundancy and areas of application
When purchasing dark fiber products, you are responsible for securing the transmission and managing the transmission devices yourself. The bandwidth used on the line itself must also be determined. This is done, among other things, via the different color spectra used on a fiber optic cable.
The cables contain redundant fibers to absorb any physical interference on the cables. The unused fiber optic capacity in the cables is also referred to as dark fiber, as no light signals are transmitted when the fibers are unused and the fiber is therefore “dark”. The existing redundancy means that additional fibers can be put into operation if required.
Dark fiber is offered by various carriers in both the city and wide area. In addition to operating its own private data networks, it is also often used to link SANs (storage area networks) or in metro storage in order to achieve the lowest latency times (low latency).
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Dark Fiber – FAQs
Dark fiber is a dedicated unlit fibre optic line between two or more sites. Unlike classic Ethernet or MPLS services, the customer operates the active equipment, deciding on bandwidth, wavelengths and protocol. The carrier only provides the physical fibre. The term “dark” refers to the fact that the fibre is delivered without active light signals. It is suited for companies that need maximum control, very high bandwidth or the lowest possible latency.
Dark fiber makes sense from a distance of around 5 kilometres and bandwidth requirements of 10 Gbit/s and above. Typical use cases are data centre interconnection, storage replication, trading platforms with low-latency requirements, university and research networks and large campus networks. For standard connections under 1 Gbit/s, dark fiber is usually overdimensioned and Ethernet or leased fibre lines are sufficient. SAVECALL checks in the initial conversation whether dark fiber is the economically right choice.
Dark fiber lease prices depend primarily on distance, route availability and contract term, not bandwidth. Inner-city routes up to 10 kilometres range from 800 to 2,500 euros monthly per fibre pair. Medium distances up to 50 kilometres cost 2,500 to 6,000 euros. For long distances above 100 kilometres or difficult-to-access areas, 6,000 to 15,000 euros are common. Longer contract terms of 5 to 10 years reduce monthly prices by 20 to 40 percent. Through the SAVECALL procurement pool you secure conditions below market average.
Dark fiber providers in Germany include Colt, Versatel, Deutsche Telekom (Glasfaser Plus), Vodafone, Deutsche Glasfaser, regional utility companies and specialised wholesale providers. Availability depends strongly on location, route and building connection. In major cities and along railway and motorway routes, choice is good, while in rural regions or industrial areas it is often limited. SAVECALL checks availability across over 80 carrier partners in parallel and delivers an objective comparison matrix.
Provisioning time typically takes 12 to 24 weeks. If the route is already built and only patching is needed, it can be done in 6 to 10 weeks. If civil works, permits or building connection works are required, 6 to 9 months are realistic. SAVECALL handles carrier management from availability check through contract negotiation to final commissioning. We coordinate construction phases, review milestones and ensure the agreed SLAs.
With dark fiber, the customer provides the endpoint equipment: WDM multiplexers for multiple wavelengths per fibre, transponders, amplifiers for long distances and matching switches or routers. Manufacturers such as Ciena, Adva, Cisco or Nokia offer suitable solutions. Alternatively, SAVECALL can provide the active equipment as a managed service, giving you an end-to-end package of fibre and optics without your own investment in WDM hardware. We advise vendor-neutral and design the overall system to your requirements.
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