Re-Designing Networks

1. Re-Designing Networks The Internet from a blank slate ... and the role BC might play.

2. Re-Designing Networks • Overview • History • Current networks and their problems • New networks and architecture • Community fibre and its implications • Final thoughts BCCNA - Vernon

3. Re-Inventing Networks • The Internet has fundamentally changed the way we think about networks. • The Internet operates differently from traditional telecommunication networks. • Packet switching • Campus networks are closer to the Internet model • Data-only networks connected buildings via fibre cable and inexpensive high speed switches • No use for traditional telephone circuits to move data • provide an insight as to how networks might operate in the future. • Fibre local loops and fast switches are all that is needed to provide Internet service to homes and businesses today. • Competitive services at exchange points is a hallmark of the new infrastructure. BCCNA - Vernon

4. Internet – Phase One • Regional university networks connected with dedicated telephone circuits • Use of a single national backbone • Internet technology is general purpose • Can be used over any medium • Original Internet was an overlay using existing telecom circuits BCCNA - Vernon

5. Internet – Phase Two • Internet Service Providers are born • Use of switched circuits (dial up lines) becomes ubiquitous. • Higher speed dedicated circuits used by regional networks • Multiple commercial backbones used. BCCNA - Vernon

6. Internet – Phase 2.5 • Use of new types of circuit switching (ATM) and higher speeds • Advent of cable modems and DSL • Internet2/CANET3 using high speed circuits, but still circuits nonetheless • Still an overlay network BCCNA - Vernon

7. What would you do if you could re-design? • Build it for the Internet and packet switched networks from the start. • Assume voice and video will run over Internet-based infrastructure, not the other way around. • Fibre local loops into a data hub • No copper needed! • Fibre to every home and business • Fibres terminate at local data exchange centres • We’ve been calling these beasts TRANSIT EXCHANGES • Transit Exchanges are fibre connected to each other. • Looks like a more sophisticated regional campus network connecting everyone. • Question: how does one build a competitive services structure into this? • Question: can this be done? BCCNA - Vernon

8. Networks today (example – not factual) Your home Your home Your business Telus Group Telecom Shaw @home Genuity Teleglobe UUNET Sprint MAE West Peering Point California BCCNA - Vernon

9. Problems with today’s networks • Internet overlaid on other legacy networks (bad technology) • Why? Voice and video were the main business drivers. No longer true. • Legacy telephone circuits (dialup or dedicated DSL/TDM) or CATV broadcast channels are poorly suited for Internet applications. • New fibre-based technologies make these obsolete • Each end site typically has ONE ISP (barrier to competition) • Poor fault tolerance • New circuit (or even a cable) required whenever one changes suppliers • The Internet has built-in support for end sites to have multiple ISPs if desired. • ISPs are poorly interconnected at the local level (bad service) • Packets moving from your home to your business could (and often do) get routed EXPENSIVELY through California or Seattle. • Inhibitor to local content • REDESIGN IS NEEDED! BCCNA - Vernon

10. New Optical Regional Network Architecture Your business Your home Your home Community/customer owned/leased fibre KELOWNA TRANSIT EXCHANGE Telus Shaw @home Group Telecom Genuity Teleglobe UUNET Sprint MAE West Peering Point California BCCNA - Vernon

11. New Architecture Features • Fibre cable to homes, businesses, schools, ... • customer- or community-owned local fibre loops • last done for coax cable 20+ years ago – it is not impossible • Fibre is put in once • Some cities have begun to prohibit the tearing up of streets for fibre construction • Need to be viewed as a public good item like sewer pipe. • Coordinated wiring plans needed • Cable plant is not a cash cow, it is a public necessity. • Services are provided at fibre meeting points – TRANSIT EXCHANGES • Internet Service providers put active equipment in these OPEN central offices • Free local exchange of traffic • Users can choose MULTIPLE upstream suppliers • Local loop technologies flourish • Exchanges become vibrant economic centres BCCNA - Vernon

12. Benefits of the new architecture • Lower overall cost per subscriber over the long run • Palo Alto - $40 USD per month for FD 100 Mbps Internet service • Community completely fibred • Better performance, especially between local users/sites • local traffic is effectively free • Easier rollout of new services • Future upgrades easy as technologies are developed • Perfect mechanism for content distribution BCCNA - Vernon

13. Implications for Community Networks • Grew out of Internet dialup • Needs to transition • Small communities need to have fibre infrastructure installed • Wireless as a complement • Wireless for small devices • Fibre is NECESSARY for coming applications • Fibre is now relatively inexpensive • Metro LANs can be built relatively cheaply • Aggregation of traffic in small communities is key • Fibre to a transit exchange • Free the service provider from local capital expense • Emphasize servers and services over cabling • Larger expense is TRANSIT – regional, national, international connectivity • This is out of community control, can only provide incentives BCCNA - Vernon

14. Future Role of Community Networks • Some thoughts: • Advocacy (as usual) • Holding company for community fibre – non profit monopoly (an ugly word) • And/Or work with municipalities • Operator of local transit exchange • Neutral 3rd party • Takes sophistication, more than just a dialup service • Service provider?? BCCNA - Vernon

15. Funding for Community Fibre • Tough to come by right now – need for capital • Provincial programs – possibility • CANARIE and federal programs – may be on the way • Federal infrastructure grants – should be investigated, requires closely working with muni • Very new concept, little funding at present. • Pressure various IT (govt, large corporate users, …) to get behind the idea and sponsor. BCCNA - Vernon

16. BCNET and Advanced Networks • PAST: • Started the Internet in BC in 1988 • Initial Internet Service provider • Created an Internet hub at SFU Harbour Centre in Vancouver • Operates CANARIE Gigapop – CA*NET3 Terminus • FUTURE: • Continue to be the voice for advanced networks in the province • Create the BC Optical Regional Advanced Network • work with industry partners (Urban Networks, Group Telecom, Telus, Nortel, …) to build the next generation Internet in the province • CANARIE and provincial funding • Building the first transit exchanges in Vancouver, Victoria, PG • Fibre loops from the university sites to central exchange locations BCCNA - Vernon

17. Other initiatives • NewMIC • Located at Harbour Centre, the hub of the Internet in BC • BCNET will be locating the CA*NET3 Gigapop to NewMIC • BCIT Internet Engineering Lab • Network Performance Centre of Excellence • Funded by CFI and the province • Industry partnerships with Spirent Communications, Cisco, PMC-Sierra, Jalaam Research and others. • Shared industry/academic facility to explore performance issues on advanced Internet Networks • Test facility for CA*net3 BCCNA - Vernon

18. Final Thoughts • The old networks were not designed for the Internet • New technologies make a new architecture possible • We must remove the barriers to change – involves fibre cabling and new network exchange points • BC and BCNET will be taking North American leading role in this • Our communities need to do this to stay at the technological forefront • Alberta’s SUPERNET • Palo Alto • Ottawa regional fibre build • Chicago’s CivicNET BCCNA - Vernon

19. To explore further • http://www.bc.net for information about BCNET, and registration for the BCNET Advanced Network Conference on March 27 in Vancouver. • http://www.canarie.ca for information about CA*net3, CANARIE funding, and other Canadian advanced networking initiatives • http://www.net2001.ca for the annual Canadian network conference (CANARIE sponsored) to be held in Calgary in late May. • http://www.internet2.edu for information about Internet2 initiatives, and the high speed Abilene network. • http://www.bcia.bc.ca for information about the BC Internet Association • http://www.gait.bcit.ca/iel for information about the BCIT Internet Engineering Lab. BCCNA - Vernon