NANOG: The purpose of this email is to discuss information, standards, recommendations, et cetera about interconnect solutions considering the parameters contained herein. We believe the correct term is a multi-fiber network to network interface. My firm has made an IRU agreement with a municipality to use each other's OSP fibers. In most of the City's OSP, they have a 96 strand count fiber with eight buffer tubes (each buffer tube having 12 fibers). They have dedicated the black buffer tube for our use (again, 12 strands) We have yet to build any OSP fiber plant. When we do and when we interconnect with the City's fiber, we will extend a minimum of 96 fibers. When our plant extends in public right of way, we will interconnect 84 strands (maybe 7 buffer tubes with 12 strands each) of our fiber to the City and keep a minimum of one for our ourselves. It is highly likely that we will pull a much higher fiber count cable to give ourselves additional fibers beyond just 12 strands. On certain projects, when outside City limits and/or on private right of way within City limits, we are required to give them 12 strands of fiber. When we interconnect with their fiber, we must consider the following: 1. How many strands with which will we interconnect? a. If we are interconnecting in the middle of a City span, we must think about interconnecting with North-bound and South-bound fibers. (12 fibers for us going in two directions and as many as 84 fibers for them going in two directions). b. If we are connecting at the end of a City span, we must consider just the South-bound fibers and the interconnection between our OSP. 2. Available real estate for placing vaults, pedestals, FDHs, et cetera. 3. The likelihood of damage from accidents on the adjacent roads. 4. The likelihood of water filling up underground vaults. 5. dB loss resulting from splices, interconnects, et cetera. 6. Scalability and future growth. 7. Other considerations? In our discussions with the City, we have contemplated a dual cabinet system where we ask the following questions to determine how to load those cabinets. 1. Where is the proposed interconnect in terms of real estate and adjacent traffic? (Find a safe place with enough real estate). 2. How many fibers will interconnect from our network to theirs? (either 12 or 84 for each direction we take from the site - most likely just one direction). 3. How many fibers will interconnect from their network to ours? (just 12 at most, but likely in at least two directions - because we are cutting into their fiber mid-span) Once those questions are answered, then we can design and build the cabinets. Also, we want to be cost effective in this design. Thanks in advance for a push in the right direction. Sincerely, Lorell Hathcock Chief Technology Officer SolStar Network, LLC