National Fiber Optic Backbone

LIBTELCO's Plan for a National Fiber Optic Backbone for Liberia

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to introduce some of the ongoing plans for a new National Fiber Optic Backbone and to encourage high level discussions on the Network Design, the Planning, the Deployment and associated timelines for the New Nationwide Backbone Network in Liberia.

LIBTELCO is an equal access proponent and we are dedicated to promoting ICT business in Liberia. LIBTELCO is committed to equal access and to infrastructure sharing. This is why LIBTELCO has reconditioned and prepared the telecommunications duct system of Monrovia in order to host the most robust and survivable fiber optic ring topology network in Liberia. The fiber optic ring network is being deployed throughout the reconditioned telecommunications duct system in phases. Equal access to the infrastructure is for licensed public use, for supporting business and creating an enabling telecommunications market. LIBTELCO plans to provide all operators who are licensed by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) with equal access to the fiber optic ring infrastructure. LIBTELCO would take the opportunity to clarify that access to the infrastructure, refers to licensed access to the fiber optic telecommunications line and not unfettered and unsecure access to the physical underground ducts of Monrovia.

LIBTELCO operates under a statutory mandate which protects the interests of the Government (GOL) and people of Liberia by maintaining public telecommunications infrastructure (trenches, ducts, manholes, risers, masts, pylons, poles), telecommunication lines (fiber-optic, xDSL, coaxial, copper, HFC), RF towers, base stations, while managing the licensed operating frequencies of the Government of Liberia. LIBTELCO operates as the sole National Operator with the mandate to ensure fair and equal access to secure and reliable communications within Liberia.

To that end, LIBTELCO has embarked upon a comprehensive support of a National Backbone. The initial focus is on the Deployment of a fiber backbone in Monrovia and its environs to support access to the ACE submarine network, which is slated to "go- live" in November 2012. Details, timelines and approach methodology for this deployment are depicted in the diagrams below.

Plan of Action

The National Operator has prepared the duct infrastructure to host a self-healing-ring topology, fiber optic network. LIBTELCO intends to have Metro Monrovia fiber optic ring build out by December 2012.

The architecture comprising the Fiber Optic Network provides for: hierarchical, vertical and horizontal access. The distribution will employ point to multipoint split

1:16.

Horizontal access is available along the ring topology, which ensures excellent wavelength stability, single longitudinal mode signal for achieving transmit/receive distances up to 30km before employing 3R signal regeneration and FEC protocols.

Vertically the network has many optical cross connectors, add drop multiplexers and redundancies to ensure survivability and access. The network is described as Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON). EPON utilizes wavelength division (WDM) to realize bi-directional transport on a single fiber. The backbone network transmits symmetric 1.25G upstream and downstream. The network will utilize two multiplexing technologies to distinguish the bi-directional signals, TDM for downstream and TDMA for upstream.

Hierarchically, the infrastructure interfaces and accesses wireless networks. The Fiber Network facilitates seamless, interoperable access with Radio Access Networks, Satellite Networks, 4G / LTE / UMTS and all other wireless networks.

1 Phasing and Coverage

The Liberia NBN has been designed in accordance with international "best practice." Phase 1 has been split into 3 sub-phases, Phase 1a, 1b and 1c for simplicity and maximum flexibility in the CAPEX allocation during the implementation phase.

1.1 Phase 1a
Phase 1a focuses on fiber deployment using existing ducts from the Freeport of Monrovia through Congo Town. The cable traverses downtown Monrovia, west of the ACE Terminal Station (Broad and Lynch St.) and spans to Congo Town.

Phase 1a also includes the deployment of major communications equipment, the first 4 core nodes. These nodes serve as Metro PoPs (Points of Presence: Access points with assigned IP address for internet access into/out of the fiber network). The core nodes will later become part of the Monrovia Metro Ring. In addition, LIBTELCO will deploy 10 Access PoPs, typically co-located with a CDMA RBS or located within a customer premises (The exact hosting location for the equipment is subject to a Fiber to the Extension FTTx agreement).

Additionally, Phase 1a also contains, within the deployment, Element Management and Network Management systems for managing the active network.

Below is the location of current manholes within Monrovia West. The illustration was derived from the recently reconditioned, preexisting duct system. The layout design below is proposed for the ease of deployment.

1.2 Phase 1b
Phase 1b closes the Monrovia Metro Ring and deploys an additional 4 core network nodes. The network is extended to Roberts International Airport which hosts a (Metro PoPs). The network will also be cover Firestone, Fendall, Duala and Brewerville with smaller (2nd Level PoPs) during Phase 1b. Furthermore, LIBTELCO will deploy 4 Access PoPs. (The host and exact locations are still to be established).