In the
broadband Internet
In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide- bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Internet access. The transmission m ...
industry, the "middle mile" is the segment of a
telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a group of Node (networking), nodes interconnected by telecommunications links that are used to exchange messages between the nodes. The links may use a variety of technologies based on the methodologies of circuit ...
linking a network operator's
core network
A backbone or core network is a part of a computer network which interconnects networks, providing a path for the exchange of information between different LANs or subnetworks. A backbone can tie together diverse networks in the same buildi ...
to the local network plant, typically situated in the
incumbent telco's
central office (British English:
telephone exchange
A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a central component of a telecommunications system in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It facilitates the establishment of communication circuits ...
) that provides access to the
local loop
In telephony, the local loop (also referred to as the local tail, subscriber line, or in the aggregate as the last mile) is the physical link or circuit that connects from the demarcation point of the customer premises to the edge of the co ...
, or in the case of
cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
operators, the local
cable modem termination system
A cable modem termination system (CMTS, also called a CMTS Edge Router) is a piece of equipment, typically located in a cable company's headend or hubsite, which is used to provide data services, such as cable Internet or Voice over IP, to cable ...
. This includes both the
backhaul network to the nearest aggregation point, and any other parts of the network needed to connect the aggregation point to the nearest
point of presence
A point of presence (PoP) is an artificial demarcation point or network interface point between communicating entities. A common example is an ISP point of presence, the local access point that allows users to connect to the Internet with their ...
on the operator's core network. The term ''middle mile'' arose to distinguish this part of the network from the ''
last mile'', which means the local links which provide service to the retail customer or
end user
In product development, an end user (sometimes end-user) is a person who ultimately uses or is intended to ultimately use a product. The end user stands in contrast to users who support or maintain the product, such as sysops, system administrato ...
, such as the local telephone lines from the telephone exchange or the coaxial cables from which connect to the customer's equipment.
Middle-mile provision is a major issue in reducing the price of
broadband Internet
In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide- bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Internet access. The transmission m ...
provision by non-incumbent operators. Internet bandwidth is relatively inexpensive to purchase in bulk at the major
Internet peering points, and access to end-customer ports in the incumbent operator's local distribution plant (typically where
local loop unbundling
Local loop unbundling (LLU or LLUB) is the regulatory process of allowing multiple telecommunications operators to use connections from a telephone exchange to the customer's location. The physical wire connection between the local exchange and th ...
is mandated by
a telecom regulator) are also relatively inexpensive relative to typical broadband subscription costs.
However, middle-mile access, where bought from the incumbent operator, is often much more expensive than either, and typically forms the major expense of non-incumbent broadband ISPs. The alternative, building out their own fibre networks, is
capital-intensive, and thus unavailable to most new operators. For this reason, many proposals for government
broadband stimulus initiatives are directed at building out the middle mile. Two examples are the
Network New Hampshire Now and
Maine Fiber Company in the Northeast US, both funded largely by the
National Broadband Plan (United States)
Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plan to improve Internet access in the United States. The FCC was directed to create the plan by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and ...
to connect all
community anchor institution
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geogr ...
s.
Open access
Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which nominally copyrightable publications are delivered to readers free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 de ...
initiatives such as
duct sharing,
utility pole
A utility pole, commonly referred to as a transmission pole, telephone pole, telecommunication pole, power pole, hydro pole, telegraph pole, or telegraph post, is a column or post used to support overhead power lines and various other public util ...
sharing, and
fiber unbundling are also being tried by regulators as mechanisms to ease the middle mile problem by reducing costs to non-incumbents. This sometimes leads to controversies, such as the
NRECA opposition to
pole attachment tariff change
motivated by the US plan.
Middle-mile, in logistics, coincides with its etymological meaning in the telecommunication network space. The "middle mile" refers to the stage before the last leg i.e., the "
Last_mile_(transportation), last mile" of any supply chain, wherein goods are hauled from a supplier's warehouse, shipper's production facility to a retail store.
See also
*
Forced access regulation
*
Last mile
*
Local loop unbundling
Local loop unbundling (LLU or LLUB) is the regulatory process of allowing multiple telecommunications operators to use connections from a telephone exchange to the customer's location. The physical wire connection between the local exchange and th ...
*
Open access (infrastructure)
In the context of infrastructure, open access involves physical infrastructure such as railways and physical telecommunications network plants being made available to clients other than owners, for a fee.
For example, private railways within a st ...
References
External links
Broadband stimulus fund applicants sharpen their proposals for the second roundFighting AT&T, Verizon's chokehold on "middle mile"Big Broadband Stimulus Grants for Middle-Mile Networks in N.C. and Michigan
Network architecture
Telecommunications infrastructure
Network access
Internet architecture
{{telecom-stub