| I recently read an article in a major networking | | | | have been required to keep the switches cool |
| magazine announcing that, St. John's Health | | | | because there would have been no switches. |
| System, in Springfield, MO was on Hospitals | | | | Security would have been at a maximum as the |
| & Health Networks' list of "100 Most Wired | | | | entire group of network switches supporting the |
| Hospitals and Health Systems" for six years in a | | | | hospital would have been in a centralized location |
| row. It also stated that this hospital had the | | | | in the MDF (Main Distribution Frame) and not |
| never-ending habit of upgraded its UTP network | | | | scattered around the complex. |
| over the years to keep up with technology and | | | | It is well known that the cost of the power to |
| bandwidth demand. As we all know and should | | | | maintain a copper switch is substantially higher |
| well remember the 25-year history of building | | | | than that required of a fiber switch. If every |
| copper cabling systems includes complete | | | | telecom room has one, or two, or three copper |
| re-cabling and termination to meet existing | | | | switches, then the cost just to power them will |
| standards and/or current increasing bandwidth | | | | be enormous. With a pure FTTD network, TR |
| requirements every 3-5 years. Which leads one to | | | | switches ARE NOT required. The hospital could |
| ask: Why would a Missouri Level 1 trauma center | | | | have saved at least 2% per year per telecom |
| chose to "upgrade" their EMI/RFI saturated | | | | room because no electrical power would have |
| network with shielded TP Copper instead of the | | | | been required to support them. Further, the |
| much lauded 10 Gig, 300 meter, 50 micron laser | | | | additional space now available in the TR could |
| optimized fiber? | | | | have been used for storage of hospital equipment |
| According to the Network Management at the St. | | | | and/or records. |
| John's facility, the goal of this construction project | | | | Considering cabling space, the use of 10Gig, 50 |
| was to provide "state-of-the-art facilities and | | | | 125 micron would have consumed much less |
| patient-friendly services ". This construction | | | | space in the overhead and cable trays. According |
| included a new façade, in-patient tower with | | | | to the article, the hospital did, in fact, use 50 |
| eight floors, community areas, and conference | | | | micron, LOF from the MDF to the Telecom |
| rooms. The article went on to say, "The new | | | | Rooms. I trust they used 144 (or larger) OFNR |
| patient tower brought the total number of beds | | | | OFNP to do the job with fusion spliced pigtails at |
| to nearly 1,000". | | | | each end. Space is certainly a premium in all |
| The manager of network services had seen | | | | building infrastructures as cable trays/ladders, |
| "huge technology changes in the healthcare | | | | overhead areas, walls, etc., become crowded |
| industry, and the new patient tower was an | | | | almost immediately when installing any type of |
| opportunity for us to refresh our network and | | | | network cabling. The Main Distribution Frame |
| support our initiative to move to an electronic | | | | (MDF) is always run amuck with all types of cable. |
| healthcare record system", that would provide the | | | | The fiber solution also saves space and is easier |
| hospital staff with the capability to look up | | | | to install as the Shielded Copper product, in most |
| important information at the patient's bedside | | | | cases, has a much larger diameter and is less |
| computers. I fervently believe that had this | | | | flexible than the typical 6 or 12 fiber distribution |
| hospital system been made completely aware of | | | | cables. One 144 fiber riser cable which supports |
| the capabilities of fiber to the rooms, with | | | | 72 users is .97 inches in diameter. The use of |
| Transition Network's new POE media converters | | | | plenum inner duct, which is a common costly |
| at each, they would have understood that fiber | | | | mistake in most fiber networks, would have been |
| to the room could have possibly been a lower | | | | unnecessary in most areas of the complex thus |
| cost, more modern method to properly "refresh" | | | | saving the hospital even more money on the |
| and future proof their network while still using low | | | | installation. |
| cost 10Gig or 1000BaseT, Copper switches and | | | | The total time to install the fiber network would |
| media converters. Additionally, the use of fiber | | | | have been 1/3-1/2 the time it takes to install a |
| cabling throughout the complex would have | | | | typical copper network. Therefore the staff could |
| eliminated the need for expensive TRs (Telecom | | | | have been on line and functioning long before the |
| Rooms) currently scattered all over the hospital | | | | copper network had been installed, terminated and |
| complex. One has to only wonder what the | | | | tested. Testing of the fiber network would have |
| hospital will do when the 100GbE standard is in | | | | consisted of only two tests: Loss and possibly |
| place over the next few years. Here is another | | | | distance. The OM-3, 50 micron fiber is certified to |
| surprising yet troubling statement from the | | | | 10Gig at 500 meters with LAN based DWDM |
| hospital, "We realize that when it comes to | | | | capabilities for future upgrades. In many cases, |
| futureproofing our network, the most significant | | | | the distances never would have reached the 300 |
| investment is in the cabling infrastructure." They | | | | meter maximum which is the installed limit per |
| go on to say, "We also realize how disruptive | | | | industry standards - not the maximum capability |
| re-cabling can be in a hospital environment, and | | | | of 50 micron LOF. Therefore the distance test |
| we don't want to have to re-cable the new | | | | may not have been necessary thus further |
| patient tower for at least another 15 years." As | | | | decreasing the testing time and cost of the fiber |
| was previously mentioned, for the past 25 years, | | | | network. |
| copper networks have always had to be | | | | It is important to keep in mind that new |
| re-cabled every 3-5 years. I wonder what has | | | | electronics will allow OM-3 fiber to operate at |
| occurred in this project, if anything, which will | | | | much higher bandwidth now and in the future. |
| change that trend. Has the demand for bandwidth | | | | Have you ever heard of LAN Based DWDM? This |
| suddenly come to a halt with the installation of | | | | fantastic technology will allow for up to 100Gig |
| so-called, 10Gig capable copper? I wonder if the | | | | over existing OM-3 fiber networks - a limit that is |
| installation of shielded twisted pair copper in this | | | | far beyond the reach of any known copper cable. |
| new "future-proofed", ultra-modern project has | | | | Can you imagine ten 10Gig Channels operating on |
| just become another walk along the same copper | | | | the same multimode fiber? If OM-3 fiber would |
| path to insanity - doing the same thing over and | | | | have been used throughout this hospital complex, |
| over again expecting different results. | | | | future upgrading of the network would have |
| Back when St. John's started designing the "new" | | | | consisted of changing only the electronics and not |
| copper infrastructure and was worrying about | | | | the reinstallation of the infrastructure. I repeat: |
| overcoming the alien/UFO crosstalk that currently | | | | The use of fiber to the bed and desk would have |
| plagues 10Gig copper networks, they should have | | | | required only the change of electronics at each |
| considered a complete fiber network as there is | | | | end of the cable when the demand for bandwidth |
| no such problem. It is true that in Europe, STP | | | | increased or the standards changed in the future. |
| Copper is commonly installed to combat EMI/RFI | | | | A network is only as good as its weakest link. |
| maladies in the network. However, here in the | | | | The weakest link in this case, unfortunately, is the |
| United States we tend to be a bit more proactive | | | | copper cabling. |
| when it comes to new and innovative technology. | | | | Data networking history has proven that for the |
| Therefore using shielded copper cabling as a | | | | past quarter century copper networks have |
| method to combat this problem is not only | | | | required upgrading every 3 to 5 years just to |
| extremely expensive, but it also requires the use | | | | keep up with the demand for bandwidth and |
| of expensive connectors, patch panels and | | | | technology. I would assume the plan for "future |
| requires a grounding system that far exceeds | | | | proofing" this network did not include a thorough |
| that required of an all fiber network. As a matter | | | | study of the US Courts South Texas project |
| of fact, fiber is immune to any EMI/RFI problems, | | | | where 9 court houses in 7 cities were properly |
| requires testing for loss, and, in some cases | | | | "future proofed" using 10Gig, LOF instead of |
| length. Fiber is also all dielectric (does not conduct | | | | legacy copper. The US Courts, South Texas |
| electricity) and requires no grounding whatsoever. | | | | networking staff educated themselves properly |
| No alien cross talk problems to deal with here. | | | | on the capabilities of fiber and compared that |
| Also, the labor and man hours associated with the | | | | knowledge to their 25 year experience with |
| installation and testing of an STP Copper network | | | | copper cabling. They made the decision to use |
| far exceeds that of a fiber network. | | | | fiber based on this knowledge. They did the job |
| As we all know, hospital environments are | | | | themselves, saved thousands of dollars, eliminated |
| saturated with EMI/RFI as well as other forms of | | | | the copper, eliminated expensive and bothersome |
| electrical interference which is more reason to | | | | network maintenance, eliminated the |
| install fiber with inexpensive media converters | | | | embarrassment of installing legacy cabling, and |
| where required to support in-room data acquisition | | | | most importantly, eliminated the need to re-cable |
| activities. The hospital's existing TRs (Telecom | | | | any time in the foreseeable future. To increase |
| Rooms) would have essentially disappeared. VOiP | | | | their network's capabilities they now have only to |
| could have been used easily with the fiber and the | | | | change electronics at either end of the fiber. No |
| old 66/100 Blocks to support telephone cross | | | | more re-cabling, no more hassles and no more |
| connections would have gone away completely. | | | | network outages due to the copper |
| Additional savings would have been accomplished | | | | infrastructure's inability to support the required |
| because no switches of any form would have | | | | bandwidth. They used basic tools, basic test |
| been required in these telecom rooms. There | | | | equipment, current fiber networking knowledge |
| would, therefore, have been reduced points of | | | | instead of myths, and built the largest OM-3 fiber |
| network failure, no required power at the TR, no | | | | to the desk installation in the United States. |
| grounding at the TR, no lights required in the | | | | Fiber - Install it, test it, and forget it! |
| telecom rooms, and no HVAC equipment would | | | | |