Whilst out walking in the neighbourhood I think I found one of the City Fibre equipment cabs (first 2 pics). Not to be confused with the smaller fibre distribution cabs (second 2 pics). Always poke my camera in an open cab !
This looks hopeful that City Fibre has finally arrived in my locality.
Just an exercise to locate the local exchanges in my area.
A number of fibre cables from the Exchange and bRAS start to run North from this small grass area just down the road towards the Centre MK and SMBA Bradwell Abbey Exchange.
A fibre cable running to the Bank of England runs under one of these network chamber covers using dark fibre provided by Zayo (formerly Geo). 186k was taken over by Geo Networks and further by Zayo, so it’s most likely under those 186k covers.
Cable landing stations come in various forms. Mainly industrial buildings but here is one on a housing estate hidden inside two houses. The inner walls and floors have been removed to house the fibre terminating equipment. The four large air con units outside give it away. The garage houses the backup generator.
Milton Keynes has a number of Data Centres. The Linford Wood area seems to have a particular concentration of data processing companies, data centres, fibre cables and data connectivity providers.
My Mapped Data Centers ( work in progress )
This video fuelled my interest in a more detailed search for the hidden buildings and ducts that make up the Internet Backbone of the UK.
Watched this video several hundred times pausing and following Mark’s journey mapping the sites he visited. Also used a number of sources like Secret Bases and Internet Maps to map other interesting sites. Some sites were found by endlessly and painfully zooming and scrolling Google Maps !
I have made up several KML files locating each these sites and the route of the GTN and other fibre cables.
My Mapped Points Of The Internet Backbone ( work in progress )
Collected from a number of sources like Secret Bases and Internet Maps and some were painfully located on Google Maps by endlessly zooming and scrolling !
Discover the physical side of the internet with Andrew Blum.
Some basic technical aspects of the Internet communication and infrastructure. Then worth watching “The Secrets of Cornwall – Part 1 – Communications“
The Secrets Of Cornwall – Communications
Took a trip out to investigate our local bRAS building.
BT Wholesale has ten 20/21CN bRAS which are located at Birmingham, Bletchley (MK), Ealing, Edinburgh, Ilford, Kingston, Manchester, Reading, Sheffield, Faraday. If your ISP uses BT Wholesale for routing then you can be sure that all your traffic will have passed through one of the above bRAS locations.
There are a large number of network companies present at this site as indicated by the network chamber covers outside in the street.
My Mapped BT Exchanges ( work in progress )
My Mapped Eire Telecom Exchanges ( work in progress )
The physical connectivity of the Internet is of great fascination to me. From Submarine Cables and Cable Landing Stations to fibre ducts running up and down the country between Exchanges and POPs.
Took a trip out to investigate our local exchange building.
