Fiber optic cable deployment challenges and their management in a developing country: A tutorial and case study in Ghana

The telecommunications industry in Ghana has undergone various changes. The industry has experienced significant growth over the past few decades. Maintaining this growth depends on the use of infrastructure and good governance. Fiber optics technology has become the foundation of network and communication infrastructure, providing high bandwidth power with the speed of current and emerging technologies. As the demand for new technologies and services increases, fiber optics technology brings the promise of flexibility, disability, and a fully integrated service network platform.

Although mobile network operators have invested heavily and strategically in fiber optic infrastructure, there has been an increase in the number of end-to-end networks due to common failures in fiber optics networks such as fiber cable cuts.

Fiber cuts have been one of the most important causes of transmission failure or disruption of telecommunications services in Ghana which has a significant impact on the subscriber experience. The study aims to investigate the challenges of using fiber optics in Ghana, highlighting technical, legal, managerial challenges and recommending appropriate solutions.

The challenges of fiber cutting can often be caused by external factors such as excavation during road construction. Lack of guidelines and policies for fiber control and management is a major threat to fiber management in Ghana.

Cable Blowing Machine manufacturers in Turkey

1 INTRODUCTION

The telecommunications industry in Ghana has also reported various stages of change over the years. The mobile telecommunications industry first came into use in Ghana in the late 1990's. The transmission method was a microwave transmission system but industry players saw the disadvantages of the microwave transmission system in long-term infrastructure as a major challenge.

1 One of these challenges was the reduction of long-distance radio signal and environmental effects.

2 Challenges -2000. The roll-out of optical network infrastructure in the telecommunications industry has caused significant growth in service delivery over the past few years. Now, fiber optics has become a standard means of providing fast internet connectivity that can be uninterrupted for users in both urban and rural areas.

3 Organizations, offices, and homes that rely solely on online services to improve certain day-to-day operations, increase productivity, and help meet the goals set within a specified domain. The fastest internet connection through optical networks has become an essential requirement for people, future communication systems with all means of providing advanced services. The delivery of competent services depends on the use of infrastructure and good governance. The ability of mobile network operators (MNOs) to use the strategies and control of network infrastructure gives it a competitive advantage.

4 The fiber optics network is one of the infrastructure that provides high bandwidth power for cable and wireless broadband services. Industries and other businesses have taken advantage of this high-fiber fiber technology for transmitting voice, video and data traffic. As the demand for this new technology grows, fiber optics offers the promise of flexibility, flexibility, ease of use, and unlimited power network. kind of difficulties and challenges. Both technical and commercial considerations have greatly improved fiber optic exports to Ghana. MNOs have used a variety of methods and techniques to use their fiber optics cable, which is primarily aimed at gaining competitive advantage in the emerging digital marketplace.

5 To achieve competitive advantage in highly competitive markets, MNOs use an efficient and reliable network that provides leading services with minimal disruption. The optical network and transmission system is characterized by problems such as installation difficulties, initial installation costs, fiber cable cuts, and difficulty tracking errors. There is no applicable policy governing the distribution of visible cable.

6 Optical fiber has become the only reliable transmission method for modern spinal infrastructure. The possibilities of service delivery with fiber optics cable to the end user, without loss of quality or speed of data are guaranteed. Visible cable management during installation contributes significantly to cable quality and light signal input definition. Optical cable deployment depends on a number of factors, including the availability of appropriate urban infrastructure, location, permissive laws, operational investment capabilities, market requirements, and so on. cable cuts, emphasize technical, regulatory and management challenges and recommend the appropriate solution.

The main purpose of this article is to identify and analyze the challenges associated with fiber optic transmission. In addition, this document aims to explore the fiber transmission control framework, MNOs end up managing fiber optic infrastructure in Ghana and propose practical strategies that can be used and managed in fiber optic infrastructure.

2 RELATED WORKS

The advent of high-speed internet connectivity has led to the introduction of smart devices, the internet of things, a smart city, and the need for big data transmission and usage.8 The question currently being debated is whether the current legacy network can support a greater need for data? MNOs and other service providers in the industry in an effort to answer this question want to upgrade their network infrastructure to support growing demand.

Depending on the 9th is the complexity of fiber distribution, operators face different marketing challenges with market maturity.10 Transmission fiber optics cable is expensive and takes time to install. It requires strong but flexible management to adapt to changes in the national or local context.

Installing fiber optics cable requires an improved communication infrastructure to eliminate the chances that the cable will break breaks and other related errors. Authors in Reference 11 have published their work on a powerful network infrastructure, consisting of an excellent optical plant, a high-performance transceiver station, an updated software for network components, and a complete system configuration. Adherence to this technology may prevent pregnancy, jitters, and delays throughout the network and communication system.

According to Reference 12, fiber optical cable transmission mode is important. The delivery of the fuel transfer infrastructure has finally been done, above, underground and by sea transfer system. 13 There has been a lot of research work, 8, 11, 14 published to improve its end ‐End fiber optics cable network infrastructure to achieve effective communication. The high optical transmission system introduces the distribution of the electric field around the transmission lines (OHTLs) but this challenge is overcome by the improved dielectric self - support (ADSS) fiber optic fiber.

15 Submarine fiber optics transmission cable requires long-term loss Transmission-haul optical transmission of approximately 34 000 km trans - Atlantic ocean cable transmission. To overcome this loss, repeaters were placed in the space of an 8 sub km of cable ships. In the case of grounding and above, the experiments performed by References 16, up to 125 - μm - coil core core 0.162 - dB / km to prevent power of 1.34 - high power for light transmission without increasing power consumption, compared to sub the ar art submarine single - mode fiber optic cable.

The effective management of this visual infrastructure has brought a certain level of satisfaction among the industry player

3 Fiber Optic Cable

The development of fiber optics began in the 1970s, but the first major commercial use was in the early 1980s, and in the 1990s, fiber networks transformed the telecommunications business. technological advancement was far from ideal.

The first fiber optic connection was in April 1977 in Long Beach California, which tested 6 Mbps. 19 This speed has been upgraded to more than 3.2 Terabit / s over a single cable, allowing for a one-fold increase in speed.

20 Optical fiber uses light as a means of transmitting data from one location to another. It has a light source known as a laser or LED, a fiber glass that appears as a transmitter, and an optical receiver.21 A laser produces a light beam of a certain frequency, also known as a color or channel detected and translated into an electrical pulse, by a detector. 22 Available commercial lasers currently reach speeds of up to 10 Gb.

Recent technologies and recent research on commercial networks have shown that it is possible to achieve 400 Gb-1 Tb with a single optical cable color. High-speed delivery is possible, but the challenges of achieving this speed are highly dependent on the detector that converts light back into electric drums.

In addition to sending data faster than one color, it is also possible to combine several colors into a single fiber depending on the multiplexing wavelength division. Currently, there are commercial systems that allow the use of 160 colors in a single fiber, offering a total of 150 Terabit / s per single fiber cable. In the laboratories, up to 25 Tbit / s.23 There are two standard components of fiber optics cable, therefore, single mode and and multimode. ‐ Index multimode fiber.

3.1 Single‐mode cable

Single-mode cable - single-strand silica material with a diameter of 8.3 to 10 μm with a small visible hole for signal transmission. Single mode fiber optic mode with small wavelength transmitting signal at 1310 or 1550 nm. Single-mode fiber optics cables are designed to maintain the location and width of each optical signal over long distances, allowing data to be transmitted at a higher level. It has a higher bandwidth than multimode fiber.24 Unsurprisingly, the power and internal losses within its core have made a single fiber-optics cable an ideal location for mass transmission and multi-use. Single fiber-mode mode is used for long distances and high bandwidth applications.20

3.2 Multimode cable

Multimode has a much larger, medium-width range of 50 - to - 100 - μm and a maximum of 62.5 μm light carriers. Multimode fiber transmits bandwidth at high speeds with a short distance of less than 1 km. In a multimode fiber cable, a light signal is transmitted through the spine in a number of ways; the signal traverses the core cables usually having a length of between 810 and 1300 nm. 24 Many methods of transmitting light to a multimode fiber cable often create signal interference at the end of the reception, resulting in unintelligible and incomplete data transmission.

3.2.1 Step‐index multimode fiber

The step-index multimode fiber has a large core up to 100 μm in diameter. As a result, some of the light rays that create digital beams can travel in a straight line, while others are in a zigzag pattern as they jump. These abnormal mechanisms cause the separation of light rays, called channels, to separate the reception area. A simple pulse contains a variety of mechanisms, which promote the circulation of the heart, thus losing its well-defined structure. The need to leave gaps between pulses to prevent bandwidth limitations.13 As a result, this type of fiber optics cable is suitable for short-distance transmission.

3.2.2 Graded‐index multimode fiber

The graded multimode fiber contains a core where the index finger gradually decreases from the center axis to the grip. The higher the direction of the retraction, the lower the light intensity of the light and the lower the axis, which is much slower than the one close to the beam. Instead of stopping the input, the lamp inside the curves is in contact due to the captured direction reducing its range of motion. The shortened distance and high speed allow light at the edges to reach the receiver simultaneously with slow but direct radiation to the center of the central spine. This leads to slow digital dispersion.25

3.3 Deployed fiber optic cable

Ghana has adopted the international standard for fiber optics transmission line where single fiber optics cables are used for long-term transmission. Fiber optics cable and selection of parameters such as cable wavelength, loss, bending strength, and connectors depends on the perception of MNOs. There may be technical challenges in choosing the wrong parameters or choosing the wrong project cable. An investigation by the paper revealed that, in most cases, empty fiber optics cables were placed in an underground tunnel. This practice causes cable cuts whenever there is a road construction that way.

4 FIBER OPTICS CABLE DEPLOYMENT STRATEGIES

In general, there are many ways to use fiber optic cable. Choosing the type of installation depends largely on the environment, local development, business vision, and demographic size. These essentials are carefully monitored to ensure successful delivery and easy maintenance after cable installation.

The findings of this article show that between 60% and 80% of the major costs of a fiber project are due to community work, plumbing and cables. There are three ways to install fiber optic cables: these are underground, underground, and ocean While the aerial inserts cables into pylons or poles (poles of utensils), underground inserts cables under the ground at a specified depth and the installation of the water vessel is passed under the sea. 26

4.1 Aerial installation

Aerial fiber cables are subject to continuous pressure and additional tension caused by changes in temperature, wind, and in some cold climates, the weight of the ice. Many fiber optic cables do not have enough power to allow direct installation of aircraft, but there are special installation methods for special cables such as those designed for air installation.

The simplest solution is to lighten a standard fiber cable is usually a missing metal cord used to support the cable but sometimes another cable is needed if it is not strong enough. The supporting cable should have sufficient strength to support the fiber optic cable over the space between the supporting frames. 18, 21, 27 Caution should be exercised when installing fiber optic cables with a supporting cable to accommodate variations in length, for example, due to airflow or temperature changes. Since fiber optics cables are designed not to stretch as that would compress the fiber cable, a flexibility should be provided, the frequency at the bases, to reduce friction in the fiber optic cable as the messenger length changes. There is also a section of ADSS cables, tightly designed with a thick jacket to be strong enough to withstand the rigors of ventilation when inserting with a special hardware designed to hold the cable in the jacket properly without damaging the cable for long loads to load high friction. Another type of air cable is optical power ground wire (OPGW). The OPGW is a high voltage conductor with a tube sealed with a cement core containing a fiber cable. The cable is widely used worldwide to provide power and connectivity. The OPGW is installed in the same way as a high-power cable, but the limits are brought down and cut or cut off, and then folded into a tower. When communication equipment is needed in the area, fiber optic cables are delivered from the components in the equipment room. Therefore for all overhead cable installations where cuts or cuts are required, another 30 (60 ft (10 )20 m) cable should be left to spare. the cable is attached to long poles.

4.2 Underground installation

Underground fiber optic cables play a major role in cable crossings, in urban areas, and especially in areas where cables need protection from adverse weather conditions. Underground cables can be installed by burying them directly in the ground or by placing a fiber optic inside a tunnel buried underground. For applications such as deportation, it is common to see direct burials. They are usually made of stainless steel, the fiber cables are buried in a trench dug at a certain depth. The metal coatings are designed to protect the fiber optic cable from harsh environment and predatory animals. 20

4.2.1 Direct‐buried

The most straightforward wire is built on direct tolerance to heat, moisture, its performance, and the acidity of the earth. many layers of heavy metal fastened, reinforced with heavy rubber covers, shock absorbing gel, folded rope, waterproof tape, and reinforced with heavy metal core. Straight burial wire is cheaper and easier to install than other types of cable that need protection in the world. As a result, the overlay cable is located on sidewalks, not on highways. The beauty of a cable that is directly covered is that this solution can be installed with minimal effort because there is no need to fix the soil where the cable is laid by installing pipes or making other living space. Basically, a cable buried directly where the cable is buried directly below the ground level covered is suitable for use in voice and data transmission. As fiber cable is self-made and able to withstand many things that accelerate the degradation of other types of cable, straight burial cables also offer the benefits of repeated duplication and a better chance of maintaining integrity in the event of a natural disaster. 30, 31

4.2.2 Installation in duct

In metropolitan areas, a common underground application is the installation of a trench as it becomes a major challenge to dig. Fiber optic cables are installed in installed communities and it is easy to install them because it is possible to use fiber optic cables that are not covered with stainless steel. The trench protects the fiber optic cables as they are exposed to the harsh environment. Fiber cabling extensions are easy to implement as there is no need to dig the installation trenches. The benefits of underground fiber optic implants, exposed slightly to adverse weather conditions, will further assist in adopting underground fiber optic implants. These types of cable need very important protection because their materials are very sensitive to shingles and mechanical stress. Damages can be very costly in terms of interrupted services and the cost of replacing them. Also, these cables are included in a very long, continuous run, which requires a clear, secure approach, and a seamless system. 13 40a4 Ropes are pulled from a ditch buried underground, usually 3‐4 ft (1‐1.2 m) deep to reduce the chances of accidental digging. The process always begins by digging a trench to bury the trench, which usually enters 4 -. a plastic pipe, sometimes with a pre-inserted inner cord with pull tape to make the actual cable pulling process. Pulling a cable into an existing cable with multiple cables can cause disruption, increasing the tension of the tension and the cables can be damaged. Multiple cables can be pulled simultaneously if the total amount of cable fills and pulls tension does not exceed the recommendations

5 FIBER OPTICS DEPLOYMENT ACROSS THE WORLD

There has been a very long fiber cable distribution, expansion, and distribution around the world. These functions have improved internet connectivity, voice communication, and flexibility of communication within the communication space. Many telecommunications companies around the world have telecommunications infrastructure under the oceans and under the fiber cable network. Verizon, a cable operator in the United States, deployed a Fiber optic network covering 18 million homes under the umbrella of FiOS services and that boosted its ARUP in the face of a direct business downturn. Travel, the second largest company in Saudi Arabia, has no copper infrastructure focused on fiber optic transmission and increased its subscriber base to 100,000 by 2010. MNO has expanded its network infrastructure to meet the growing needs of quality service delivery. Etisalat achieved a goal of 100 Mbps in 2011 through the distribution of optical network infrastructure.32 Deutsche, Germany's largest MNO, has also invested heavily in the use of fiber optic infrastructure to expand its service delivery capacity to organizations, homes and offices. . 18 In France, China, Dubai, and Australia, MNOs have made great strides in implementing smart systems thanks to the export of fiber optic cables such as FTTx / FTTB / FTTH / FTTO to the world to improve communication and internet service delivery. In the UK, British Telecom has invested heavily in fiber optic cable distribution to cover two to three percent of households by 2015. Singapore invested millions of dollars in building a nationwide fiber optic cable network (FTTB / FTTH), comprising 95% of the population in 2012.11, 18 Finland was the first country to register a fiber optic cable network as a single broadband access network. online for all citizens in 2015 in the country. Developed countries have an improved regulatory framework for the supply, availability, and availability of fiber optic cable in homes, offices, trains, and so on. Effective policies on optical network installation and management have been put in place to control the visual infrastructure in a developed nation. This has led to the misuse of tangible infrastructure in developing and low-income countries. These low-income countries continue to face thousands of challenges in using optical networks due to a number of factors that this paper seeks to identify.23

5.1 Fiber optic cable deployment in Ghana

The liberation of the telecommunications sector in Ghana has allowed many independent operators to deploy, own and manage telecommunications infrastructure to deliver communication services to users. The commercial export of physical infrastructure to Ghana began in the late 2000s. This development saw the replacement of fiber with the rest of the existing radio transmission system. Fiber cable transmission has received attention 10 years later, when individuals, private institutions, and government have access to distributed fiber optic cable infrastructure.13

5.2 Submarine fiber optic in Ghana

Four seamen with various capabilities are currently installed in Ghana. The SAT - 3 cable is the first to reach the coast of Ghana with a total distance of 28 800 km connecting Portugal to South Africa and crossing the Indian Ocean with a power of 340 Gigabits / s. Intambo engaphansi kwe-1.92 Terabits / s undersea cable and GLO ‐ 1s 640 Gigabits / s capacity undersea cable are the second and third subsea cable to work in Ghana. In addition, the West Africa Cable System (WACS) with a fixed power of 5.12 Terabits / s began trading in 2012. These cables carry both the internet and vehicles from Ghana to other parts of the world. One large cable has a complete 7000 km cable along the West African coast that connects Ghana, Nigeria and Portugal. GLO - 1 has a sea line of 9800 - km‐ long, with a power of up to 2.5 terabytes per second link of three European countries, namely the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal and 13 other African countries, with the link dedicated to the USA. The WACS cable has the last 15 channels in its path. It is an ultrahigh high-powered underground cable infrastructure using the following technologies, which connect Ghana and Europe via South Africa. Over a distance of more than 14,500 kilometers, WACS uses next-generation technology to transmit a high-energy signal of 5.12 Terabits / s.28, 33

5.3 Inland fiber optic deployment

All five MNOs (MTN, Tigo, Glo, Vodafone, and Airtel) are licensed to provide telecom services in Ghana using fiber optic cable as a backbone to existing microwave and / or metro fiber network infrastructure. providing the required data volume and voice volume up to the end of the user.34 Vodacom, a subsidiary of Volta River Authority, has installed the first fiber optic cable network in Ghana. Using these existing pylons, Vodacom sent an aerial fiber optic cable to the pylons. The fiber optic cable is installed in the southern and central part of the national grid. The (MTN) telecommunications network in its effort to consolidate data and voice communications has used a nationwide visual network using an underground investment strategy to connect all 16 regions in Ghana. In addition to spinal connections, MTN and Vodafone Ghana have used underground fiber metro (FTTx) networks in thirty-two major cities. Airtel Ghana, Tigo, and Glo have all buried the cable under the fiber cable to provide adequate capacity for the spinal cord and to provide for the dismantling of the existing microwave connectors.

6 FIBER DEPLOYMENT CHALLENGES

Fiber delivery comes with procedures and procedures, where they can be strictly followed which can be detrimental to the entire project. The project involves many functional units and therefore requires full consultation. Challenges in fiber use can be attributed to technical and administrative difficulties.

6.1 Technical challenges in fiber deployment

Installing underground fiber in a developing country like Ghana comes with a number of technical challenges. Underground fiber optic cable is located mainly on highways and city streets. However, in an area where the building comes without authorization, planning a fiber route and adhering to planned routes becomes difficult. Designing and using fiber as planned becomes difficult.33 Sharing the right of the existing method (ROW) by multiple MNOs comes with the challenges of frequent fiber cutting cables. For example where another MNO requests to install its own fiber optic cable by sharing ROW with an existing MNO, an existing MNO fiber has a high risk of being cut during drilling. The main reason for the fiber optic cable cut is due to the small depth of the wire burrows, especially when a thin line is allocated.

6.2 Right of way

GETTING a line to place visible cables on a highway is very expensive and time consuming. The process involved for MNO obtaining a license to place fiber optic cable on a public road is complex and could have direct consequences at start-up limits. Line management is critical to the use of virtual infrastructure. Several MNOs have noted that more complex requests for information reduce usage, allow for discovery, unreasonable charges for using ROWs, and unsolicited requests for redress and redress. the installation of resources across expensive and time-consuming municipal boundaries. Affected communities have recognized, however, the need for flexibility in regulating the use of public ROWs to install and track error in underground fiber optic cables to ensure the continued safety of their roads. City officials cited the lack of staff as a possible cause of possible delays in the issuance of permits.

6.3 Administrative challenges

Current licensing and licensing management is a major problem in the implementation of the fiber project. Management practices within local authorities and the lack of guidelines for the process of regulating the activities of these authorities undermines the need to use tangible infrastructure. Many local authorities have identified the need to adjust the timing of ROW processing between the initial application for a permit and the final installation of facilities. In the USA, for example, to reduce the application time, some cities have set a deadline to approve or deny registration. Some cities have issued residence permits, eliminating the need for registration of individual placements.33 Countries such as Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, and Florida set 30 days for permit processing, while Michigan and Virginia established the last 45 days. Other administrative challenges are the fees charged to process permits and unnecessary delays associated with permit management. In general, different administrations have different rates of similar services across the country, which is thought to be incorrect and hinders the progress of transparent infrastructure deployment processes.34 Lack of standard funding and best practices leads to unauthorized financial delays and delays, affecting the entire life cycle of the project. In previous countries, such as the United States, Europe, Australia, and part of Asia, there are a variety of penalties associated with the use of ROW and other facilities. Government agencies have been authorized to use the approved financial structure which is best known to applicants. In some parts of Africa such as Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and Rwanda, the regional power allocation processes involved in obtaining a permit have not been fully adopted. The central government usually manages to manage all the processing costs. There are no appropriate structures to control the implementation of optical projects. Significantly, in Ghana and Nigeria, the implementation of optical projects has destroyed many road networks and vice versa. Road damage poses a risk to road users. This poses a number of road accidents in the African continent where a failed management standard leads to improper use of a tangible project. Finally, mismanagement of information is one of the main issues of major management, affecting the light transmission project. The necessary route knowledge of existing operating infrastructure comes with some difficulty.34 Knowing what is currently underground helps you to know what to add and how to do it and where to do it. The ongoing disruption to resource services due to water supply is due to the lack of geographical information system (GIS) data in existing infrastructure.

6.4 Post‐fiber deployment management

Fiber management is a framework based on engineering principles and objectives for the maintenance, operation, storage, repair, and restoration of aging fiber infrastructure at a limited cost. Fiber optic cable networks are complex communication systems for voice, data and video transmission. The importance of fiber optic cable is due to the more precise details of telecommunications, as well as the transition that is being made from narrowband to broadband. Therefore, the need for effective management of this infrastructure is critical for MNOs and end users.35 Research has shown that the disconnection of Ghana's underground cables has been significantly affected by telecommunications services. Ghanaian MNOs had fiber optics in deliberately isolated areas, resulting in the loss of services to tens of thousands of users. Fiber optic networks must be protected from intentional or unintentional events of damage, cuts, bending, and any type of activity that could damage the cable.36

6.5 Standards and best practices for fiber optic cable deployment and management

Until the end of 1998, the installation standard for visible cable was not available. However, due to the challenges that MNOs faced during the distribution of fiber optic cable, there was a need for a standardized approach to be followed. A policy framework was developed between the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the Fiber Optic Association (FOA) to improve the process of controlling the transmission of virtual network infrastructure.

The measures were part of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Electrical Installation Standards program. The NECA / FOA standard - 301 is different which includes the installation and testing of fiber optic cables. The Fiber Optical Industry Association (FIA), a board that manufactures fiber optic process out of the UK, has improved the installation, performance, and maintenance standards of fiber cable cabling.37 in India, Fiber Optic Technical Information Cabling describes installation procedures and methods including survey, clearing, trench drilling, tunnel drilling, permanent lubrication - high polyethylene pipes (PLB HDPE), Hume reinforced concrete pipes, and steel pipes (GI), marking, filling rear, underground cable installation, construction of service holes, cutting, crossing, and requirements for the acceptance test of the underground fiber optic cabling system.

Similarly, in Japan, the Law and Policy on the use of network infrastructure focuses on network performance, accessibility, pricing and reliability.35

7 RESEARCH DESIGN

The purpose of this work is to identify and analyze the challenges associated with the distribution and management of Fiber Optic Cable in Ghana and to further evaluate the limitations in the use and management of fiber cable. This study is a combination of experimental and descriptive research.35

The data used to perform the analysis is divided into two parts, namely sets of internal and external data. Internal data is those generated within the research organization and external data is those generated by sources outside the organization. The second internal data for this study was collected at MTN Ghana.

7.1 Data collection

A systematic research approach to staff in the technology department of the telecommunications industry in Ghana was adopted. Departments include field maintenance engineers, planning and maintenance engineers, network deployers, managers, supervisors and senior managers. The questionnaire was used as a survey tool and was distributed to the targeted experts as indicated above. Number of 100 questionnaires distributed to targeted staff. However, 62 participants answered the questions, and a list of questions was shown in Table 1.

To ensure that the questions asked in the questionnaire were technically correct and standardized, it was a trick to be selected by randomly selecting five managers to evaluate the questions. The first survey was conducted in accordance with 37 in their paper, the amount of research related to its data collection methods. The response from the management was very positive, so questionnaires were given to the target group to respond.

Table 1. Distribution of questions and inquiries

 Network optimization engineersNetwork planning and design engineersField‐level maintenance engineersNetwork deployment engineersManagersTotalNumber of questionnaires administered2020252015100Number of response10102215562Response rate (%)50%50%88%75%33%62%

7.1.1 Ethics statement

The study filters approval from various telecommunications companies that promote their work to participate in the study. Participants were unreservedly assured that participation in the study was voluntary, the study would respect their confidentiality and anonymity, that the study result would not damage their integrity, and ultimately, the study would be conducted independently and impartially for learning purposes.

7.2 Result and analysis

Analysis of research results is carried out mainly using the social science statistics tool (SPSS) package. This section examines respondents with general knowledge of the concept of distribution and management of fiber optic cable. Table 2 shows the respondents' knowledge in the field of distribution and management of fiber optic.

In Table 2, 57 respondents representing 92% expressed knowledge of fiber optic transmission and management, while five respondents representing 8% were unaware of transmission and management of fiber optic cable.

Table 2. Fiber transmission and management information

Knowledge of fiber deployment and managementFrequencyPercentYes5792.00%No58.00%Total62100.00%

Figure 1 examines the risk of fiber optical transmission in the community. Respondents are of the opinion that fiber transmission poses a risk to society. Twenty-eight percent of respondents strongly agree that fiber transmission is dangerous to society. In addition, 38% agree, 12% disagree and disagree, 15% of respondents disagree, and 7% strongly disagree. Risk associated with fiber optic cable transmission to digging trenches. The trenches were left open for a few days until the cable was laid. This situation is very dangerous for the general public because people are injured in many cases due to long-term tape warnings.

Figure 1

Open in figure viewerPowerPoint

Risk of public transmission of fiber Despite the regulations governing fiber management and distribution, as shown in Figure 2, Ghanaian MNOs are of the view that there should be co-operation between regulators (National Communication Authority and Ghana Telecommunication Chambers) to strengthen and revise fiber management and distribution.

Figure 2

Open in figure viewerPowerPoint

More interaction between Telcos and the controller

7.3 Fiber deployment and management strategies

This section analyzes the various techniques used by MNOs in transmitting underground fiber optic cable. As shown in Table 3, 20.0% of respondents strongly agreed that MNOs informed the Roads and Highways Authority during the planning of the fiber optic cable line, 30.0% agreed, 13% disagreed, and 21.0% of respondents.

They were neutral and 15% strongly opposed, respectively. Table 3. Consultation with the Department of Roads during construction

Mobile operatorsStrongly disagreedisagreeNeither disagree nor agreeAgreeStrongly agreeScancom9.0%9.0%10.0%18.0%9.0%Tigo3.0%2.0%0.0%6.7%2.0%Airtel1.0%3.0%5.0%0.0%5.0%Vodafone2.0%0.0%2.0%5.0%2.0%Glo0.0%0.0%3.0%0.0%3.0%Total15.0%13.0%22.0%30.0%20.0%

MNOs acknowledge that a large number of fiber optic cable projects have been implemented in addition to good industrial practices. 52% of respondents said that fiber optic cable transmission had no advanced methods, 20% strongly agreed, 15% disagreed and disagreed, 12% agreed, and 2% strongly agreed. In addition, Table 4 presents a breakdown in best practice as captured by respondents. And MNOs are of the opinion that gaining ROW remains a major challenge in the fiber transmission process. Fifty percent of respondents confirmed the challenges with consensus, while 18% strongly agreed, 15% had a neutral opinion, 13% disagreed, and 3% strongly disagreed.

Table 4. Operator networks look for good practices in fiber use

Mobile operatorStrongly disagreeDisagreeNeither agree nor disagreeAgreeStrongly agreeScancom12%28%10%3%0%Tigo2%8%0%3%0%Airtel3%5%2%3%2%Vodafone2%5%3%2%0%Glo2%5%0%0%0%Total20%52%15%12%2%

Figures 3 and 4 reflect the input methods used by MNOs in Ghana. 70% of MNOs use an underground tunnel, 18% use a direct burial ground, 7% of the internal channel route, and 5% of direct and underground canals. The aforementioned analysis, therefore, shows that the majority of MNOs use the underground / canal method of transmitting fiber optic cable for transmission.

Figure 3

Installations techniques used in deploying fiber optic cable

Figure 4

What type of input is used for the installation of fiber optic cables Respondents suspect a large number of fiber optic cuts mainly in road excavation during roadblock and other construction activities on the side of the road. Respondents said that despite the warning tapes, road contractors are moving forward to dig up and destroy the infrastructure of underground fiber optic cables. Currently, 55% of all steel cable cuttings are due to road excavations, the performance of Glamsey (Local Gold Miners) also contributes 27% of all fiber optic cuts, theft accounts 10%.

Erosion occurs as a result of heavy rainfall; this and human activities are also 8%. The traditional underground wires of data and power transmission were particularly copper. The practice of cutting and selling these copper cords has been a major challenge for industry players in recent years. However, fiber optic cable has been mistaken for these thieves as copper cable, therefore, attempts to steal the cable cause a network outage.

Significant impact on fiber cutting according to the findings of this article indicates that excavation of road contractors during road construction is an important cause for fiber optic cutting. An attempt has been made to analyze the reasons for the high cost of contractor cuts, as shown in Figure 5. Respondents were of the opinion that fiber optic cable routes were not connected to road contractors, hence their inability to detect the presence of fiber optic cable in the construction route.

Figure 5

What are the causes of the frequent fiber cuts

7.4 Post‐deployment management

MNOs tend to handle post-shipping challenges. Figure 4 showed that the post-fiber optic cable transmission management is centralized, which may be the reason for the frequent fiber cuts. Thirty-seven percent of respondents disagreed, 20% had a neutral opinion, 6% strongly disagreed, 27% agreed, and 10% strongly disagreed. However, respondents agree that there is an effective system for detecting and reporting failures in optical networks. Fifty percent of respondents agree, 23% strongly agree, 12% disagree, 10% disagree and disagree, while 5% strongly disagree. The argument from numbers 6 and 7 is that post-post management is done more efficiently than using performance measures. Effective management processes have negative impacts on the network, as shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Impact of the fiber failures on the network

 Very highHighMediumMobile operatorfrequency%frequency%frequency%Scancom2440%610%23%Tigo58%35%00%Airtel58%47%00%Vodafone58%23%00%Glo23%12%12%Total4168%1627%35%

In Table 5, all five mobile operators agree that fiber optics cuts have a significant impact on the network with 41 respondents representing 68% saying the impact is too high, 16 respondents representing 27% saying the impact is high, while three respondents 5% represent a moderate Together, the responses show a high level of experience loss of MNOs when there is an end to optical network infrastructure.

In Figure 6, MNOs were of the view that the distribution of pipelines would help reduce the impact of fiber optics cuts. If all operators shared a single channel, the pipeline locations would be notified to industry players whose actions contribute significantly to fiber optic cable cuts. Post-transmission management practice will inform all parties of any threat of fiber optic cable disconnection. The article can find in the analysis that industry players must continue to engage and innovate in challenging issues facing the optical network infrastructure.

Figure 6

What managerial framework should Telecos adapt to minimize fiber cuts

Figure 7

What do you do to reduce this impact on the customers

The MNO's principal mandate is to provide uninterrupted network services to its customers at all time. However, with the frequent interruption in services due to fiber optic cable cut, this article sought to examine how operators manage this challenge. In Figure 7, 53% of the time, this happens, the network is switch automatically to protection mode, data and voice traffic are rerouted according to 25% of respondents, and 22% of respondents say nothing was done until the service restored.

7.5 DISCUSSION

Fiber Optic Cable cuts remain one of the leading contributors to network depletion in the telecommunications industry in Ghana. The causes of fiber optic cable failures are mainly due to excavation activities, lack of communication between participants, and a lack of accurate map and location data on optical network routes.

Fiber optical transmission in Ghana lacks established procedures and guidelines, which have reached all sorts of fiber transmission challenges that have been a major cause of failure. Complex permitting processes have become a factor in disabling smooth fiber optic transmission. Many local authorities do not have clear procedures and timeframes for applying and responding to a permit application. Local authorities, therefore, have taken advantage of the situation to unduly delay the process of obtaining permits. ROW purchases are expensive, and improperly delayed processes often disrupt MNOs.

There are delays in deploying optical networks due to its over-demanding information requests, administrative procedures for obtaining permits and incorrect costs of using ROW. ROW issues are very complex, involving many stakeholders with different perspectives and short-term interests. Although widely accepted as the best transfer method to meet the demand for high power, reduce failures, and improve network quality, there are limited levels of control over appropriate practices and appropriate techniques for transporting and managing fiber optic cable in Ghana. Although the National Communication Authority (NCA) is mandated to regulate fiber optic distribution and management in Ghana, there are no strict regulatory guidelines governing fiber implementation in Ghana defined.

The constant disruption of network services as a result of multiple cable cuts has caused concern for both industry players and the regulator. Cuts of fiber optic cable lead to service disruption and significant revenue loss. Loss of revenue puts a lot of pressure on Capex and Opex authorizing MNOs to question the reason for investing in infrastructure, which brings a lot of discomfort and losses to MNOs. Several attempts, including the creation of demolition links and backups, have been introduced by MNOs to reduce the impact of fiber optic cuts. Not to give up as much as possible; another sophisticated and cost-effective method has been used as a way to reduce the impact of multiple fiber cuts on the network.

The issues of fiber optic cable distribution are focused on the benefits they present to the network. Very little time, therefore, has been spent on formulating fiber transmission and management policies and guidelines for evaluating fiber optic cable delivery based on cost-effectiveness. Fiber optic cable introduces some type of complexity to current network construction with the risk of undermining the benefits of fiber transmission if not used properly and managed. The value chain process for fiber deployment and management should be updated to reflect the current network environment. The whole process should be technically evaluated to comply with best practices.

The regulator must develop clear control policies and guidelines that are friendly and impartial as a well-structured technology framework for the distribution and management of fiber optics. The rule of sharing optical network infrastructure applies not only to fiber optic cable sharing but also to other resources. Local authorities must adhere to the approval procedures and set out a clear procedural framework with fixed deadlines for approving or rejecting the ROW application or any other type of permit application. Finally, copies of the fiber recycling method should be available to all local authorities, major road contractors, and the department of roads and highways. For this, any contractor excavated must be charged for damages.

8 CONCLUSION

The findings of this study point to the fact that many failures are caused by external factors such as digging, digging jobs, and road construction. This study the analysis presented in this article revealed that the lack of procedures and best practices for transporting fiber cable is a major cause of frequent fiber failure. In addition, the lack of guidelines and policies for fiber transmission and management is a major threat to fiber optic management in Ghana. Finally, the lack of fiber engineers with the necessary technical knowledge is almost non-existent. This affects the quality of the work done, thus exposing the fiber cables to the risk of attack and damage.