Touted as an alternative to fiber optics, virtual fiber connectivity is a laser technology that uses direct point-to-point wireless connectivity between establishments to establish optical bandwidth connections capable of sending out and receiving up to 2.5 gigabits per second of data, voice, and video communications.

“This new solution is currently on an ‘experimental’ basis as we try a new play in the local wireless market to meet its fast and growing demand,” said Mike Cardenas, DTSI executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Allowing laser connections of up to a maximum range of four kilometers, the new solution serves as an alternative – or support – to fiber optics, lowering the cost to the enterprise to only about one-fifth of the regular fiber-based expenditure.

‘LAST MILE’ PROBLEM

The technology also provides a quick and practical solution to the common “last mile” problem by overcoming the difficulty of linking fiber networks to business and residential areas which, with fiber optics, requires digging to lay the cables down.

In congested business districts like the Ortigas Center in Pasig where space for digging may prove to be a challenge, DTSI is able to install a virtual fiber connectivity network within days as compared to the months it usually takes to dig and lay down fiber optic cables.

Providing a “pluck-and-play” capability, virtual fiber connectivity is installed when and where it is needed without much hassle and can be re-adjusted or expanded to provide the growing needs of the user and, in some cases, overcome of infrastructure interference, Cardenas explained.

The solution is currently generating interests from call centers, carriers, and enterprises that plan to create a metropolitan network or redundancy, back-up and disaster recovery systems without the usual “microwave” effect.

“We are not planning to compete with telco’s but rather, serve as the systems integrator that we are and provide them with the carrier-class service that they need,” Florian Groebel, DTSI manager of plans and controls, pointed out.

Although it declines to give a definite timeframe for the expected take-up of its latest offering, DTSI has forecast that the solution will contribute 10% of the company’s total revenues on its first year of its launch in the local market.

DTSI, a systems integrator as well as a technology and services provider, is a partnership between Fujitsu Philippines Inc. and NewGen Holdings. At present, it is serving most of the country’s large international outsourced contact centers.