5.1 Introduction

This chapter summarises the key aspects of building a point of presence (PoP). It presents what must be considered when selecting and placing equipment in a site and describes the options available. This chapter could be thought of as describing the layer 0 of a network, the basic foundation upon which the rest of the network and all IP services are built.

No one can plan to build a carrier-scale IP network without first considering accommodation, air conditioning, power, access to bandwidth, equipment delivery and installation, all of which are summarised here.

An essential part of being a global carrier-scale IP network provider is the ability to install and maintain PoPs right across the world. There are two ways of building an international IP network either by buying and absorbing existing regional networks, or secondly, by building your own. The synergies between an in-country IP network and a global IP network are readily apparent both rely on the same fundamental hardware and both are typically based on broadly the same hierarchical infrastructure design. However, once you expand outside the confines of your native country those synergies start to dissolve, leaving you with a host of country-specific problems, from equipment being held up in customs, to a lack of suitable power supplies or bandwidth.

5.2 Location

As with all disciplines associated with building global networks, planning is no less difficult than any other and will, if not correctly carried out, add to the cost of...