Waterfall’s future-proofed connectivity for a digital world
For part three in our Infrastructure series of articles, which examines what makes Waterfall a world-class smart city, our attention turns to connectivity infrastructure. In this regard, Waterfall delivers fibre optic and wireless telecommunication infrastructure that meets a global standard of uninterrupted, superfast communication, with foresight in planned urban development.
Waterfall Access Networks (WAN) is the company tasked with ensuring everything runs smoothly. WAN is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP). It operates as a carrier-neutral Open Access Network (OAN), allowing ICASA-licensed ISPs unlimited ‘last mile reach’ to customers within Waterfall – including all residential and commercial districts. This strategy aligns itself with future-proof infrastructure and management, which allows seamless integration of information and communication technologies that accommodates smart city plans and capacity growth for the Internet of Things (IoT). WAN boasts a dedicated fibre optic cable link between Waterfall and the Teraco Data Environments in Johannesburg. This means that the company is not reliant on other third parties for connectivity, and open accessibility is stretched to the extreme.
Currently, there is 714km of installed duct infrastructure across the Waterfall development and the network is fully redundant, so that in the unforeseen event of network disruption, traffic can be seamlessly diverted, resulting in limited to no down time when it comes to access.
In addition, there are 33 cell phone masts on Waterfall, guaranteeing great reception. The Go Waterfall app, developed specifically for those living and working in Waterfall, has become part of daily life in the city, creating a more tight-knit community.
On the work front, Waterfall has premises, which have been custom-built to specific requirements, using cutting-edge architecture to integrate technology with efficient workspaces, resulting in some of the smartest buildings in the country.
We sit down with Koogern Govender, Managing Executive of WAN, as he unpacks these aspects in greater detail.
The utility of connectivity
Creating and managing a development like Waterfall takes careful planning across various aspects, including the critical component of connectivity, especially in this digital world. With this in mind, WAN has complete visibility into what infrastructure is being planned.
“When it comes to connectivity requirements for a smart city like Waterfall, we knew we needed to get involved with urban planning from day one, which is exactly what we did. Treating connectivity infrastructure in the same way as that of water, electricity, and sanitation, means the fibre optic network is completely integrated into the Waterfall environment,” says Govender.
This has empowered WAN to design and implement fibre optic trenches and cable networks as a core part of the design process of Waterfall, whereas a traditional environment would see connectivity only being thought of once houses or office blocks have been built. The latter would then require breaking walls and making other infrastructure changes before fibre connectivity can be delivered. Within Waterfall, this is not the case. “Connectivity is treated the same as any utility. We ensure that all the points are installed upfront and that urban city planning is done, keeping the core network technologies and access layer networks firmly in mind,” adds Govender.
Network redundancy above all
When it comes to fibre, disruption of the network can sometimes be a challenge. At Waterfall, this risk
has been mitigated by ensuring that redundancy of the network has been considered from the start. For example, parallel streams of physical network infrastructure have been installed, so that if a trench is dug and a fibre cable is broken, there is another backup fibre cable to which Internet and voice traffic can be redirected.
“We have mitigated all possible connectivity risks from the first day of planning. Our mindset is one where we want to have a level of integrity in the network so that we proactively manage any challenges instead of being reactive,” says Govender.
This also extends to the ongoing scourge of load-shedding. Redundancy is critical when it comes to generators as well. For WAN, this has meant installing backup generators to provide backup to primary generators.
“We have done exceptionally well to mitigate all the risks around network infrastructure. Additionally, we are running our entire connectivity layer on DC power, which completely removes the risks associated with power spikes from Eskom. Working with the Waterfall Management Company and Attacq, we have done extensive planning to ensure that the network remains online regardless of external factors,” he adds.
Mobile flexibility
During the last decade, sufficient cell phone masts have been installed to cater for the growth of Waterfall. These masts have been strategically placed and adhere to all the regulatory, environmental, health and safety protocols, and WAN has ensured fibre connectivity to each of the masts. Today, there are 33 masts on Waterfall, however, more will be added as additional developments are built.
Beyond this, WAN also provides residential and business users with two Metro Ethernet Forum-certified variants of wired access – Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (GPON) and Active Ethernet (AE). The former has limits on the size of data packets, while the latter is aligned to point-to-point enterprise service.
“While 5G is a great technology, its success depends on the requirements of the user. In a commercial environment like Waterfall City, customers demand guaranteed uptime Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which one can only deliver on fixed line networks. At Waterfall, the comprehensive urban fibre network caters for such needs without restrictions,” says Govender.
Data-driven communication
Data is a crucial part of the success of any smart city and Waterfall is no different. IoT devices are key to this as the sensor data, transmitted safely and securely, can provide rich insights into making the environment a more efficient and safer one.
An example of this is showing residents how many open parking spots are available at any of the retail spaces in Waterfall. The data can also offer information on which routes in and out of Waterfall are congested and the best times to travel.
“It really is all about providing Waterfall residents and commercial tenants with all the convenience and advantages of living and working in a smart city. And it is through the Go Waterfall app that connectivity and all of this comes together from a user engagement perspective,” he says.
Currently, users can take a geotagged photograph of a pothole, a security risk, an accident, or the like, and submit it through the app. Waterfall management teams will get an alert and allocate resources accordingly to attend to the problem.
However, the future opportunities for the app are virtually limitless and various plans are in place to make many more possible. “For example, the app can receive data from IoT sensors attached to pipes inside a home and detect a leak. It will automatically reach out to an accredited plumber who will come and examine the damage and repair it as required with no customer intervention necessary,” says Govender.
World-class connectivity
All the connectivity infrastructure in Waterfall adheres to stringent international standards. This means the network is capable of handling large data volumes. It also means that the physical fibre installation is some of the best in the world.
“Our fibre backbone throughout Waterfall provides 99% of the connectivity at hand. All that is required is extending that reach into the tenant’s space. Our Meet Me Rooms (aka data centres) are comprehensive, from the access layer to the core network. Fundamentally, Waterfall is future-proof when it comes to any possible connectivity requirement in the future,” concludes Govender.