While the “last mile” gets the spotlight, it’s the “last foot” that causes network planners headaches these days. Getting traffic to the correct floor of the building can be more challenging and expensive than getting traffic hundreds of miles away from its point of origin.

A panel of service providers will discuss obstacles to last-foot connectivity and how a company can overcome them, in today’s COMPTEL PLUS session, “Building a Better Network: Focusing on the Last Foot.”

Session leader Tom Payne, vice president of sales and marketing for CityNet Wholesale Division, said the costs associated with the last foot are some of the most significant and unpredictable in the total cost of building a successful network. Payne’s remarks will center on achieving network diversity at the last foot, educating customers about last-foot connectivity and working with property management to get the job done.

He will be joined by Kristin Ince, vice president of regulatory affairs for Time Warner Telecom, and Michael Hurley, vice president of sales and marketing for Fibertech Networks.

Hurley will discuss the differences in last-foot connectivity between the Tier 1, 2 and 3 markets in areas such as entry costs, building access rights and more. He also will explore the difference in last-foot issues within the central business district versus suburban office parks and standalone structures. “Given our business model, obviously, we feel that fiber should be the first choice for last-foot connectivity,” he said. “Certainly we understand that wireless and other type-2 services have their place for last-foot connectivity, but fiber connectivity should be the first option for service providers, building landlords and end users.”

Hurley will talk about Fibertech’s experiences, noting that physical access into the buildings with fiber is sometimes the easy part while negotiating the rights of way, or building and riser access, often delays deployment.