1
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
ROUTE LOCATION FOR FIBRE OPTIC CABLING,
A case study of Upper Hill- Nairobi
NYAMORI MICHAEL OLUOCH
F19/2474/2009
A project report to be submitted to the Department of Geospatial and
Space Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award
of the degree of:
Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Engineering
APRIL 2014
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ABSTRACT
In an effort to improve the standards of long distance transfer mechanisms of
data in the developing countries, many countries including Kenya have
adopted the fibre optic cabling technology. This has replaced the traditional
copper twisted pair cables and coaxial cables. This study mainly aims at
showing how GIS can be used in determining a fibre optic cable route to be
used in ducting the cables from the servers to the customers.
This study uses GIS tools in the determination of the best location of the
route network in Upper Hill region, the study area based on three criteria;
Along the road reserve at a buffer distance of 1.5 metres from the major
roads; Location of the prospective customers who are not yet connected
relative to the already existing network, provided by Liquid Telecom
Company; Having a network that is cost effective and secure in terms of the
route it follows and the customer base along the route. The study also aims
at developing a geodatabase of the Upper Hill region that can be used by the
telecommunication industry as a guide in navigation and identification of the
buildings, facilities and utilities in the region.
The study aimed at displaying the fibre optic cable network and other base
information in a digital map. This information is useful to the users, telecom
service providers and managers who can easily relate the data with what is
on the ground. GIS was used for the preparation of the digital for the
preparation of digital maps and carrying out the analysis procedures, thus
overlay and proximity studies. The final output is a digital map where all the
above data could be displayed at the click of a button on the digital map.
From the study, it is evident that the manner in which fibre optic cables are
currently being laid underground by most telecom companies should be
changed, so that instead just burying the cables, they should rather be
ducted in conduits to avoid risks of damage and interference with other
utilities. The study further recommends that the Government should take over
the management, security and maintenance of the fibre optic cable network
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while the service providers remain in charge of the data, but at a fee
remittable to the Government for their services.
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nyamori, my sisters
Irene and Mercy and last but not least, my brothers Maurice and
Francis.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank God for the knowledge and wisdom he
has given me during the entire project.
Secondly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor
Dr.Ing. D. N.Siriba, of the Department of Geospatial and Space
Technology, University of Nairobi. His guidance, advice and supervision
throughout the period during which I was doing this study were very
inspiring and helpful in the achievement of the objectives of the project.
I would also like to thank my family for supporting me throughout my
stay in college, with a lot of love, care and prayers of goodwill. My
appreciation also goes to the entire faculty of engineering
administration, especially the teaching staff of the Department of
Geospatial and Space Technology, as well as the technicians and
technologists of the department, for all of their joint support and
technical assistance accorded.
I would also like to appreciate the staff of Survey of Kenya, Liquid
telecom, and Jamii Telkom. Special thanks to Mr. Lemlem Nixon of
Liquid telecom and Paul Silali of Survey of Kenya for their guidance,
support and for providing me with part of the data used for the project.
Last but not least, I would also like to thank my fellow classmates, with
whom I had a wonderful time both in and out of class. I must thank them
for the help, guidance and positive criticism throughout the time I was
working on this project.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... i
DEDICATION ................................................................................................ iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................. iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ v
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................... vii
LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................... viii
ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 1
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION .......................................................... 1
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ...................................................................... 3
1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ....................................................... 5
1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT.................................. 5
1.5. PROJECT ORGANISATION ................................................................ 5
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................... 7
2.1 FIBRE OPTIC CABLES TECHNOLOGY .............................................. 7
2.1.1 History of fibre optics ...................................................................... 7
2.1.2 Fibre optic cable mechanism .......................................................... 9
2.1.3 Optical fibre relay system ............................................................. 11
2.1.4 The merits and demerits of fibre optic cables. .............................. 12
2.1.5 Applications of fibre optic cables .............................................. 12
2.2 GIS IN NETWORK PLANNING........................................................... 13
2.3 HISTORY OF FIBRE OPTICS IN KENYA .......................................... 14
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ........................................................ 17
3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 17
3.2 METHODOLOGY OVERVIEW ........................................................... 17
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3.3 DATASETS, DATA SOURCES AND TOOLS ..................................... 20
3.3.1 Data sources and Datasets .......................................................... 20
3. Area Code Boundaries ........................................................................ 21
3.3.2 Tools ............................................................................................. 21
3.4 DATA CAPTURE AND EDITING PROCESSES ................................. 21
3.4.2 Data preparation ........................................................................... 21
3.4.3 Determining the fibre optic cable route network ............................ 22
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS .......................................... 27
4.1 RESULTS ....................................................................................... 27
4.1.1 The Geodatabase ......................................................................... 27
4.1.2 Attribute data ................................................................................ 27
4.1.3 New network map ......................................................................... 29
4.2. ANALYSIS ......................................................................................... 31
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............... 33
5.1 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................. 33
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 33
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure1.0.1 ..................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2.0.1The three parts of a fibre optic cable ......................................... 10
Figure2.0.2 Total internal reflections in an optical fibre. ............................... 11
Figure 3.0.1 Methodology flow chart. ........................................................... 18
Figure 3.0.2Map of the study area- Upper Hill in Nairobi ............................. 19
Figure 4.0.1 Upper Hill Geodatabase ........................................................... 27
Figure 4.0.2 Major roads buffer ................................................................... 30
Figure 4. 0.3 The map of the overlay of the estates, major roads and the
existing fibre optic route network. ................................................................. 30
Figure 4.0.4The final map of the proposed network. .................................... 31
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.0.1 Attribute table showing petrol stations in Upper Hill .................. 28
Table 4.0.2 Attribute table showing major roads data in the study area ...... 29
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ABBREVIATIONS
CBD: Central Business District
EASSY: East African Submarine System.
FLAG: The Fibre Optic Link around the Globe.
GIS: Geographic Information systems.
IOR: Index of Refraction.
Ltd: Limited.
Maser: Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.
OTDR: Optical Time Domain Reflectometer.
SEACOM: South and East African submarine cable communication
system.
TEAM: The East African Marine System.
UML: Unified Modelling Language.
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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recent developments in technology have brought about the
transition of transfer mechanisms of large volumes of digital data over
long distances from twisted pair cable of copper wires network cabling
to coaxial wire cabling and very recently to optical fibre network cabling.
This has enhanced the efficiency of digital data transmission in many
aspects, for instance, the level of noise interference has been
managed, and the data transfer speeds have been improved. The
amount of bandwidth capacity for data volumes has also been
increased. Furthermore, the limits of the lengths over which the data
can be transferred with the use of the new optical fibre cables without
the risk of attenuation of data quality is much longer as compared to the
initial data transfer modes. (Networktutorials.info, 2014)
Over the last 20 years or so, fibre optic lines have taken over and
transformed the long distance telephone industry. Optical fibres have
contributed to making the internet available around the world, as well as
cable television (Ward, K. 2006). When fibre replaces copper for long
distance calls and Internet traffic, it dramatically lowers costs. Liquid
Telecom, Safaricom limited, Access Kenya, Frontier Optical Network
and Jamii Telecom are amongst the companies implementing
countrywide fibre optic cable networking, thus providing high speed
internet services to their clients countrywide. Today, a variety of sectors
including the military, telecommunication, data storage, networking and
banking sectors are able to apply and use fibre optic technology in a
variety of applications. They are also used in medical imaging and
mechanical engineering inspection.
The manner in which telecom companies burry their cables
underground without any form of cable guarding criteria exposes them
to various risks.
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This research focused mainly on the fibre optic cable networking. It
proposes the designing of a network where conduits shall be positioned
underground and the fibre optic cables ducted through, with a sampling
case study of the Upper Hill region, Nairobi. The conduits are meant to
be strategically positioned underground at a safe buffer distance within
the road reserves in Upper Hill. This will ensure that they are not
tampered with should the roads will be upgraded. This will help secure
the cables from being tampered with and also make the cables
maintenance easier.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has a wide spread application
in many of the business processes. An emerging area of interest is the
fibre optic cable technology, which is amongst the fields of
telecommunication industry. It can be employed to facilitate the
designing of an optimal route network for laying conduits for ducting the
fibre optic cables regionally. (Smeureanu & Dumitresce, 2010)
To support management, the fibre optic cable routes and components
has to be precisely captured and stored in a GIS database. GIS is also
used as a network inventory and infrastructure management tool in fibre
optic cable networks. Alongside representation of the network elements
in map form, it also captures all attribute data of the elements and is
therefore able to generate useful reports about the same. This is very
important and instrumental in managing network resources and
planning for network expansion in regions that are experiencing
diminishing resources. Site engineers can also use GIS in localization
of faults that may result from equipment failure, accidental cable
damage or vandalism and drastically reduce downtime since the
database query eliminates the need for field engineers to manually
trace cables on site. GIS provides all the information required in fixing
faults since it gives a detailed report of all equipment ports that are used
for providing service to subscribers.
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1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
The advent of fibre optic technology in Kenya has led to a remarkable
development in the country’s Information Communication Technology
sector. The service providers have since then been in competition with
each other in securing subscribing customers connectivity in most
urban centres in the country, connecting telecommunication firms,
banks, learning institutions, government and private working offices and
even homes. This has resulted into massive and frequent digging up of
trenches along roads, pavements and even across some roads.
There are a number of problems emanating from the manner in which
these useful cables are being laid underground from their sources to
their target customers. The telecom service providers deploy many
workers to dig up trenches frequently, the trenches in which they lay the
cables. This generates various problems and menaces which ought to
be sorted out for future efficiency, as illustrated in figure 1.0.1 (A to F)
Figure 1.0.1
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The haphazard manner in which fibre optic cables are laid without
minding about whatever is already laying beneath the trenches being
dug causes a lot of interference with other communication lines and
cables already laid underground, and often leads to their damage.
Pipes carrying water, fuel and sewer can also be broken in the process.
They also interfere with the drainpipes and underground power and
communication lines whenever they dig up the ground to repair faults
detected along the cables. This is shown above in figures 1.0.1 (A, D
and F).
The current cable laying procedure causes a lot of inconvenience to the
general public including pedestrians and motorists who walk along the
pavements that are dug frequently for purposes of cable installation or
maintenance. Often, the tiles on the pavements are removed to pave
way for trench digging thereby forcing pedestrian to walk along the main
roads preserved for motorists’ usage, as illustrated in figures 1.0.1(A)
and (B) The service providers’ workers are also inconvenienced
because they have to work late into the night when there is low traffic
on the roads to dig up trenches that cross the roads for the purposes of
cable maintenance and connections. This is shown in the above
diagram, in figure 1.0.1 (E) (at the junction of Utalii lane Monrovia Street
in front of Hazina Towers Nairobi).
The digging up of trenches along the road sides and pavements also
has a negative economic impact on the service providers. They have to
incur a lot of costs in employing many workers for the desired long
lengths of trenches of the entire customer linkage network to be dug up;
cables be laid and trenches be reburied or pavements be repaired in
good time to avoid inconveniences. There is an element of cost
whenever a firm digging up trenches for their cables damages other
cables found underground, or breaks pipes which leads to repairing
expenses. It is also costly to keep buying new cement, sand and tiles to
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repair the pavements whenever such an installation has been done, as
shown in figure 1.0.1.(C).
Whenever an underground cable installation or maintenance is being
done, the manner in which the pavement tiles are overturned and soil
piled along the pavements, roads and streets make the cities lose their
aesthetic value. It is an eyesore, especially in major towns and cities
countrywide, for instance what is displayed in figures 1.0.1 (A, B and F)
is an example of the resultant eye sore cited in Nairobi CBD.
1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The main objective of this project is to demonstrate the use of GIS in
the determining of a fibre optic cable route network, along which
conduits would be laid and cables ducted within.
The specific objectives are:
i) To create a geodatabase of the fibre optic network datasets for the
area of study.
ii) To produce a map of the study area showing the spatial distribution
of fibre optic cable route network within the region.
iii) To perform spatial network analysis of the route network.
1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT
This study is intended to demonstrate the use of GIS in the designing
fibre optic route network. the study is also limited to the fibre optic cable
network only even as much as the route network design can as well be
applied for other communication lines like underground electric cabling
which suffer same challenges.
1.5. PROJECT ORGANISATION
The report is organized into five chapters. Chapter One introduces the
project background, its objectives, scope and limitations. Chapter Two
presents literature review with reference to research done from various
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sources of relevant information. Chapter Three gives an overview of the
study area, data and tools as well as methodology used in the project.
Chapter Four presents the results and the analysis of results. Finally,
Chapter Five gives the conclusions and recommendations of based on
the results.
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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 FIBRE OPTIC CABLES TECHNOLOGY
2.1.1 History of fibre optics
Alexander Graham Bell patented an optical telephone system called the
photophone in 1880. This assisted in the advancement of optical
technology. That same year, William Wheeler invented a system of
light pipes lined with a highly reflective coating that illuminated homes
by using light from an electric arc lamp placed in the basement and
directing the light around the home with the pipes. Heinrich Lamm was
the first person to transmit an image through a bundle of optical fibres in
1930. It was an image of a light bulb filament while trying to look at the
inside parts of the body (Timbercon, 2014).
In 1951, Holger Moeller applied for a Danish patent on fibre-optic
imaging in which he proposed cladding glass or plastic fibres with a
transparent low-index material, but was denied. Three years later,
Abraham Van Heel and Harold H. Hopkins presented imaging bundles
in the British journal Nature at separate times. Van Heel later produced
a cladded fibre system that greatly reduced signal interference and
between fibres. (Timbercon, 2014)
Also in 1954, the "maser" was developed by Charles Townes and his
colleagues at Columbia University. The laser was introduced in 1958 as
an efficient source of light. The concept was introduced by Charles
Townes and Arthur Schawlow to show that masers could be made to
operate in optical and infrared regions. Basically, light is reflected back
and forth in an energized medium to generate amplified light as
opposed to excited molecules of gas amplified to generate radio waves,
as is the case with the maser.
In 1961, Elias Snitzer of American Optical published a theoretical
description of single mode fibres whose core would be so small it could
carry light with only one wave guide mode. Snitzer was able to
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demonstrate a laser directed through a thin glass fibre which was
sufficient for medical applications, but for communication applications
the light loss was undesirably great. However, two Englishmen, Charles
Kao and George Hockham demonstrated theoretically that light loss in
existing fibre glasses could be decreased dramatically by removing
impurities. (Timbercon, 2014)
The first proposal to employ clad optical fibre glass as a
telecommunication transmission medium appeared in 1966. At this
time, a typical fibre glass 1000 decibels per kilometre and many
experiments were done to improve the loss.
The goal of making single mode fibres with attenuation less than 20
decibels per kilometre was finally achieved in 1970 by scientists at
Corning Glass Works. To achieve this they doped silica glass with
titanium. The same year, Morton Panish and Izuo Hayashi of Bell
laboratories demonstrated a semiconductor diode laser capable of
emitting continuous waves at room temperature. The Bell laboratories
developed a chemical vapour disposition process in 1973 that heats
chemical vapours and oxygen to form ultra-transparent glass that can
be mass–produced into low loss optical fibre. This is the standard
process for fibre-optic cable manufacturing till to date. (Epanorama,
2011)
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, telephone companies began to use
fibres extensively in the rebuilding of their infrastructure. In 1991,
Desurvive and Payne demonstrated fibre optic cable inbuilt optical
amplifiers. The new all optic system could carry a hundred times more
information than a cable with electronic amplifiers. Photonic crystal fibre
which could guide light by means of diffraction from periodic structure
rather than total internal reflection was also developed in 1991. It could
allow power to be carried more efficiently than with the conventional
fibres and therefore improving performance.
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In 1996, Trans-Pacific Cable 5 Cable Network (TPC-5CN), the all-optic
fibre cable that uses optical amplifiers was laid across the Pacific
Ocean. In 1997, the Fibre Optic Link around the Globe, (FLAG),
became the longest single-cable network in the world and it provided
the infrastructure for the subsequent generation of internet applications.
Today, fibres operate a wavelength of less than 1.5 micrometres with
loss of less than 1 decibel per kilometre. (Great achievements, 2014)
The invention of fibre optic technology is a revolutionary departure from
the traditional copper wires of twisted pair cable and later coaxial
cables. Today, copper wires are mainly used in interconnecting parallel
lines for their cost effectiveness and reliability. Many industries
especially telecommunications industries have opted to use optical fibre
over copper wire due to its ability transmit voluminous information and
data at a time. (Timbercon, 2014)
A variety of industries including the medical, military,
telecommunication, industrial, data storage, networking, and broadcast
industries are able to apply and use fibre optic technology in a variety of
applications.
2.1.2 Fibre optic cable mechanism
Fibre optics (optical fibres) are long, thin strands of very pure glass
about the diameter of a human hair. They are arranged in bundles
called optical cables and used to transmit light signals over long
distances. A single optical fibre consists of three parts, as shown in
figure 2.0.1. The inner most part is called the core, it consists of a thin
glass centre of the fibre where the light travels. Cladding is the outer
optical material surrounding the core that reflects the light back into the
core. The outermost layer is the buffer coating that protects the fibre
from damage and moisture. Hundreds or thousands of these optical
fibres are arranged in bundles in optical cables. The bundles are
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protected by the cable's outer covering, called a jacket. (Howstuffworks,
2012)
Figure 2.0.1The three parts of a fibre optic cable
Fibre optic cables are better suited for digital and light signal
transmission. They are thinner and are more resistant to
electromagnetic and radio interference than metal cables. Fibre optic
cabling is also less expensive to maintain than metal.
There are two types of optical fibres namely single-mode fibres and
multi-mode fibres. The single mode fibres have small cores and
transmit infrared laser light. Multi-mode fibres have larger cores and
transmit infrared light from light emitting diodes. The single mode fibres
can keep every light pulse over a longer distance than the multi-mode
fibres, because its transmission of degradation is very small thus
enabling it to have a higher bandwidth. This further makes the single
mode fibre to be an ideal source of high speed long distance data
transmission medium for any applications while multi-mode fibres are
only applicable in short distance transmission, not exceeding two miles.
This is because they have higher attenuation levels even though they
carry more data than single mode fibres. (Arumugam, 2001)
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2.1.3 Optical fibre relay system
A fibre optic relay system consists of the following four components; the
transmitter, the optical fibre, the optical generator and the optical
receiver. The transmitter produces and encodes the light signals. It is
physically close to the optical fibre and may have a lens to focus the
light into the fibre. The optical fibre is the conductor of the light signal
over distances. The one or more optical generators are spliced along
the cables to boost the light signal for long distances. This avoids signal
loss that occurs especially when light is transmitted over long distances.
The optical receiver then receives the incoming digital light signals and
decodes them and sends the electrical signal to the recipient user’s
computer, television or telephone. The receiver uses a photocell or
photodiode to detect the light.
The light in a fibre-optic cable travels through the core by constantly
bouncing from the cladding, a principle called total internal reflection as
shown in figure 2.0.2. The light with signal is focussed into an
acceptance cone because the cladding does not absorb any light signal
is focussed into the core of the fibre from the core, the light wave can
travel great distances. However some of the light signal degrades within
the fibre, mostly due to impurities in the glass.
Figure2.0.2 Total internal reflections in an optical fibre.
Acceptance
Cone
Core
Cladding
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2.1.4 The merits and demerits of fibre optic cables.
Some advantages of fibre cable over copper cable include:
i) The fibre optic cables are fully resistant to electromagnetic
interference and radio frequency interference.
ii) They have less signal degradation.
iii) They are more suitable for longer distance data transmissions.
The technology in fibre optic cables allows them to detect a default or
problem in the connection much faster.
iv) The fibre optic cables have no electromagnetic radiation, so it is
difficult to eavesdrop thus providing better physical network security.
A disadvantage is that the cost of installation is higher and if a problem
occurs it often takes special equipment called an Optical Time Domain
Reflectometer (OTDR) to diagnose the issue, which is expensive to
acquire.
Another disadvantage is that at higher optical powers, the cables are
susceptible to "fibre fuse" wherein a bit too much light meeting with an
imperfection can destroy as much as 1.5 kilometres of wire at several
metres per second. A "Fibre fuse" protection device at the transmitter
can break the circuit to prevent damage, if the extreme conditions for
this are deemed possible.
2.1.5 Applications of fibre optic cables
i) Fibres can be used as light guides in medical and other applications
where bright light needs to be brought to bear on a target without a
clear line-of-sight path.
ii) Optical fibres can be used as sensors to measure strain, temperature,
pressure and other parameters.
iii) Bundles of fibres are used along with lenses for long, thin imaging
devices called endoscopes, which are used to view objects through a
small hole. Medical endoscopes are used for minimally invasive
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exploratory or surgical procedures (endoscopy). Industrial endoscopes
are used for inspecting anything hard to reach, such as jet engine
interiors.
iv) In some high-tech buildings, optical fibres are used to route sunlight
from the roof to other parts of the building.
v) Optical fibres have many decorative applications which
include signs and art, artificial Christmas trees, and lighting.
vi) A few communities have Fibre to the Home technology which provides
subscribers with Ultra High Speed Internet, Telephone,
and Television services.
2.2 GIS IN NETWORK PLANNING
In most developed parts of the world, the degree of change to external
plant networks has been substantial; with fibre optic cables replacing
copper wire, and microwave or satellite is replacing fixed, long distance
landlines. GIS has been used to determine the most suitable method of
transmission between wireless and cable, it has also been used to plan
network layouts and target customers. Topography, population density
and predicted population trends are important considerations when
considering transmission method, while detailed demographic including
information, including employment, affluence and neighbourhood
characteristics, help telecommunications providers to assess the best
potential areas for new customers.
With traditional technologies, one of the most important considerations
is where the duct space is available. This is because bandwidth is
limited by space so to send a signal along a tortuous route using up
available duct space can be cheaper than increasing the duct space
along a direct route. With GIS, engineers can generate maps showing
existing networks and shape their plans accordingly. Starting from
scratch, operators can build a database designed to meet the needs of
network planners, sales and marketing departments. This maximises a
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company’s competitive advantage by enabling it to design networks for
providing services to as many homes or buildings as possible.
Engineers have studied highway and railway network datasets to
estimate travel time to major urban centres, analysed land use and soil
characteristics to determine excavation time for cable laying, and
studied population and other socioeconomic characteristics to estimate
the purchasing power of communities.
Outside plant engineers also plan, design and construct networks to
generate new revenue. Often, they are required to expand their network
in order to build high value customer base. Good network planning
requires accurate geospatial solutions in order to allow the engineers to
incorporate all the relevant data into the planning process, enabling
them to plan fibre routes that maximise revenue and at the same time
also meet the budget expectations. Telecommunication networks are
usually planned, designed and constructed. They deliver reliable
services to the clientele and also yield significant revenue to the service
providers. ESRI’s Arc GIS product family enable smarter planning by
bringing together traditionally isolated departments including marketing
and sales. This allows engineers to evaluate the potential network build
outs and expansions with keen consideration of revenue generation
capacities, assisting them to choose to lay cable networks along routes
with the highest ROI (Frantz, 2012).
2.3 HISTORY OF FIBRE OPTICS IN KENYA
In the year 2002, the East Africa Business Community started a
process that would see countries collaborate to bring fibre connectivity
to the entire region. Building a submarine cable on the Eastern Africa
seaboard was part of the plan but delays and shareholder
disagreements compelled Kenya to opt for its own cable. The East
African Marine System (TEAM) was launched as the contingency to
guarantee connectivity in the shortest time possible. Connecting Kenya
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to a hub in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, the project brought together
players from the private sector and Government and was completed in
record time. It became the first cable to land in Kenya in June 2009.
(Softkenya, 2014).
It was followed by SEACOM, a privately funded and more than three-
quarter African-owned fibre link that aims to help communication
carriers in South and East Africa. SEACOM will provide links between
South Africa, Kenya and the world via fibre networks that pass through
India and Europe. (Softkenya, 2014).
The East African Submarine System (EASSY) fibre optic link landed in
March 2010. Undersea fibre optic cable systems will provide African
retail carriers with equal and open access to inexpensive bandwidth,
removing the international infrastructure bottleneck and supporting East
and Southern African economic growth. One megabyte of bandwidth on
satellite costs about 3,000 US Dollars and operators anticipate prices to
be as low as 500 US Dollars. Such dramatic drops in rates will boost
adoption and use in business, Government and households, which are
constrained by high costs for relatively low speeds.
All forms of commerce will benefit from fibre optic connectivity as it will
lower the cost of communication, which is a vital part of any business.
New opportunities will emerge for the growth of the data market as
cheaper bandwidth should translate to more users.
Many sectors have invested in this sector recently, including the public
and private sectors, which have continued to invest in roll-out and
expansion of broadband infrastructure in an effort to ensure access to
high speed data communications services by all forms of clients.
In addition to the South Africa East Africa submarine cable system ,The
East African Marine System cable system and the East African
Submarine System which have already landed at Kenya’s coast,
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several more international links are expected to grace the Kenyan
shores, increasing competition and allowing for more link availability.
Telkom Kenya, Kenya Data Networks, Access Kenya, Wananchi and
Jamii Telecom embarked on laying out fibre-optic networks terrestrially
across the country. The extensive networking being undertaken by
private developers has seen the number of houses who can access
fibre optic internet links rise from a few hundred in 2009 to an estimated
seven million homes (softkenya, 2014). The Government has also
invested in a national fibre optic network that will take fibre deeper into
rural areas that may not initially be considered commercial priorities by
commercial enterprises.
An area where GIS has become particularly important is in cellular
network planning. In the last few decades revenues from mobile
telecoms markets have risen exponentially. Numerous new companies
have entered the field, each vying for a portion of the market. This
market expansion has been particularly great in countries with poor
cable telephone networks. Mobile telephone companies use radio
propagation models to find the best sites for building transmission
stations. The models show engineers the sorts of terrain and obstacles
that a radio signal would have to contend with. This is because
companies need to identify sites that are higher than surrounding areas
and away from buildings or any other major physical obstruction that
might interfere with the signals.
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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the creation of the fibre optic cable network in
Upper Hill region based on the consideration of the already existing
cable network of Liquid Telecom Company in the Upper Hill region and
with an added consideration of the areas that are not yet connected, yet
they have high income capacity for the service providers.
3.2 METHODOLOGY OVERVIEW
Figure 3.0.1 illustrates the approach used in this study. The first step
was carrying out user needs assessment which was determined by
observation of the current status of the fibre optic cabling techniques
and trends in especially around Nairobi city and its environs. The
necessary spatial and non-spatial data were identified, together with the
tools required to actualise the project. The data required included shape
files for the buildings in Upper Hill region; the communication networks
like roads, names of estates and the economic capacity of the various
business premises and buildings in the entire region. Topographic maps
of Nairobi, of scale 1:2500 were also used as base maps. The sources
of these data were identified and contacted for data availability. Existing
fibre optic cable network was obtained from Liquid Telecom, a company
dealing with fibre optic cable connection and service providing a country
wide. The data were collected and captured for both spatial and non-
spatial data types.
The data was prepared, processed and verified to determine whether it
suites the set objectives requirements. If it was not suitable, then either
the processing, for example, rectification was repeated or an alternative
appropriate data was sourced. However, the data that found to be
suitable and was overlayed and used to produce the results required. In
any case the results were inappropriate; the overlaying procedure was
18
repeated afresh with some few adjustments until when good results
were realised. The achieved results were analysed and discussed.
NO
NO
YES
Figure 3.0.1 Methodology flow chart.
ARE
RESULTS
CORRECT?
RESULTS ANALYSIS
CONCLUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
USER NEEDS ASSESSMENT
DATA IDENTIFICATION
SPATIAL DATA NON SPATIAL DATA DATA COLLECTION AND CAPTURE
DATA EDITING AND
GEODATABASE CREATION
IS DATA
CORRECT AND
APPROPRIATE?
DATA OVERLAYING
PRODUCTION OF RESULTS
YES
19
3.3 AREA OF STUDY
Figure 3.0.2 Map of the study area- Upper Hill in Nairobi
The study area is Upper Hill region situated in Nairobi County, Kenya.
Upper Hill is located 4.5 kilometres by road west of the central business
20
district of Nairobi. The area of study lies between Northings 9856000
metres and 9857250 metres and Eastings 255750 metres and 258000
metres (Jica et al, 2005). There are several landmarks, including Nairobi
Hospital, the headquarters of the Kenya Ministry of Health and Nairobi
Club Ground (An upscale private membership cricket club), with a
clubhouse and cricket oval.
3.3 DATASETS, DATA SOURCES AND TOOLS
3.3.1 Data sources and Datasets
Research and collection of data was done from many sources of data
including the Internet, field collections and consulting widely from relevant
sectors. The data sets were:
i) An up to date base map.
ii) Fibre network.
iii) Area code boundaries.
iv) Existing fibre optic network.
1. The Base map
Topographic maps of Nairobi, of scale 1:2500 were acquired from the
Survey of Kenya. Maps were scanned, georeferenced and then
digitized in GIS to a high quality streets based map. Attributes are then
appended to the data, and then stored as GIS files on secure servers.
2. Fibre maps
The telecommunications infrastructure data set contains fibre routes
digitized in GIS for Upper Hill. The data set is digitized and layered onto
the highest quality streets data available, or on aerial imagery for
enhanced study. It is an excellent data set that enables the user to
locate metro or long haul fibre quickly and efficiently within a GIS or
web based environment.
21
3. Area Code Boundaries
This telecommunications infrastructure data set consists of boundary
polygons representing the geographic area covered by upper hill area.
Area boundaries are the basic method for identifying coverage areas
and customers local to that area code.
4. Existing fibre optic cable network.
The existing fibre optic network for Upper Hill region was acquired from
Liquid Telecom in form of shape files. It also consisted of shape files of
building polygons of their existing customers.
3.3.2 Tools
a) Hardware
Laptop with specifications of Intel core i 3 Duo core, of 2.57GHz, 3 GB
RAM and 320 GB hard disk.
a) Software
i) Arc GIS 10.1 software was used in mapping and overlay analysis.
ii) Arc View 3.2 was used in the clipping of relevant datasets to the study
area polygon and also the formation of most the final maps.
iii) Microsoft Office Suite was mainly used for the drafting and editing of
the final report write up.
3.4 DATA CAPTURE AND EDITING PROCESSES
3.4.2 Data preparation
The existing fibre cable network data for Liquid Telecom was in MapInfo
format, Latitude/longitude WGS 84 projection was converted to shape
file format and reprojected to the desired projection UTM,WGS 84,
Zone 37S and in metres linear unit. The rest of the data already existed
in shape file format and were ready for overlay analysis.
22
3.4.3 Determining the fibre optic cable route network
The fibre optic cable network location was guided by these criteria:
i) Along the road reserve at a buffer distance of 1.5 metres from the
major roads.
ii) Location of the prospective customers who are not yet connected
relative to the already existing network, provided by Liquid
Telecom Company.
iii) Having a network that is cost effective and secure in terms of the
route it follows and the customer base along the route based on a
reconnaissance and survey which was conducted in the non-
connected residents and premises in the region.
iv) The cables should be ducted in conduits of 45 cm diameter at a
standard depth of 1.5 metres.
The existing data consisted of shape files of relevant datasets covering
the whole Nairobi County region. First of all, the whole data was loaded
in ArcView GIS 3.2 software. The extents of the area of study was then
determined and a shape file layer of study area polygon created. Using
x tools extensions, the relevant datasets were then clipped with the
area of study polygon. The relevant datasets were buildings, Estates in
the region, petrol stations, roads (minor, major and trunk roads), rivers,
sports and recreation centres, police stations, and supermarkets. The
procedure is as illustrated in figures 3.0.3, 3.0.4 and 3.05.
23
Figure 3.0.3 Preparing the data for clipping
Figure3.0.4 Clipping the relevant datasets with the study area polygon layer.
An overlay analysis was done to the layers such that all relevant data
were visible in the output result without any omission or obstruction.
The major roads in the entire study area were then buffered, as shown
in figure 3.0.7, at a distance of 1.5 metres.
24
Figure 3.0.5 Buffering the major roads
The layer of the buffered roads was then overlayed with the layer of the
existing fibre cable network. Basing on the knowledge about the estates
in the region, their commercial capacities and income earning potential,
the estates layer was overlayed with the major roads layer as this would
be used in the designing of the new cable route network.
The new network was then digitized in the parts that were not covered
by the existing cable network, and that were also passing through
estates that are highly to attract good customer base for the fibre optic
services.
According to a ground truthing survey which was done, it was evident
that the estates that are in the study area consists of different classes of
residential buildings which reflect literally reflected different economic
classes of people in terms of income generation capacity and thus this
study used this as a basis to gauge who would be potential fibre optic
cabling customers in case a connection would be done. Figure 3.0.6
shows the map of estates.
25
Figure3.0.6 Map of the estates in the Upper Hill region
Figure 3.0.7 Buffering of the major roads
26
In any case the results were not correct; the overlay analysis of the
layers had to be repeated. In case the results of the overlay analysis
was validated and found to be correct and appropriate, the results were
then used to derive final analysis, recommendations and conclusions of
the whole study.
27
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
4.1 RESULTS
4.1.1 The Geodatabase
A file Geodatabase was created and named UpperHill Geodatabase.gdb.
The Geodatabase constituted with feature datasets (Buildings, Estates, major
roads, supermarkets, police stations, sports and recreation sites, man holes
and petrol stations). The geodatabase provides an easy way of organizing
the data and also retrieving it since all the information is stored in one place.
The result of the Geodatabase is shown on figure 4.0.1.
Figure 4.0.1 Upper Hill Geodatabase
4.1.2 Attribute data
Attribute data was created and entered for all feature classes stored in the
Geodatabase. In order to identify and display information in the attribute
tables about any of the feature classes, the identify tool in Arc GIS was used.
Using the identify tool and clicking on an item on the map, all the information
about that feature was displayed provided that it was available in the attribute
28
table or if it was joined or related to the particular feature classes. Tables
4.0.1 and 4.0.2 shows the attributes for petrol stations in the study area and
major roads in the region respectively
Table 4.0.1 Attribute table showing petrol stations in Upper Hill
29
Table 4.0.2 Attribute table showing major roads data in the study area
4.1.3 New network map
The resulting digital maps were a result of clipping, buffering, overlaying and
digitization. The fibre optic cable networks were classified as the existing and
the proposed network.
Buffer of all the major roads in UpperHill was done at a distance of 1.5
metres from the road. The length to use in buffering was arrived at from an
informed opinion after consulting an urban planner who advised on the same.
All major roads are 6 metres wide, 3 metres tarmacked on both sides of the
centre line. The roads have a road reserve of 1.5 metres within which
communication lines, pavements, sidewalks and drainage systems are
systematically accommodated. This is the region that this study opted to use
for the laying of the cables. Figure 4.0.1 shows the buffering result.
30
Figure 4.0.2 Major roads buffer
The layer of major roads buffer was overlayed with that of the existing fibre
route network and the estates layer. Figure 4.0.2 shows the result of the
process.
Figure 4. 0.3 The map of the overlay of the estates, major roads and the existing fibre
optic route network.
31
After the overlay analysis, the parts which were not yet covered but
showed a high potential of being prospective customers and business
centres and the new network digitized to reach out to them generating
from the existing network. Figure 4.0.3 shows the final map of the
proposed network.
Figure 4.0.4 The final map of the proposed network.
4.2. ANALYSIS
The overlaying of the base map with the fibre optic cable distribution resulted
in a digital map as shown in figure 4.0.2. The map shows fibre optic cable
distribution network. The overlay also shows the base information that is
useful for planning, navigation and management purposes.
32
The base information, in form of road network and proposed cable location
for the area of study, helped anchor the fibre optic cable distribution
information to their location. The digital map created makes map revision,
updating and editing to be easy to perform. The digital map is interactive and
hence the map user can easily pan and zoom in and out to desired level of
detail. Through switching on and off of various layers the user can also
change the nature of desired information for display on the map window.
In the results, the major roads were preferred to all other roads inclusive of
minor roads due to various factors. After research was conducted, it was
proven that most fibre optic service providers prefer to lay their cables within
the road reserve distance of the major roads for the benefit of more security
assurance from vandalism since currently, the underground Kenya Power
Company electricity cables are also laid in this region above the fibre optic
cables. The constructions of most major roads are over in most regions
across the country thereby assuring safety from road construction damages.
The new proposed network shown in figure 4.0.3 has only been extrapolated
for the areas that had not been connected yet, and yet they showed high
likelihood of being prospective customers of the services. It excluded already
covered areas because it would not be economical to unearth all laid cables
in the region in order to have the conduits installed in place the way the
newly proposed areas would be done were this proposal be implemented on
the ground.
33
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 CONCLUSIONS
The objectives of this research as outlined in chapter 1 section 1.3 were
successfully achieved as presented and analysed in chapter 4.
Using GIS a geodatabase was created to help in determining an optimal
route network that would be used by Liquid Telecom to extend their customer
base in the study area by connecting newly selected customers, who reside
in the areas where the network reaches. The relationship classes and
attribute tables were also retrievable for each data feature. Updating and
retrieval of information from the database was found to be faster and less
cumbersome as compared to other traditional non spatial information
processes.
The database also provided a centralised way of keeping records unlike the
traditional methods where most telecom firms kept fibre distribution notes in
excel worksheets, while fibre optic cable routes were stored in separate files
with no direct relationship to each.
From the study, it is evident that GIS provides the ability to actualise a
communication network in a given area accurately. The database that was
created for the area of study can be adopted for efficient management of the
fibre optic network infrastructure and any other communication network that
the same customers would require services of.
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the database be implemented for any other
communication network or company conducting similar business. This would
34
aid in better planning and decision making in terms of fibre cable planning
and management.
The approach can also be extended to internet GIS which can allow the
users to access the geospatial and spatial analysis tools from any computer
provided that there is internet access. This will be very useful to the
maintenance personnel.
It is recommended that in case budgetary constraints are not an issue, then
the telecom companies should adopt the idea of merging up their networks
into conduits as this study has proposed, which should be of accommodative
diameter for them, and surrender the laid networks to the Government
(central or local). Thus the Government would take charge of the conduits
and manholes in terms of customer connectivity, security and maintenance,
as the telecom companies take charge of the data and remit an agreed
amount of revenue to the Government in turn.
In future, the telecommunication industry should also consider having
overhead cables especially in town centres to avoid a lot of digging and
interference.
35
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