Last mile refers to the final infrastructure used to deliver services to a customer, which can consist of wired or wireless systems. It is often vulnerable and can limit services available. Optical fiber can improve internet speed and allow for other services. Mobile mile refers to a wireless last mile, and alternatives include WiMAX and Powerline Broadband.
In a telecommunications context, last mile typically refers to the final infrastructure used to deliver various services to a customer. A number of different industries use the term to refer to items such as telephone, cable, and Internet services. This last stretch may consist of wired systems such as telephone wires, cables or optical fibers, or it may include some wireless components. It is not uncommon for the last mile to actually be much longer than a mile in rural areas, as the term refers to a concept and not a physical distance. Areas using the metric system may tend to use the term last mile, and the term first mile or kilometer can refer to essentially the same thing.
The last mile is often the most vulnerable component of the service infrastructure and can limit the type of services available in a given location. In the case of large businesses, the last mile for telephone service will often include a special trunk line capable of carrying multiple telephone conversations at the same time. These are often vulnerable to damage from rising groundwater or from being dug up.
Many telecommunications companies use optical fiber in their infrastructure, even though the last mile may still be copper twisted pairs. Internet speed, in particular, can be reduced if there is no optical fiber in the last mile. The increased bandwidth offered by optical fiber can also allow for other services such as digital television for which twisted pairs cannot be used.
When the last leg of a service infrastructure includes a wireless component, it may be referred to as a mobile mile. Systems like this can be useful in rural areas, where last mile sometimes requires a significant investment in infrastructure to serve a relatively small number of potential customers. Wireless components can suffer from poor signal-to-noise ratios, potentially reducing their effectiveness. Various technologies can be involved in systems like these, including Wi-Fi, cellular networks and radio waves.
There are other alternatives to wireline and wireless infrastructure as well. Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a technology that can replace traditional last mile systems, offering broadband Internet connectivity over limited areas. Powerline Broadband (BPL) is another alternative. BPL uses existing infrastructure in the form of power lines to provide broadband services. While this has the advantage of not requiring the construction of additional expensive infrastructure, it can interfere with some other devices on the broadcast spectrum, such as those used by amateur radio operators.
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