Proposal:Telecom paths proposal

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French telecom distribution point.jpg
Telecom paths
Proposal status: Draft (under way)
Proposed by: fanfouer
Tagging: telecom=path
Applies to: way
Definition: Provide a simple and extensive way of mapping telecommunications cable paths with telecom=path
Statistics:

Draft started: 2021-07-19

Proposal

It is proposed to use telecom=path to map telecommunication cable pathways defined below, whatever their importance, size, nature or capacity can be.
Such Openstreetmap feature will represent actual paths where an unspecified amount of telecommunication cables are supposed to be installed. It will be done in a more simple way than to map one and each cable laying in those paths.

Some common attributes can be useful to complete visual description of paths:

Rationale

Telecommunication networks are complex arrangements of links and nodes to forward our digital material. Those links often consist in cables, both copper or optical fibre, that go in underground ducts, aerial pathways along utility poles or indoor cable ways. Mapping individual cables can become unbearable on such a common mapping platform like OSM, cluttering many surroundings in dense cities areas as telecommunications literally become obvious.

However, it is possible to define a simpler concept to qualify many different infrastructures supporting utility networks for any purpose: utility paths.

Telecommunication cables paths are the most valuable thing we can map in OSM regarding telecom links. It provides a simpler and an abstracted view of bunches of cables seen in place between poles or underground.
Mappers may be more interested by drawing a single line between two points to state there are cables here without be forced to count, qualify and identify each of them.
This would take advantage of topological capabilities of OSM platform as it's easy to link telecom=exchange, telecom=connection_point and telecom=distribution_point or telecom=data_center nodes with duct ways (both for aerial and underground).

This would furthermore enable anyone to build a more elaborated view of actual cables outside of OSM on top of this strong descriptive base layer.

A passive infrastructure

Such utility paths regard neutral and passive infrastructure which can support many different utilities.
It's a simpler framework to describe utility networks that abstract the need to get into details (what cable, what pipe, etc.)

It doesn't prevent to make different choices, or even mix complementary approaches without losing information.
Current mapping practices of power networks is done at cables-scale for instance (several cables of different nature can run in the same path).

As a consequence, it won't be relevant to combine paths and telecom:medium=* here, as both copper and fibre cables can run in the same path.

Capacity of ducts

Capacity management of cable ducts can be very complex as well. Cables may be arranged differently depending on the duct's cross section, duct's sub ducting, diameters and so on.
Currently, professional usage doesn't always involve a normalization taxonomy to document this large diversity of configurations and let this information as free text field undoubtedly lead to a huge mess.

Capacity description to be determined with capacity=*.

A single nature

Despite aerial pathways, underground piping or indoor cable ladders looks like very different, telecom=path feature is intended to group them three under the same concept.
Existing OSM tagging is relevant to make a consistent distinction between them, with the help of location=*.

As it's not recommended to mix power and telecommunications (more generally very low voltage utilities) for safety reasons, OSM should make a distinction between them and map power=cable and telecom=path on separate features.

A large diversity of usable infrastructure

Telecom cables can not only lay in dedicated infrastructures but in a large set of usable third party infrastructures, just like many utilities networks.
It can be economically viable to use inspectable sewers, bridges, underground tunnels for telecommunication roll out and many other features could actually get telecom=path if relevant.

That will mostly be documented by examples and practice.

Tagging

Key Value Description Use
telecom=path - It's a telecommunication cable path mandatory
location=* underground, indoor or overhead Cables duct's location depending if it's underground piping or aerial pathway recommended
operator=* <Company name> Company that is responsible of the cable duct recommended
material=* - Material composing the duct, relevant for underground and indoor only optional
width=* - Width of the cable path, if applicable, mainly for indoor or underground situations optional
height=* - Height of the cable path, if applicable, mainly for indoor or underground situations optional
tunnel=yes - Used if the cable path is in larger tunnel optional
bridge=yes - Used if the cable path is in a bridge optional

The use of cables=*, mostly used for power networks isn't relevant here as cables mapping would require many more classification and topological tools we don't have currently and don't want to achieve nor maintain shortly.

Edition management

Affected pages

  • Create telecom=path page and describe what is a telecom path

Examples

Photo Location Tagging Note

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