XAFOGARis an initiative born from the Council of Mayors of Garrotxa to accelerate the implementation of a shared fiber optic network in Garrotxa. The goal is for this network to reach any home or business regardless of its location, boosting the local economy and with a diversity of commercial alternatives. Companies, local operators, and the guifi.net Foundation have joined the initiative.

It is when the network infrastructure, instead of being a private asset, belongs to everyone. This guarantees 2 things: having a neutral network and facilitating access to the network for operators without the high fees that conventional models usually establish. In this way, more operators can be interested in offering their services on the network, and users have the option to choose from different alternatives: the one they trust the most and that best suits their needs.

• From the Public Administration: the Council of Mayors of Garrotxa and the Consortium for Environmental and Public Health of Garrotxa
• From the foundational sphere: The Foundation for the Open, Free, and Neutral Network, guifi.net
• From the local and proximity operators: Currently, there are Girona Fibra, Goufone, Xartic, and Indaleccius. Since XAFOGAR is an open network, there may be more in the future. Operators will update their information on the provider directory of the guifi.net website in the Garrotxa area (https://guifi.net/ca/node/2439/suppliers).
• From the business sphere: The companies that collaborate in supporting XAFOGAR and provide funding, which we will strive to make visible.
• From the personal sphere: Individuals as users of the network and customers of a service contracted with an operator.
  

The network comes out of homes and businesses to end at the county concentration points. From these points, a wholesale transport network is used, which is currently that of the Generalitat de Catalunya, to reach the "neutral point of Internet of Catalonia" (CATnix) in Barcelona, from where it connects to the rest of the Internet.

The Private Foundation for the Open, Free and Neutral Network guifi.net is responsible for ensuring that the network is made available to all operators on equal terms, at the best cost, that good commercial practices and management are applied, and to resolve conflicts between operators, ensuring that it remains shared permanently and preventing anyone from appropriating it.

The technical characteristics of the XAFOGAR connection are at least 1Gbps symmetrical up to the aggregation point (PCC). The actual capacity and minimum guaranteed bandwidth will be what the user contracts with the operator (see the next question).

The bandwidth actually available to the Internet is affected by aggregations. These points are congested so that they expand once they reach 50% of their capacity during peak consumption hours. Currently, the PCC of Garrotxa is at 1Gbps capacity, and at CATNIX it is 30Gbps capacity. Regarding latency, which measures time, it is about 15 milliseconds or less from the connection of users to the interconnection point with the rest of the Internet operators in Barcelona (CATNIX). Note that we avoid the term "speed" as it may lead to confusion, using more precise and specific terms such as bandwidth capacity, available bandwidth, or minimum guaranteed, and latency.

What users ultimately contract with operators, and what operators offer you, must comply with these characteristics of available capacity, which will improve over time and is information that you can request at any time.

For more details or verifications of the available bandwidth, use the tools indicated by your provider: Keep in mind that few speed tests are effective above 100Mb symmetrical.

Yes. Any service higher than the available capacities or not reflected in the operators' offers can be requested directly from the operators or the Foundation, so it can be evaluated and implemented with the necessary improvements.

All operators have service level agreements (SLAs) that describe both the characteristics of the connection and also a commitment to response times in case of an incident according to the contracted service, and attention during business hours or also at other hours or holidays. The more demanding the commitment, the more expensive the service usually is. The Foundation strives to monitor compliance with these commitments to ensure the quality and resilience of the network; you can always contact them in case of doubt.

Yes. You are never obliged to choose a specific operator; XAFOGAR also does not require anyone to stay; it is the user who freely binds to the operator they trust the most through a contract and a specific offer.

The process of deploying fiber optic is complex, slow, and expensive, and once deployed, the process of connecting each new user is also complex. We are also limited by the funding capacity we have. All this affects the pace of everything and means that it can take time. If you are in a hurry and do not want to wait, see the answer to 4.3.1 Priority when connecting.

Bringing fiber to a business or a home requires an investment of around €1,500 or more. This means that to meet our goal of connecting all of Garrotxa, a minimum of more than 10 million euros is needed, an amount that goes beyond the investment capacity that all of us who collaborate initially have.

To address the need for funding described in the previous point sustainably, a methodology is applied that has recently earnedthe recognition of the European Commission as best practice in the field of innovation in financing and developing new business models. It consists of achieving the total investment by combining incentives for investors (the more there are, the faster it can be deployed), and on the other hand, ensuring that gradually reinvestment is generated from the activity generated, and thus, over time, achieving the total necessary that XAFOGAR aims for.

4.3.1.- Priority when connecting.

The process to connect users with fiber optics is complex, expensive, and slow; it will take time. We make an effort to connect first and primarily those who help us finance the network or cover the cost of their connection, as opposed to those who wait for their connection to be financed through the additional fees they will pay each month with the service (see the answer to 4.4 Is it mandatory to invest in XAFOGAR?).

4.3.2.- Tax deductions.

Since the network infrastructure belongs to everyone and is accessible to all, it is formally guaranteed through the Foundation, which is a non-profit entity of general interest. Contributions in infrastructure and duly accredited maintenance can benefit from the tax deductions provided by Law 49/2002 on the tax regime for non-profit entities and incentives for patronage.

4.3.3.- Return on investment.

For those who contribute more than the cost of their connection, various mechanisms are planned to return their investment, either with discounts on the service or in returns as users are incorporated.

4.3.4.- Acknowledgment.

Optionally, for those who wish, in addition to all the previous incentives, it is planned to make a public and formal recognition of everyone who collaborates in making the deployment of XAFOGAR a reality for all residents of Garrotxa.

No. As XAFOGAR develops, it is expected that there will be offers for users to connect in such a way that they will pay the total cost of deploying their connection through sign-ups and an additional fee to the service fee offered by the operators. However, the availability of this type of offer, that is, where the user is fully or partially financed for the cost of their connection through additional service fees, may be limited, especially at the beginning, as explained in previous questions, either because we do not yet have enough financing capacity, or we are prioritizing investors: Then you will need to wait for this type of offer to be available.