Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
 ·Comcast
 ·Embarq
|  Why try to do broadband on the cheap!
 The power companies have the right of way, the poles, the trucks and the personnel to install fiber. Rather than trying to do broadband on the cheap, the government could provide some stimulus money to the power cooperatives to install the necessary equipment and deliver real broadband to rural subscribers. Many years ago I watched the telephone company install about a mile of 200 pair aerial cable a week. The project was part of a project to convert from ten party service to one and two party service. I believe that fiber can be installed much faster. |
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mrkevin
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
Premium
join:2007-08-07
Aurora, ME
clubs: | The power companies don't have the personnel. splicing fiber is not like splicing power lines.
You're right about one thing...It wouldn't be cheap. |
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Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | Is deploying expensive repeaters that use lossy powerlines any cheaper? |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| reply to mrkevin
said by mrkevin  :The power companies don't have the personnel. splicing fiber is not like splicing power lines. You're right about one thing...It wouldn't be cheap. Same style of specialized work/trade, same amount of training, same salary. Being a power company lineman isn't a training video and a 1 week "trial"/intern period, neither is a fiber splicer. |
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Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast
·Embarq
| reply to mrkevin
said by mrkevin :The power companies don't have the personnel. splicing fiber is not like splicing power lines. You're right about one thing...It wouldn't be cheap. Actually when I started working for a local exchange carrier in the early 80's, most of their technicians did not know how to splice fiber. When the company had a need for fiber splicers, they allowed their technicians to bid for the job, and then go through an assessment to make sure they had the aptitude to be trained do the job. Management then selected the most qualified technicians to send to training.
Power company linemen that have the skill to deal with high voltage lines can be trained to splice fiber and can deal with nodes located in sub stations.
At least with non conductive fiber, the power company will not have to install neutralizing transformers to eliminate sneak currents entering their nodes on copper communication lines. |
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mrkevin
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
Premium
join:2007-08-07
Aurora, ME
clubs: | I'm not saying power linemen cannot be trained to splice fiber.
I'm just saying (as a lineman for a telco) "I wouldn't want the power company around here splicing fiber" they have a hard enough time with the three phase they maintain now. |
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