Why?

[arlo]

This post seems to be all over the place. A good thing. Just a lot of reading and stuff.
My area has pots still with some subs still using it. I gave mine up over 10 years ago. Although when and if I were to hook a phone up to a jack and lift the handset. I get a 'click'. And that click means that even though you can't make a call for a pizza. You can dial 911 and get a response. As I believe you can with a deactivated cell phone. I dunno on that. You ain't havin' fun 'till you dial 911.

I forgot about the WISP acronym. I was thinking back in the Orlando/Daytona days when many had Clear Wire Internet. With a little box in the window sill. My company had a Verizon Jetpack as a when shtf backup. And I used it when it did in fact hit the fan.
We were mandated to have information at the USPS BY 7pm in electronic form. That was years ago when they initially had Bell South pots 56k dialup. Then the counter-o-the bean went for the better deal and speeds dropped from a true 56k to 12k on a good day.
Later on the branches had Level 3 upgrade to fiber. Fiber in our area was in the works. A bit in the boonies. But we did have equal service with a whatever-you call it 10 copper line setup into the rack system.
Thing is. The other two branches with fiber. When fiber burped or went out. It was 100% down. And Level 3 with it's "2 hour response time" left people scattering and panicking and kissing you-know-whats.
Us. 1,2,3 lines go down. Not a problem. Still had very decent broadband and VOIP. And glitches were automatically reported. Never 100%, pants down out.

So. Tri County REC strung fiber out here in the sticks. I'm still on Zitomedia hardline. Actually the backup hardline that consists of the two and a fiber line that "will never be used".
I had a war with them. They re not popular with anyone much. You're free to look at all of the FB posts.
Last May. Over a year ago. All of a sudden I got constant broadband interruptions. 200MBPS would just drop.
A year mind you. They stuck a DOCSIS 3.1 modem in my home for a monitor. Mine is a 3.0.
The techs all swore up and down it had to be my modem. And DOCSI 3.1 had it's own set of issues on their system and unless I had the 1 gigabit package, a 3.1 modem would be kind of overkill.
So. I fished up another very little used Arris 3.0 modem from someone who jumped on the REC fiber (They ALL Love it, btw).
Nope. Same thing after getting the modem provisioned. I hooked up my "verboten" Ethernet cable to the 3.1 modem and not a single drop out. Fine. And don't you dare say I'd go fiber. It's 10 bucks more plus taxes a month. And installation is at least 3 months out. For 100MBPS service.
So. Shopping for an Arris 3.1 modem. So I don't get hit with a 5 buck equipment usage fee.

Now. Hughnet or any other ka band broadband Internet. Never. From the looks of the recycling center and roadside metal only dumpsters. I can tell what I already knew is true. Bait and switch and surprises galore everytime you open your bill or cap-out. I mean. If a floating ballroom door from the sinking Titanic was the only option? Maybe.
And Starlink. I was keeping up with J. Christina on YouTube. A big Starling fan. Until one day he was talking about something having to do with taking a portion of the amateur radio bands for commercial usage. And he basically said screw ham radio. Who uses that anyway?
I was given a "find this guy and smash his overgrown, steroid enhanced chin and dump his fancy pants tea he loves" urge. Steal his wife. Except she's a bit gamey for me actually.
Starlink looks pretty good. But just because of the tech. I don't ever expect for prices to come even close to earth based broadband simply because of design. Although two bed and breakfast owner's here with Hughnet. When hunters and star gazers (we have one of the "Dark Skies" regions here) would show and their system capped out in a few minutes. They LOVE Starlink. One bill, the same amount, every time, they pay. Hughnet dishes do make a nice "plink" sound with the pew-pew.

People here. In just a few areas. Have DSL. No cable, no fiber, no cell service. In between hills. No satellite.
I have a 48" pipeline running under my property within eye shot. Everyone North of me has natural gas. I have a 1000 gallon propane tank.
I don't have and cannot get natural gas. No how, no way.

Braggery? Nope. I like RF. I have a DN dish and modded wifi router with a point-to-point to my garage some coule hundered yards from the house. Another in my attic with the same setup to my neighbors wifi ONIT through trees around 1km or so. Signal around -65dB and speeds a shtf 15MBPS.
Next? One of the Youtube review/eBay long range wireless links. They look pretty slick. Something for those who may not have decent broadband options but a friendly neighbor who does who wouldn't mind splitting a monthly bill.

 

[harshness]

Add in the cost of replacing them after severe weather events such as lightening, wind, ice etc…

The statistics indicate that pole contacts (where available) remain the cheapest in the long run.

Where direct burial wins is in the aesthetics or where there isn't existing utility pole infrastructure.

The incidence of lightning damage to fiber infrastructure probably isn't significantly lower with buried fiber than it is with aerial fiber.

 

[telstar_1]

All of these phones have an option to control the ringer volume as well as the speaker function volume. Is that what you're biasing your evaluation on?

The 2 that my dad had were didn't offer much user-friendliness but rather seemed to be geared to prioritize enhanced hearing (through amplified volume) and voice-to-text, as though that's all that's needed for a good user experience. Just wasn't the right direction, plus my dad was still using a cell flip phone for most of his use anyway. I figured by porting his landline personal/business # to a larger-screen iPhone he could get his calls & texts more easily, and apple's always working on accessibility features like hearing aid mode

 

[savarese04]

The statistics indicate that pole contacts (where available) remain the cheapest in the long run.

Where direct burial wins is in the aesthetics or where there isn't existing utility pole infrastructure.

The incidence of lightning damage to fiber infrastructure probably isn't significantly lower with buried fiber than it is with aerial fiber.

Burial is way cheaper when you consider wildfire safety in many regions.

 

[Juan]

Add in the cost of replacing them after severe weather events such as lightening, wind, ice etc…

Fiber has glass core that degrades over time.Everytime it freezes or heats up..Fiber contracts or expands. It doesn't matter if it's hanging from a pole or it's buried. It's just the nature of the fiber beast...granted it is not as bad as copper maintenance...but copper can last for 100 years but an average Fiber lasts about 10 years

 

[Bobby]

Fiber has glass core that degrades over time.Everytime it freezes or heats up..Fiber contracts or expands. It doesn't matter if it's hanging from a pole or it's buried. It's just the nature of the fiber beast...granted it is not as bad as copper maintenance...but copper can last for 100 years but an average Fiber lasts about 10 years

How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last? A Comprehensive Guide

Fiber optic cables are an essential part of modern telecommunications, providing high-speed, high-capacity data transmission. But how long do they actually last? While most fiber optic cables have a standard lifespan of 20 to 25 years, they can last much longer under ideal conditions.

www.linkedin.com

 

[Jimbo]

This post seems to be all over the place. A good thing. Just a lot of reading and stuff.
My area has pots still with some subs still using it. I gave mine up over 10 years ago. Although when and if I were to hook a phone up to a jack and lift the handset. I get a 'click'. And that click means that even though you can't make a call for a pizza. You can dial 911 and get a response. As I believe you can with a deactivated cell phone. I dunno on that. You ain't havin' fun 'till you dial 911.

I forgot about the WISP acronym. I was thinking back in the Orlando/Daytona days when many had Clear Wire Internet. With a little box in the window sill. My company had a Verizon Jetpack as a when shtf backup. And I used it when it did in fact hit the fan.
We were mandated to have information at the USPS BY 7pm in electronic form. That was years ago when they initially had Bell South pots 56k dialup. Then the counter-o-the bean went for the better deal and speeds dropped from a true 56k to 12k on a good day.
Later on the branches had Level 3 upgrade to fiber. Fiber in our area was in the works. A bit in the boonies. But we did have equal service with a whatever-you call it 10 copper line setup into the rack system.
Thing is. The other two branches with fiber. When fiber burped or went out. It was 100% down. And Level 3 with it's "2 hour response time" left people scattering and panicking and kissing you-know-whats.
Us. 1,2,3 lines go down. Not a problem. Still had very decent broadband and VOIP. And glitches were automatically reported. Never 100%, pants down out.

So. Tri County REC strung fiber out here in the sticks. I'm still on Zitomedia hardline. Actually the backup hardline that consists of the two and a fiber line that "will never be used".
I had a war with them. They re not popular with anyone much. You're free to look at all of the FB posts.
Last May. Over a year ago. All of a sudden I got constant broadband interruptions. 200MBPS would just drop.
A year mind you. They stuck a DOCSIS 3.1 modem in my home for a monitor. Mine is a 3.0.
The techs all swore up and down it had to be my modem. And DOCSI 3.1 had it's own set of issues on their system and unless I had the 1 gigabit package, a 3.1 modem would be kind of overkill.
So. I fished up another very little used Arris 3.0 modem from someone who jumped on the REC fiber (They ALL Love it, btw).
Nope. Same thing after getting the modem provisioned. I hooked up my "verboten" Ethernet cable to the 3.1 modem and not a single drop out. Fine. And don't you dare say I'd go fiber. It's 10 bucks more plus taxes a month. And installation is at least 3 months out. For 100MBPS service.
So. Shopping for an Arris 3.1 modem. So I don't get hit with a 5 buck equipment usage fee.

Now. Hughnet or any other ka band broadband Internet. Never. From the looks of the recycling center and roadside metal only dumpsters. I can tell what I already knew is true. Bait and switch and surprises galore everytime you open your bill or cap-out. I mean. If a floating ballroom door from the sinking Titanic was the only option? Maybe.
And Starlink. I was keeping up with J. Christina on YouTube. A big Starling fan. Until one day he was talking about something having to do with taking a portion of the amateur radio bands for commercial usage. And he basically said screw ham radio. Who uses that anyway?
I was given a "find this guy and smash his overgrown, steroid enhanced chin and dump his fancy pants tea he loves" urge. Steal his wife. Except she's a bit gamey for me actually.
Starlink looks pretty good. But just because of the tech. I don't ever expect for prices to come even close to earth based broadband simply because of design. Although two bed and breakfast owner's here with Hughnet. When hunters and star gazers (we have one of the "Dark Skies" regions here) would show and their system capped out in a few minutes. They LOVE Starlink. One bill, the same amount, every time, they pay. Hughnet dishes do make a nice "plink" sound with the pew-pew.

People here. In just a few areas. Have DSL. No cable, no fiber, no cell service. In between hills. No satellite.
I have a 48" pipeline running under my property within eye shot. Everyone North of me has natural gas. I have a 1000 gallon propane tank.
I don't have and cannot get natural gas. No how, no way.

Braggery? Nope. I like RF. I have a DN dish and modded wifi router with a point-to-point to my garage some coule hundered yards from the house. Another in my attic with the same setup to my neighbors wifi ONIT through trees around 1km or so. Signal around -65dB and speeds a shtf 15MBPS.
Next? One of the Youtube review/eBay long range wireless links. They look pretty slick. Something for those who may not have decent broadband options but a friendly neighbor who does who wouldn't mind splitting a monthly bill.

That "Click" you heard is Probably the Card in the CEV that happens to still be connected to your line (not in use, but ready if needed).

 

[Juan]

How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last? A Comprehensive Guide

Fiber optic cables are an essential part of modern telecommunications, providing high-speed, high-capacity data transmission. But how long do they actually last? While most fiber optic cables have a standard lifespan of 20 to 25 years, they can last much longer under ideal conditions.

www.linkedin.com

My AI search disagrees with your AI search


AI Overview

+3

Outdoor fiber optic cables can last a long time, often 25 to 30 years, but may need replacement sooner due to various factors. While the fiber itself can be extremely durable, other components like connectors and splices may wear out more quickly, requiring replacement or repair more frequently.

Here's a more detailed look at factors affecting their lifespan:

Factors Affecting Lifespan:

• Environmental Factors:
  Extreme temperatures, moisture, and even UV exposure can degrade the cable and its protective sheath, potentially leading to signal degradation or failure.
  
  
• Physical Damage:
  Accidental damage during construction or maintenance, or damage from animals or other sources, can significantly shorten the cable's lifespan.
  
  
• Technological Advancements:
  As technology evolves, older fiber optic cables might no longer meet the bandwidth demands of modern networks, necessitating upgrades or replacements.
  
  
• Network Expansion:
  As networks grow, more fiber may be needed, leading to upgrades or replacements of existing cables to accommodate the increased capacity.
  
  
• Service Provider Standards:
  Some telecommunications companies may have internal standards for replacing fiber cables on a regular schedule, regardless of their functional state.
  
  
• Connector and Splice Degradation:
  While the fiber itself can last for decades, the connectors and splices that connect the fiber strands may degrade more quickly due to wear, dirt, or environmental exposure, requiring more frequent maintenance or replacement.
  

In essence, outdoor fiber optic cables can be very durable, but their lifespan is influenced by a combination of environmental factors, physical damage, technological advancements, and the specific demands of the network they serve..

 

[Bobby]

My AI search disagrees with your AI search


AI Overview
View attachment 182133
View attachment 182134
+3

Outdoor fiber optic cables can last a long time, often 25 to 30 years, but may need replacement sooner due to various factors. While the fiber itself can be extremely durable, other components like connectors and splices may wear out more quickly, requiring replacement or repair more frequently.

Here's a more detailed look at factors affecting their lifespan:

Factors Affecting Lifespan:

• Environmental Factors:
  Extreme temperatures, moisture, and even UV exposure can degrade the cable and its protective sheath, potentially leading to signal degradation or failure.
  
  
• Physical Damage:
  Accidental damage during construction or maintenance, or damage from animals or other sources, can significantly shorten the cable's lifespan.
  
  
• Technological Advancements:
  As technology evolves, older fiber optic cables might no longer meet the bandwidth demands of modern networks, necessitating upgrades or replacements.
  
  
• Network Expansion:
  As networks grow, more fiber may be needed, leading to upgrades or replacements of existing cables to accommodate the increased capacity.
  
  
• Service Provider Standards:
  Some telecommunications companies may have internal standards for replacing fiber cables on a regular schedule, regardless of their functional state.
  
  
• Connector and Splice Degradation:
  While the fiber itself can last for decades, the connectors and splices that connect the fiber strands may degrade more quickly due to wear, dirt, or environmental exposure, requiring more frequent maintenance or replacement.

In essence, outdoor fiber optic cables can be very durable, but their lifespan is influenced by a combination of environmental factors, physical damage, technological advancements, and the specific demands of the network they serve..

and what part of your search says 10 years as you stated in your first post on this subject?

 

[Juan]

and what part of your search says 10 years as you stated in your first post on this subject?

30 years of fiber optic maintenance experience says that

 

[telstar_1]

Huh, I thought they just put that stuff in & that's that

 

[Bruce]

30 years of fiber optic maintenance experience says that

Every link pretty much says this-

Fiber optic cable buried underground typically lasts between 20 and 30 years. However, this lifespan can vary depending on factors like installation quality, environmental conditions, and the type of fiber used.
So, maybe whomever you claim to work for, has been doing terrible installations, hence the only 10 years.

 

[Juan]

Huh, I thought they just put that stuff in & that's that

This pretty much explains my point of view...direct from Google fiber and Wikipedia

Distribution

In order to avoid underground cabling complexity for the last mile, Google Fiber relies on aggregators dubbed Google Fiber Huts.[23]​

From these Google Fiber Huts, the fiber cables travel along utility poles into neighborhoods and homes, and stop at a Fiber Jack (an optical network terminal or ONT) in each home.[24]​

The estimated cost of wiring a fiber network like Google Fiber into a major American city was $1 billion in 2016.[25]​[26]​

 

[Bruce]

This pretty much explains my point of view...direct from Google fiber and Wikipedia

Distribution

In order to avoid underground cabling complexity for the last mile, Google Fiber relies on aggregators dubbed Google Fiber Huts.[23]​

From these Google Fiber Huts, the fiber cables travel along utility poles into neighborhoods and homes, and stop at a Fiber Jack (an optical network terminal or ONT) in each home.[24]​

The estimated cost of wiring a fiber network like Google Fiber into a major American city was $1 billion in 2016.[25]​[26]​

What does that have to do with you posting Fiber last 10 years?

 

[Juan]

What does that have to do with you posting Fiber last 10 years?

AFiber isn't afiber..as technology changes the fibers themselves change...newer fibers handle faster speeds...AI is way way off...based on my 30 years telco experience fibers last about 10 years outside...in a office building fibers can last a lot longer

 

[Bruce]

AFiber isn't afiber..as technology changes the fibers themselves change...newer fibers handle faster speeds...AI is way way off...based on my 30 years telco experience fibers last about 10 years outside...in a office building fibers can last a lot longer

Again, what does that have to do with you posting Fiber last 10 years, which you have not provided any evidence for.

 

[harshness]

I figured by porting his landline personal/business # to a larger-screen iPhone he could get his calls & texts more easily,

It seems like you should have mentioned this goal up front.

 

[harshness]

AFiber isn't afiber..as technology changes the fibers themselves change...newer fibers handle faster speeds.

Does all old fiber get replaced or does it just get added to?

 

[arlo]

I'd have to roll my pant legs up a few if accepting the phrase optical fiber cable has a finite lifetime.
The bare aluminum aerial cable that was installed back in the late 80's and early 90's here by the former Adelphia and now Zitomedia mess surely is on its last legs. Out in the wind and snow and trees falling. But still working. Forethought was engineered is what was the touted first rural TV and "high speed" Internet system in the country to have a backup hardline coax as well as the previously mentioned Siamese optical fiber cable.

Optical cable is run underground, up on poles. To "nodes" that provide subs with data that "last mile" on hardine coax. I was fortunate to have an old friend, the headend dude that worked inside the huge abandoned headquarters of Adelphia on top of a hill with all of the the linesmen training poles and looking like sort of a mini compound before they got caught in an Enron type of thing.
Anyway. He was speaking with a field tech some 40 miles away balancing optical signal. Swapping a 5mW laser card for an 8mW , up to 10mW, 12mW. Settling for the 8mW card. And on the other end doing the same. Strange. I call it (phonetically) mill-i-watt. They said mill-ee-watt. Maybe people do. Just never heard the exaggerated 'eee'.
Anyway. I don't see many service trucks stringing new cable out this way at all. So. To even mention a finite life of aerial optical fiber? Nah. And if you've even gotten any of the rodent discouraging "goo" from commercial direct burial cable on your fingers and tasted just a tiny bit of it. You ain't living life!

Then there's the abandoned gas pipeline running close to the big one here on my property. It used to have Gas Pipeline signs posted along the run. Now there are Optical Fiber Cable signs in place. Fiber cable is inside the 3" pipe.
Adding the fact that fiber cable can be run inside live gas pipeline. The infrastructure is all over the place. It will last forever. Its glass. Ain't never gong to move. An inspection pig won't disturb it. Can I unroll my jeans yet?

I knew a gal in Florida. She was all about her Cantenna and wifi Pineapple. Back when people didn't secure their routers or used weak passwords. Something the Pineapple handled like a day at the beach.
I asked a guy I went to school with at a reunion. Someone you would never have expected to choose the career he chose. And did amazingly well. He got into the Electronics industry. Microwave RF, his specialty.
How in the heck did you choose electronics? And RF for that fact. We related well, Living in a town with 1 AM radio station with time slots for.....Frakies Polka Party. The disgustingly monotonistic female local news announcer. Jimmy Swaggart remember? "someone who shares, someone who cares...
And maybe two hours of top 40's in the evening before signing off at 9PM. We would grab some beer. Drive to the top of the highest hill in a special spot to listen to Stereo FM Rock from Buffalo. Or wander up on a kegger with a mess of (shuddering) Disco freaks.
90 miles away as the bird flies.
John gave me a smile and eye-lock. With a question that had only one answer. "What's the easiest way to get a signal from point A to point B?" FM radio and playing with TV antennas and finding just that right spot to get the best signal with the least snow.
Me too. But I didn't get a formal education. I learned the best I could. When I could. Man. Where would I have gone if?.......
Jesus! How in the heck did I get off on THIS tangent? I suck at carpentry. I do like to fish though. Muscle cars are pretty cool. As long as they are Mopar...."my old pig ain't runnin' ".