*
One of the biggest reasons for undergrounding telephone cable (and now fiber optic cables) is that it gets them out of assorted idiots’ cross hairs. You would not believe how often cable has to be spliced because of buckshot or a slug.
Next time you’re drivin’ along a country road, look for the tel cable and notice how often you see one of those big black cylinders along the cable. That’s a splice case, guys, and a big one contains a thousands of spliced wires. Umpteen hours in a bucket tieing ’em together.
The more splices, the slower your modem’s going to work when it rains…
Fiber is the way it’s all going and for the better. But the stuff’s a gripe to splice.
Replies
*
Out here in San Diego the latest thing is bright purple irrigation piping for commercial development. Just built a huge wastewater treatment facility to use treated water for commercial landscaping. About time, too. That purple color sure gets your attention!
*
Everyplace I been for the last year or two they are burying that green and orange and blue and black tubing beside the road. Must be costing billions, but I guess I haven't been reading the papers enough to have ever seen what it is. Is it related to the black helicopters?
*Yep, not only is it related to "black helicopters" but also green, orange and blue helicopters. Just a guess, but it might be conduit for fiber optic cable in the cable T.V. and telephone industries. One technique for putting the light(as in weight) fiber optic cable thru the conduit is to use conpressed air to "blow" the cable thru.Have a good one.Mike
*Lonecat, born again Arkansan, man, not to make you more paranoid or anything...but...did you notice you said everywhere YOU had been?
*Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota too (o)! Not many helicopters, plenty of black cattle though. And lots & lots of those damn orange barrels all over the road. Country is covered with those things, permanent residents in some places. Austin Texas has a zillion. Joe H
*...My nextdoor neighbor is a Supervisor for the phone company, so I asked him what those colored conduit/pipes were. He said they were for fiber optic systems. Cable T.V., phone lines, etc... They are updating their systems (since mid 90's) to get the lines down from overhead to underground. They have had many problems with overhead lines, and many times have lost service for windstorms, rain, lightning, etc... Underground cables provide better protection. As for the price... it probably is in the gazillions. You have been paying for all of it for the last several years in the form of rate hikes and higher bills. Some of the taxes on your bills have actually been designated for this improvement.So says the phone man...James DuHamel
*So how come there's nothing good to watch on TV? THAT'S where the taxes should go. And cut down on these *&^%! commercials. Gosh darn it.
*One of the biggest reasons for undergrounding telephone cable (and now fiber optic cables) is that it gets them out of assorted idiots' cross hairs. You would not believe how often cable has to be spliced because of buckshot or a slug.Next time you're drivin' along a country road, look for the tel cable and notice how often you see one of those big black cylinders along the cable. That's a splice case, guys, and a big one contains a thousands of spliced wires. Umpteen hours in a bucket tieing 'em together.The more splices, the slower your modem's going to work when it rains...Fiber is the way it's all going and for the better. But the stuff's a gripe to splice.
*Now we just have to worry about assorted idiots' shovels!