[k_semler]

Today Verizon cut through a fiberoptic line. All credit card services are suspended in both Pullman and Moscow until the line gets fixed. This sucks! I wanted to buy some smokes, but with only $6.00 in my wallet, I ended up buying a can of Copenhagen Long Cut. To buy gas, it took 25 miniutes for the guy to get an outside line so my debit card transaction could go through. They announced on KQQQ that if you have an emergency, use chan9 on the CB, or come directly to the police department. Even local phone service is sporadic. This just goes to show that cell phones don't always work when you need them, (even when there is no disaster), and always carry more than $6.00 in your wallet. As soon as the line is fixed, I'm going to pull out $50. When I went to the credit union to deposit my paycheck, they could only take the check, and write me a reciept by hand. I have no idea when that $450 will actually go into my account. I hope it is soon. All of this because of ONE FIBEROPTIC CABLE being cut 70 miles away!

EDIT: The radio just said the effected area is from Pullman WA to Orofino ID. They also said that Verizon will "try" and fix it this hour.

[Specop_007]

Trust me Sem, when fiber gets cut people JUMP to get it fixed.
I know this from first hand experience, they are busting their asses double time to restore/alt route.

[BrownDog]

That's a pretty brittle system if cutting one line can have that large an effect.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BrownDog', 'T')hat's a pretty brittle system if cutting one line can have that large an effect.

[BrownDog]

Certainly, specop, it's a matter of money.

I should have expanded to say that I think there's value in noticing brittleness in systems in general. By that I mean, do they fail all at once, or more gradually. Knowing this, plus the importance of having currency on hand, encourages me to keep a contingent supply on-hand.

I hope things are working for you soon, k_semler.

[ravensburg]

That most get the sense of, what do I need a backup line for ? this one will never go down. Kinda funny to see how fast they put up a backup line or someother system once they are down for a couple of hours

[NEOPO]

One cable is many wires/fibers.
So if one cable is cut it could mean several hundred fibers or 300 - 3000 copper pairs or more.

The current method uses a plastic conduit to encase the cable (more plastic and a metal "ground" sheath) (usually placed/buried by a mexican with a work visa)that holds the fiber optic lines (more plastic).
It can and will be cut again and again unless they/we decide to encase/entomb it in titanium or something like that and then just imagine if you have a break or fault that you have to fix!!!

Outage proof? there is no such animal.
matter of money?? matter of practicality and efficiency really which I suppose can be seen as the same thing by some.

Everything in the network must be 100% ACCESSIBLE and in order to accomplish this we will always run the risk of cutting, boring, drilling, blasting or otherwise disturbing the "delicate" balance of peoples lives such as specop and k semler

Some current piece meal history:

The majors whimpered in 1996, the governments failed attempt at deregulation, saying the increased competition left them no incentive to expand and modernize the telecom infrastructure.

So they didnt where they didnt have to.
Rural areas were very neglected.
Not a conspiracy really and sure maybe at this point they honestly felt as if there was no real opportunities for expansion.
The only real thing that happened during this time was the Fiber loop which connected major city hubs throughout much of the US.

The internet wave and all those second and third lines came along - and all those outlets needed to be installed yet still the same old cable in most cases hung on the 50 year old pole with a 30 year old case with holes eaten through its "rodent deterent" shell

Fast forward to 2000-2001 - nynex bought by bell atlantic then GTE bought by bell atlantic thereby monopolizing the entire eastern workforce from New york to Richmond and beyond which was definately in the interest of the PTB in DC.
Deregulation was a failed experiment at best - many of the venture capitolist having learned this lesson bailed.
2003 strike!! government regulators stepped in and forced the striking Bell atlantic (now verizon) workers back to work while shoving a 2% yearly raise down their throats where a 3-4% yearly adjustment was the norm.

I just saw a commercial about the new fantastic fiber to the curb video data phone all in one wonder.
The low down on this project from the mouth of a anonymous high level executive...............

"If this doesnt work - there wont be a verizon"

Sorry as I only have several dots here yet they do indeed seem to connect

anyways - The ultimate telecommunications utopian goal would be to have a solid grid OSP or "outside plant" yet how many times do you want your yard dug up?
How many poles do you want to see spanning every hill and dale just so one day you arent inconvenienced ???

and once we have this grid dont think you can just go outside and start digging a garden!! or bury a PO body....oh no - please call them first and by law they have 24-48 hours to come out and spray paint several pretty colors on your lawn indicating any/all underground utilities and then you can dig ...but only in spaces that arent marked:)

Ok this spins much like the Gasoline conspiracy spins and I think I see the root of this rationale.
Make a bunch of extra capacity just in case one day things do not go as planned - so we are not inconvenienced.

You wouldnt do that - I wouldnt do it - why would verizon? why would the oil majors?

Locating and marking ALL these underground utilities isnt an exact science - much like exploration for fossil fuels

k - I am done - feel free to continue waxing idiotic

[highlander]

Local news in Spokane reported 911 service was disrupted in all of Whitman and Spokane counties. It seems like some redundancy should have been built into the system. Like the stuff happening in the gulf, we are just beginning to see how fragile our infrastructure really is.

[k_semler]

Yes! Everything is back up and running fine now. I still pulled out $50 to have in my wallet though. and my paycheck made it into my account 3 hours ago, so that's good too. Hopefully they don't fuck up like this anytime soon again.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('k_semler', 'Y')es! Everything is back up and running fine now. I still pulled out $50 to have in my wallet though. and my paycheck made it into my account 3 hours ago, so that's good too. Hopefully they don't fuck up like this anytime soon again.