[GreenKeys] Experience on this list

[Don Robert House]

Yes Peter,

Telephony engineering started moving in that direction in the Bell  
System just before divestiture in 1983..

The copper plant is way too expensive to maintain and make a profit.   
There are service areas that have not made money in over 20 years.
New technology in communications service delivery is a must.

However, every possible service interruption needs to undergo risk  
analysis and systems need redundancy built in to keep from having  
massive service outages like the central office fires in New York and  
Illinois. Or, smaller but high impact outages for hospitals, police  
and fire...

Too many planners fail to go the "extra mile" and opt for the least  
cost instead of the most value.  You will not get a nay say from me.   
Fiber and digital is the way to go.  How you go about it is the heart  
of the matter.

Chances are that in very populated areas services like you have and  
at&t's Uverse are available.  Yet many are opting out of these high  
bandwidth services due to the high monthly cost.

Here in the rural "heartland" we have few choices.  Verizon has  
decided that an old out-dated community dial office is good enough for  
our five small villages. The only way we can get broadband is over the  
air or with the local and poorly maintained CATV outfit.

Just my $5.00 worth.
Don


On 19 Jun 2009, at 7:03 AM, Peter Gottlieb wrote:

There are no more "old fashioned" land lines here.  Verizon runs a  
fiber into my building where there is a rack of equipment in the  
basement.  Out comes coax for TV and a number of 25 pair cables that  
go to 66 blocks on the wall for analog phone lines.  The rack is  
supported by a tray of 32 (!) 12 volt 7 AH lead acid batteries wired  
in 48 volt (4 series) configuration.  Internet is over the analog  
twisted pair via VDSL, for example mine is 20 Mb down 5 Mb up.