I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Bubba1235 · Jun 17, 2011

The local telephone rep stopped by to tell me we will be the first area to get fiber optic to the home as part of the President's push to upgrade rural areas. Should be installed and running by the end of July! Originally the telco was going to upgrade the existing system but decided to go all in with the best tech available.

They are saying average speed will be around 50 meg a second and are guarranting 30 meg a second. I can hardly wait! To go along with it, the telco is offering TV packages that are quite a bit lower than my Direct TV fee. I will be THRILLED to say goodbye to Direct TV!!!

The best part? My city dwelling friends will be green with envy!!!

bruceb58 · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Who is going to be the provider? ATT or Verizon?

ezmobee · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

This is friggin' ridiculous. A guy living in the middle of nowhere MN is getting fiber and I never will.

rbh · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Sounds like you have a RUP (rural upgrade program) going on.

It makes sense now adays to go straight fiber to the curb than go and improve copper infrastructure anyways, (copper/dsl is only good 4000-6000 meters depending on wire gauge from the node/hub)

bruceb58 · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Part of the stimulus package for rural America!

dingbat · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

We've had Verizon FIOS for 3 years now. You'll like everything but the price.

They advertise a $99 package, but by the time you throw in the monthly set box rentals and taxes you're up to $138 a month for basic HD Cable, Intenet and phone.

Don't get me started on my $283 a month Verizon One-bill.

Huron Angler · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Why do I see Bubba playing online poker and winning more ebay auctions that before the fiber

Put up a WiMax tower and provide broadband for your entire county. It will pay for itself

waterinthefuel · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Unfortunately, the chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

Since 95% of websites and downloads will not support 30mbps much less 50mbps, you probably won't see much of an increase if you are currently getting 10mbps.

We used to get 26 mbps to the computer I'm on right now using standard cable. Now it's down to 12. The only way I know is by using speedtest. Downloads take the same as they always did with most sites only providing me with 3-5mbps anyway.

But fiber is nice.

bruceb58 · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

The speedtest sites are pretty much worthless. ISPs can tell that you are on a speedtest site and give you full bandwidth.

rbh · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Now the only issue I see is that a telco is a tier 1 provider, this being said, if your power goes out your phone should still work because the central office provides power not you.
So unless you get a UPS from them to run the fiber equipment (FMX), your phone will not work during a power outage.

Stachi · Jun 17, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

It still beats satellite, when it rains or snows....that's why I switched this year.

rbh · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

One thing that I have been thinking of is the competition to cell companies.
As there is only so much band width out there for cell phone companies to get their hands on the market is tight and the prices around here are still expensive.
what "I THINK" we may see in the next few years is that there will be a WI MAX sort of internet based moble, were if you are a subscriber to X company, you also would be a relay/rx/tx site.

(low wattage, but if every 2nd or 3rd +- house is a site, you do not need much.)

bruceb58 · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

WiMax is the future even for home use.

rbh · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

bruceb58 said:
WiMax is the future even for home use.

WIMAX is nice but will "probably" never ever support the amount of bandwidth you can get over single mode fiber cable.
Or in other terms land line is still king, to many little dark-grey (signal) areas with digital radio.

roscoe · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

waterinthefuel said:
Unfortunately, the chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

Since 95% of websites and downloads will not support 30mbps much less 50mbps, you probably won't see much of an increase if you are currently getting 10mbps.

We used to get 26 mbps to the computer I'm on right now using standard cable. Now it's down to 12. The only way I know is by using speedtest. Downloads take the same as they always did with most sites only providing me with 3-5mbps anyway.

But fiber is nice.

Late last night I was getting over 60mpbs , and we have an old copper line. Oh wait, that was mosquito bites per second (mbps).

Yeah, ... lots of us in nowheresville woulds be happy to get anything over 1.5mbps, and a little constancy would be nice.
We pay $75 a month for dsl that runs at less than 1, frequently.

bruceb58 · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

rbh said:
WIMAX is nice but will "probably" never ever support the amount of bandwidth you can get over single mode fiber cable.
Or in other terms land line is still king, to many little dark-grey (signal) areas with digital radio.

True, but technology is still evolving and, even currently, the bandwidth can average 4Mbps.

bruceb58 · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Bubba1235 said:
Presently, I don't know of a single company making Wimax hardware that is not targeted at commercial use. (Joe Average isn't a buyer.)

I did design work for a cellular base station radio head company. There is a LOT of work going on in the WiMAx area.

bassman284 · Jun 18, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Bubba, I hpe yours goes faster than ours. They buried the lines by my place last August and the contractor came by in September to decide how they werre going to bring it inside. Different contractor rep came by in March for another look and that's the last I've heard from them. Also DSL is going from $39 a month to $59 a month.

OldePharte · Jun 24, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Our local electric co-op is adding fiber optic lines in a small test area. If that works out, then they will expand throughout their service area.

I just wish that I could HD TV in the house. The local cable company has tried twice to get me a "special deal" but our old interior cable won't handle the signal. We'll have to wait until we remodel and replace the cable lines with the newer stuff.

Anywho, during this last time the tech did get my upload speed up to 38Mbps; download still stuck at 1Mbps (using Speedtest).

dingbat · Jun 25, 2011

Re: I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

Bubba1235 said:
The local telco knows there is no way they will sell it at sky high prices. We are a little backwards in that regard in the country, we won't pay more than something is worth. Besides, the owners / managers all live in the area and have to face their customers on a daily basis. It's amazing how that changes everything.

So what are you going to pay for internet, Cable TV and phone all together?

I am getting fiber optic to my home!!!

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