Creation of this page was inspired by the recent many rural projects to install fiber optic cable into rural areas. Unlike the big corporate telcos, most of these projects are the result of efforts by locally owned and controled telecommunication organizations. Money for a percentage of projects came from the government Rural Developement Utilities Project (RDUP) loan program. Several other projects are the result of for-profit organizations staffed by knowledgeable people that know how to get things done and provide service while still making a profit.

Shown to the right are three different cable types. The big black cable on the extreme right is an 1800 pair telephone cable that was typically used to carry 900 two-way voice conversations back in the days of analog 4-wire transmission. This cable runs in the range of 10 lbs. per running foot or 10,000 lbs. per 1000 foot reel. The cable on the extreme left is a 144 fiber optic cable capable of providing 72 two-way optical transmission paths. It weighs a total of 126 lbs per 1000 feet and can carry, at a minimum, 4 million voice circuits using current technology off-the-shelf multiplexing equipment. The cable in the middle is known as Optical Primary Ground Wire (OPGW). It is often used as a static wire over high voltage electric transmission lines. It has a similar transmission capacity to buried optical cable. Optical cable has resulted in huge reductions in installation and operation costs for the telephone companies. These cost reductions and performance inhancements have largely NOT been passed on to the public. More on the political aspects of fiber optic cable can be found on the Broadband page.

It's a given that current providers will do everything in their power to make maximum use of their existing cable wire facilities. Communities, today, have a golden opportunity to make very good decisions regarding the installation and control of new fiber optic technology. Lacking good decisions from the public, the existing provider corporations, as has already been demonstrated, will make decisions based on what is best for them not the public. Ownership of the physical plant (fiber cable) is key and in my view, should be in the public domain. Who operates and maintains the network is secondary and can be accomplished several different ways.

The only reason legacy telephone companies get away with what they do is because the public allows them to. In my view it sure doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a few changes at the legislative level will make a huge difference in getting Broadband services available where they are badly needed.

This page would not be complete without mention of the electric power companies (high voltage transmission & distribution groups) and the transport of high speed data using fiber optic cables installed in parallel with electric transmission and distribution lines. Florida power and light is a prime example of such services. Locally, Xcel Energy, Tri-State and related distribution organizations have chosen not to provide such services although they easily could. The public is much poorer as a result.

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• CHSDN
• Fiber To The X
• Fiber: How Powered
• China Power & Fiber
• Rural Fiber Overview
• USDA Rural Developement
• Corning Glass & RDUP
• Fiber Optic Tutorial
• OPGW Static Cable
• OPGW Wire Types
• All Types
• Fiber To The Home Council
• Glenwood Springs Fiber
• Third Pipe Magazine
• OCC Fiber
• Corning Technical Library
• Internet2 Statement - Page 152
• Rural Utility Services - Telecom
• Occam Joins Calix

• Indiana Rural FTTH
• Money For Fiber
• The Source
• Rural Fiber Done Right
• 300 Independent Telcos
• BEK Telco Story
• BEK Tel Services
• CDE Lightband
• ATMC FTTH
• Power & Fiber
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