Fiber to the People: Lessig, IEEE & AFNs

Codeine writes "Larry Lessig articulates some infrastructure observations based on work by the IEEE & Cornell AFN Institute regarding 'end-user-as owner' (EUO) advanced fibre networks."

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Larry Lessig [216.239.59.104] articulates [216.239.59.104] some infrastructure observations based on work by the IEEE [ieeeusa.org] & Cornell AFN Institute [216.239.59.104] regarding 'end-user-as owner' (EUO) advanced fibre networks.

Re:Still dangerous to work with fiber?

[BuckaBooBob]

Problems? Splicing a Fiber cable a Problem? Its about as much of a problem as electricity.. They both have possible dangers but that didn't stop electricity from catching on... As far as looking into a lit fiber... Umm... Why would you do that... Only multi mode fiber uses a wavelength that is visible. But still who in their right mind would run the risk of permanently damaging their eye by looking into a fiber when you have tools made to do with out risk to your self. Thats like a electrician using his tounge to test for voltage instead of a proper meter... When you look around a Fiber Termination Panel you see all sorts of warning about looking into the end of the fiber with/without magnifying lenses...

Re:Still dangerous to work with fiber?

[Anonymous Coward]

Last time I read up on bringing Fiber to the small business/consumer environment, one of the biggest problems was splicing the cable, as the tiny filiments could easily become embedded in the skin, and by accidentally or otherwise looking into the fiber you could damage your retina....have these fundamental problems been resolve?

Splicing cable can be harmful, but with proper training & equipment it's very safe. When I worked at JDS Uniphase, (when they had 12,000 people in Ottawa) fiber injuries were very rare. And stabbing yourself in the finger with a fiber isn't a very serious injury.

Unless you're dealing with very high power fiber lasers, the optical risk is very small. The human eye is extremely resistant to light at 1.5 microns, the most common wavelength. Anyway, safety goggles are very cheap.

It does cost a lot more to splice fiber than copper though. Almost anyone can work with cat 5e cable (i.e. I can) that will meet the specs. Fiber takes more time & training, therefore it's more expensive.

Faster local loop != faster Internet

[erice]

I don't see a whole lot point to running fiber to the home until backhaul costs come down.

The speed of most consumer broadband services is limited by the cost of the backhaul, not the performance of the local loop. If my area, 6Mbps DSL is available for those who can afford it. It's the same wire and the same hardware at both ends. Most people stick with 1.5Mbps becuase that is all they can afford.

Re:gigabit ethernet on fiber?

[Wesley Felter]

Ethernet does not use ACKs; what are you talking about?

Re:It can be done

[Minna Kirai]

Mind you- this is a 5 minute walk from DOWNTOWN FINANCIAL CENTER in Boston. Not the boondocks.

That actually makes it MORE expensive. In the heart of an old, dense, poorly-planned city, the effort required to install any new cable is orders of magnitude bigger than just ripping through an empty field in a backhoe. And being in the financial district meant that all the other people inconvenienced by the work are high-wage broker-types whose time is expensive to waste. (Meaning the city will soak you on all the permits and police overtime)

Maybe, Boston is actually the worst US city for additional expense to infrastructure projects- big or small. The extreme example is how they just built $400,000,000 worth of tunnel [about.com] for $10,800,000,000 (a 27x multiplier) because of all the uninterruptable activity above the dig site.

If you want cheap fiber to your building, try someplace more amenable, like Chicago.

Right now, I live out in the burbs near boston. 30 minutes away. I have ONE choice in internet access save dialup.

I've got relatives living in such areas (128 region), and they've got two cable companies selling ISP service. The effective speeds to in-state resources are an impressive 300Kb/s.