Fiber Optic Cables vs Landscaping...tales of yard gashes

[usmarinemike]

I was catching up (albeit slowly), until I cut our FiOS line while doing landscaping on Saturday... No TV/Phone/Internet until Thursday

I feel your pain. I haven't cut mine, but those jackasses buried my fiber about 2.5 inches under the surface. For awhile it would unbury in some spots when it would rain. I can't wait for one day when my dogs get ahold of it.

 

[The Chief]

.... I cut our FiOS line while doing ...

Too funny. When Verizon was installing my FIOS I noted how they buried the fiber cable and I purposely cut the cable and told them I was not interested in their system if they were going to bury the cable 3" below grade, as it crossed flower garden it was exposed in the trench around the garden. They sent a team out to bury it 12" below grade. Also wrote letter to CEO of Verizon telling him of the potential problems and cost to Verizon of such shoddy workmanship. Reply was on the order of " .. yes we know, we have a contractor problem, the way contract was written etc. ....."

 

[phrogpilot73]

Good to hear I'm not the only one... Yup, 3" sounds about how deep ours went. I wonder if they're going to splice or lay new line? Either way, I've got what I want planted, so it shouldn't be an issue in the future...

 

[The Chief]

Good to hear I'm not the only one... Yup, 3" sounds about how deep ours went. I wonder if they're going to splice or lay new line? Either way, I've got what I want planted, so it shouldn't be an issue in the future...

You are not alone, several hundered thousand out there waiting to happen.

Cannot (should not) "splice" the fiber cable. They must go back to the hub and run new fiber from hub to connect terminal (house). Even more reason for them to have properly installed it in first instance. They used the RG-61 copper co-axial cable that the cable companies have installed as a guide in the contract. The co-axial cable is easily spliced.

 

[Schnugg]

Verizon went straight across my backyard to get to my neighbor's house...with a cable about 3" deep. Huge gash in our lawn.

My neighbor was shocked they went that route instead of along the easement by the street.

I made them pull it all up and fix our lawn.

Same response from corp. verizon..."sorry we're having contractor issues."

 

[The Chief]

... I made them pull it all up and fix our lawn. ...

PEPCO tried to do the same thing across my yard to get to a street light. I told them "Fine, at $20K a year lease. I have already granted you at 20' easement around my property at no cost to you, if you want to use more it will cost you $20K each year". They declined my offer, pulled back the cable and went around in the easement.

 

[ghost]

Cannot (should not) "splice" the fiber cable. They must go back to the hub and run new fiber from hub to connect terminal (house).

Common misconception. You can splice fiber with less than 0.1 dB attenuation. It requires expensive equipment ($10,000+), and must be done properly, but it may be less expensive than relaying the cable depending on how far you have to go.


ghost

 

[skidz]

A couple years ago when working construction, we had some incomplete asbuilt drawings that had conduits and pipes not even shown. We ripped up the fiber optics for half the school district in one swipe of the bucket. Good thing it was during the summer.

I'm not sure if they brought in guys to splice it or replace the lines, but they were still working on it when we were finishing up the job.

 

[The Chief]

Common misconception. ...

Ummm....common .... I did not mean that fiber optic could never be spliced. As I spent a portion of my life polishing the ends of fiber optic cable, I do have some experience in the fiber optic industry, and having lost half my shirt on JDSU stock. My point, having threadjacked the thread to make it, the WEBMASTERS thread no less, was that if anyone intends to get FIOS service, which is great and their prices are great, be alert when they lay the fiber to your house from their hub. As pointed out, if cut in the future, not only do you lose your TV, your Internet but your landline telephone as well, for extended periods of time. If you have a central attendant alarm system, you may lose that as well. Be forwarned, my point

As pointed out, most installations/repairs are made, not by highly qualified fiber optic specialists, capable of splicing a cable to a mere .01 db loss across the entire band, rather minimum wage folks. They do not install the cable to long standing industry standards of about 3 feet deep, but rather 3 inches of less below the surface across your yard, and in some cases exposed on the surface. While the runs are about 75 to 100 feet in length, if cut, should be replaced rather than spliced. Splicing and burying that splice three inches below the surface would not be an engineering practice that I would endorse. In fact I would never endorse burying the cable 3 inches below the surface in the first place. Told you so, Verizon!

I made them re-install my cable about 6 8 inches below grade with the last 20 feet or so installed in bright orange conduit. Makes me feel a bunch better, at any rate.

Where is our “dead horse” icon?

I obviously have too much time on my hands.

 

[The Chief]

So they came out today and fixed it. Didn't even attempt a splice. I have a temporary cable laying above ground. Apparently another company will be out to lay permanent cable later. Haven't charged us yet but I'm sure that's only a matter of time. Glad to have everything back though.

I would not stand still for them to charge me. Tell'em they should have buried the cable more than 3" below grade. They are supposed to bury cable out of "harms way". I am sure that if you call "Miss Utility" and tell them you are only doing yardwork, no digging below 3", they would say buried utility marking is not required. Hmmm.... my task for tomorrow is to call "Miss Utility" and find out.

 

[Gatordev]

Apparently another company will be out to lay...cable later.

Sooooo.......Phrog doesn't have an issue w/ this? Maybe you guys have an "understanding."

 

[Pugs]

My point, having threadjacked the thread to make it, the WEBMASTERS thread no less, was that if anyone intends to get FIOS service, which is great and their prices are great, be alert when they lay the fiber to your house from their hub.

Joys of an 80 year old house and neighborhood. Fios fiber runs from the pole in back to the house. Almost 14 Mbs download, which is nice.

 

[FMRAM]

"I heard there might be some internet out in Californieee."

 

[Schnugg]

I just saw the thread title..."yard gashes" ?????

I think I know her....

 

[usmarinemike]

I was wondering when someone would go there.