BT Infinity - how do they lay the fibre optic cable

Gaygle · 9 Oct 2012 at 13:50

Was talking about this to a colleague a minute ago and we didn't know how they'd do it?

Can anyone in the know offer their insight? How do they feed a fibre optic cable 2-3 miles from an exchange to a local cabinet?

Saundie · 9 Oct 2012 at 13:58

They use ferrets to pull the cables through the holes.

Randomface74 · 9 Oct 2012 at 13:58

there's utility stuff underground

tom_e · 9 Oct 2012 at 13:58

Saundie said:
They use ferrets to pull the cables through the holes.

Definitely this.

peterattheboro · 9 Oct 2012 at 13:59

It's pushed through tubes underground. If the tubes are full then they'll lay new ones or find a clear route.

Hatter The Mad · 9 Oct 2012 at 13:59

Gaygle said:
Was talking about this to a colleague a minute ago and we didn't know how they'd do it?

Can anyone in the know offer their insight? How do they feed a fibre optic cable 2-3 miles from an exchange to a local cabinet?

Various methods... most often using existing piping for cables (can't remember the world), sometimes sewerage lines.

bledd · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:00

I remember reading something saying that they may start to use the sewer system in some areas.

Then you really will be able to say that you have crap internet!

Gaygle · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:01

So what do they actually do? Just sit at the exchange pushing 3 miles of fibre optic cabling along the underground tubes? What happens if it snags on something? Not to mention that it will start to bend and get very hard to keep feeding along after a while due to the weight of the cabling.

Randomface74 · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:02

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2012/10/05/inside-the-sewers-delivering-terabit-broadband/

randal · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:03

Saundie said:
They use ferrets to pull the cables through the holes.

Yep, this. Then when the ferrets stop, the cable engineers set off fireworks down the conduit to get the ferrets moving again.

Saw a documentary on it a couple of months back, big rockets too.

Raumarik · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:05

I've got cabling coming via telephone poles to my house wondering if they'll even manage to do it, rates are terrible but I'm less than 2KM from the exchange and the entire distance from it to my house is via built up areas.

Fingers crossed, allegedly I'll have 55-58mb download (estimate) by end of december.

Randomface74 · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:05

any noob can make a robot to do it

Randomface74 · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:07

there is no one way to lubricate

Thorper · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:13

bledd. said:
I remember reading something saying that they may start to use the sewer system in some areas.

Then you really will be able to say that you have crap internet!

I lol'd

FutileBreadMachine · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:26

They just pay the Mole People a few quid to do it.

Cosimo · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:36

Hatter The Mad said:
Various methods... most often using existing piping for cables (can't remember the world), sometimes sewerage lines.

The word is "ducting", a cable ducting run.

godinman · 9 Oct 2012 at 14:40

You'd have thought they would have ropes in the ducts and then use these to pull the cable through, along with a rope for next time. That's if they have any sense, and being a massive national company, they probably don't.

Hatter The Mad · 9 Oct 2012 at 15:00

godinman said:
You'd have thought they would have ropes in the ducts and then use these to pull the cable through, along with a rope for next time. That's if they have any sense, and being a massive national company, they probably don't.

..there's more efficient and cost effective ways than laying ropes for thousands of miles.

What was that about sense?

Firestar_3x · 9 Oct 2012 at 15:01

godinman said:
You'd have thought they would have ropes in the ducts and then use these to pull the cable through, along with a rope for next time. That's if they have any sense, and being a massive national company, they probably don't.

ROFL.

They actually train midgets to pull the cables through.

True story.

godinman · 9 Oct 2012 at 15:03

Hatter The Mad said:
..there's more efficient and cost effective ways than laying ropes for thousands of miles.

What was that about sense?

...there are less knob-headish ways of telling people things.

Maybe try them next time?