Quick question on fiber cable.

[JohnDS]

Hey thanks guys for reading. This is a little off topic but hopefully someone has experience with this.

Being that Verizon is not allowed in my area because they didn't pay the town off, there is only the dreadful optimum internet service here in Long Island. It's regular coaxial. Verizon had fiber optical for a long time and now Optimum has what they call Fiber cable. I'm not sure what the difference is but in order to get their faster speeds they need to upgrade to the Fiber cable.

I have an underground electrical service and a 1¼" or 1½"(i forgot) conduit that I ran underground as well to the house a while back for data. The current coaxial is located in the conduit. So the "technician" comes out and is about to run the new Fiber cable in the air and I told him no. I explained about the conduit in the ground and I'd gladly pull it for him if he doesn't know how(like I did the last time with the coaxial when a different idiot came out previously). So he says he can't do it because the Fiber cable has glass around it and if he makes too sharp bends, it will crack and won't work properly.

Is this BS?
First off, the cable is probably spooled on a coil making plenty of bends to begin with.
Second, I don't think electrical conduit sweeps have that short of a radius in the first place to be an issue. I have only two 90s. One at the pole and one at the house. It comes out of the ground to a weatherproof 6"×6" box that is screwed to the house, then conduit exits the back of the box directly into the house. If anything, the sharp turn from the conduit entering and exiting the box may be the only issue I see, if any, but that can be avoided if he makes a splice in the box before it enters the house. But either way, he didn't even see the box, he was basing it off of regular sweeps.

Is he full of crap?

 

[electrofelon]

ITs kinda BS. I mean they have their specs that likely specify a minimum radius sweep. I have had to install long radius sweeps for fiber before. But yeah you are right, usually the spool it comes on has a tighter radius than even a standard sweep!

 

[hbiss]

I think the problem is that the cable is pre-connectorized, has connectors on each end from the factory. Those connectors aren't going to pull through your 1-1/2" conduit, particularly if there are bends, and they won't pull the old coax out.

So, you want it buried start digging in the spring and bury some 3".

-Hal

 

[SceneryDriver]

Hey thanks guys for reading. This is a little off topic but hopefully someone has experience with this.

Being that Verizon is not allowed in my area because they didn't pay the town off, there is only the dreadful optimum internet service here in Long Island. It's regular coaxial. Verizon had fiber optical for a long time and now Optimum has what they call Fiber cable. I'm not sure what the difference is but in order to get their faster speeds they need to upgrade to the Fiber cable.

I have an underground electrical service and a 1¼" or 1½"(i forgot) conduit that I ran underground as well to the house a while back for data. The current coaxial is located in the conduit. So the "technician" comes out and is about to run the new Fiber cable in the air and I told him no. I explained about the conduit in the ground and I'd gladly pull it for him if he doesn't know how(like I did the last time with the coaxial when a different idiot came out previously). So he says he can't do it because the Fiber cable has glass around it and if he makes too sharp bends, it will crack and won't work properly.

Is this BS?
First off, the cable is probably spooled on a coil making plenty of bends to begin with.
Second, I don't think electrical conduit sweeps have that short of a radius in the first place to be an issue. I have only two 90s. One at the pole and one at the house. It comes out of the ground to a weatherproof 6"×6" box that is screwed to the house, then conduit exits the back of the box directly into the house. If anything, the sharp turn from the conduit entering and exiting the box may be the only issue I see, if any, but that can be avoided if he makes a splice in the box before it enters the house. But either way, he didn't even see the box, he was basing it off of regular sweeps.

Is he full of crap?

Also remember that most cable techs are barely trained 3rd party contractors. They're told to do it only one way, and lateral thinking and common sense are not encouraged traits.

Even 1-1/4" conduit should be large large enough to accommodate their connectorized cable. I ran Verizon's connectorized cable through 1" PVC down the side of my house; the Verizon tech wanted to use peel-and-stick zip tie mounts to attach it - I just shook my head.

It's probably just that the tech wasn't trained to run fiber underground, and thus doesn't know what they don't know. Good luck with Optimum - I used to have them and my ISP, and they deserve every bit of their terrible reputation for customer service and tech support.


SceneryDriver

 

[infinity]

Optimum is the worst. Years ago my brother built a house and he ran two empty conduits underground to the pole. Optimum sent out an installer and when he got there he said he cannot do underground that's a different division and that they'll have to reschedule. The next week there's a guy there spray painting his lawn. My brother asks him what is he doing and he says I'm laying out for backhoe to come and dig the underground. You can't make this stuff up.

 

[SceneryDriver]

Optimum is the worst. Years ago my brother built a house and he ran two empty conduits underground to the pole. Optimum sent out an installer and when he got there he said he cannot do underground that's a different division and that they'll have to reschedule. The next week there's a guy there spray painting his lawn. My brother asks him what is he doing and he says I'm laying out for backhoe to come and dig the underground. You can't make this stuff up.

They really are weapons-grade morons.


SceneryDriver

 

[synchro]

You're not going to get the maximum data rates that fiber provides (particularly on uploads), but I've been happy with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet as a backup internet provider. The data rates I get are about 180-350 Mbps for downloads and 10-20 Mbps uploads, and it costs $50/month with no annual contract. Verizon also has similar 5G home internet plans, and their higher tier plan claims 300-1000 Mbps downloads and 50 Mbps uploads.
So if Optimum is sufficiently problematic and the speeds above are adequate, you might check whether your home has coverage from the T-Mobile or Verizon 5G networks. And there is nothing to install except plugging in the 5G wireless modem/wifi router that they provide.

 

[hillbilly1]

When they were running fiber to my house a couple of months ago, they had it laying in my gravel driveway, so I stopped short and parked on the main road. They said come on up, I could run over it and not hurt it! Yeah, a fully loaded three quarter ton 4x4 is not going to damage it in the gravel! LOL! It’s tougher than what the manufacturer lets on, but it’s not that tough!

 

[hbiss]

Even 1-1/4" conduit should be large large enough to accommodate their connectorized cable. I ran Verizon's connectorized cable through 1" PVC down the side of my house;

Must have made some changes. Admittedly, it's been a few years since I worked with Verizon, but it had like a 1" boot over the connector.

-Hal

 

[Amps]

Stagger the connecters and make a good strain relief. Fiber cable has an inner Kevlar sheath for strength. Check out the pulling loop here: https://www.discount-low-voltage.com/preterminated-fiber-cable-pt6lc32p