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FiOS in MDU Buildings [Telecom]

Back in July 2006, there appeared on this list a thread-within-a-thread concerning the installation of Verizon FiOS (and, by extension, similar FTTH offerings) in MDU buildings. Lisa Hancock raised a question about why Verizon did not offer FiOS in her condo building. I responded with a generic explanation about some of the problems that I thought Verizon would face, based on my own experiences getting cable TV installed in MDU buildings back in the 1970s and 80s. See

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This very subject came up at a recent Broadband Properties conference in Dallas. According to an April 28 report by Communications Technology magazine:

"Verizon's SVP Technology Mark Wegleitner extolled the virtues of laying fiber all the way to each separate unit with terminations at in-unit optical network terminals (ONTs). But real property developers and managers pointed out certain problems with bringing one particular provider's equipment all the way into a resident's apartment or condominium."

Rest at

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The problems that building owners mention certainly sound familiar!

Question for Lisa: has Verizon installed FiOS in your building yet?

Neal McLain

Reply to
Neal McLain
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They're still working on it. Part of the issue is where and how the lines will be run to get into a unit. Mgmt isn't very interested in it and they absolutely don't want any new external wires or boxes outside of buildings.

I was looking forward to getting it mainly to dump the cable company. But FIOS requires a large terminal box and battery box and lasts only 8 hours if there's a power failure. Ironically, this is a return to "local battery" service instead of "common battery" service, and I'm not too thrilled about that.

***** Moderator's Note *****

I think building owners are more concerned about having to let anyone drill holes in their walls: IANALB, if they let Verizon do it, then I think the CLEC's get "Most Favored Nation" status too.

The only way around the problem would be for the building owner to run fiber to every apartment and require every ILEC or CLEC to hook on at the same demarc. However, that's a can of worms in itself, since there are so many different types of fiber and connectors.

As far as the power problem goes, you can keep a deactivated cell phone in your house, and use it for 911 calls if the FiOS terminal is dead. (He said, while ducking).

Bill Horne Temporary Moderator

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Reply to
hancock4

I should've mentioned they were burned by the cable company. When cable first came through, run by a local outfit, they were very accomodating and wiring discretely. But now it's a national outfit, they literally throw wires over roofs, across sidewalks, and refuse to come back and do it right. I don't blame mgmt for being nervous about new wiring coming in and new holes drilled.

What does "IANALB" mean?

In our community, at least, the condo won't do its own wiring (at least I hope not).

It wouldn't be as much of an issue if they could trust the utilities, but they've been burned. (Unfortunately, they share some of the blame by not having past agreements put in writing or asking for too much.)

A deactivated cell phone would probably be forgetten and when it's needed (assuming it could be found), its battery probably would be worn down.

Further, if there was a serious extended power failure the cell towers probably would be dead, too, since their batteries aren't so great.

I realize the odds of an _extended_ power failure are low. But we have had them.

Reply to
hancock4

8 Hours is a Long Time WirelessWeek - January 15, 2008 FCC's order for more backup power at cell sites sparks questions, innovations.
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Down a ways - "Soon, three days of backup power will be required."

Ah but then

Scuffle About Cell Site Backup Power Put On Hold WirelessWeek - July 09, 2008

The FCC must bring its rules for backup power at cell sites back to the drawing board, a federal appeals court said yesterday.

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So who knows where it's at.

Tony

Reply to
Tony Toews [MVP]

As stated, it's rare but it has happened. When a major storm hits, power is out for _days_; a really major storm, for _weeks_.. I watched them restring power wires after a bad storm, it is not trivial work.

In such circumstances the telephone is needed more than ever.

The traditional Central Office had a diesel generator in addition to its batteries, so a few days is not a problem.

Eight hours is simply not enough.

***** Moderator's Note *****

I remember an occasion, when I was new to engineering, on which I remarked that the fuel tanks which fed a generator at a major SS7 office seemed to be unusually high off the ground. I was told it was because it's not possible to make them watertight.

It took me about a week to figure out what had been said.

Bill Horne Temporary Moderator

Please put [Telecom] at the end of your subject line, or I may never see your post! Thanks!

We have a new address for email submissions: telecomdigestmoderator atsign telecom-digest.org. This is only for those who submit posts via email: if you use a newsreader or a web interface to contribute to the digest, you don't need to change anything.

Reply to
hancock4

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