Qwest fiber to the neighborhood [Telecom]

Sounds like Qwest is about to start deploying something like at&t U-verse type system, Fiber to the interface and copper the last few hundred feet, or if you are lucky Fiber right to your door.

I suspect this is what you are seeing:

Yes, I'm sure that's what it is, although after doing some searching it appears they don't have plans to provide anything other than an internet connection over the fiber -- that the means for video delivery in most service areas will still be the partnership with DirecTV. Does anyone know if when they install fiber to get the faster DSL if they now carry the voice circuits over it too, or do those still go over the existing copper path back to the CO?

Can't give you any specifics about their choice regarding voice service, but the tv issue is (probably) a regulatory one.

In many areas anyone providing wired transport of television signals to homes (i.e. "cable tv") that crosses over the streets has to get a "franchise" or "license" from the local gov't.

Hence, in NYS, for example, Verizon was providing internet and voice over their FIOS glass, but... in most areas they had to use the DirecTV partnership for television.

They did get permission from some individual communities to handle television directly, and NYC is about to come onboard as well.

(They're also trying very hard to get a state-wide certificate that would override local regs, and are also pushing for similar changes on the national level).

VDSL is a very old trial only available in those cities listed, (parts of Phoenix & Denver). If you read the page, the DSL data speeds offered are 256k and 1.5Mbps. They've been doing their 3/5/7Mbps ADSL speeds for several years now, the VDSL is from before then.

Qwest never decided to push this out beyond those trials.

What Ted Lee is seeing is the Fiber-To-The-Node deployment for Qwest.net Titanium (12Mbps) DSL and Quantum (20Mbps) DSL speeds, which is being rolled out to some parts of the 14-state Qwest territory that are wired up for the Qwest buisness service QMOE (as this is the back-end transport for the Qwest DSLAMs as opposed to the older ATM cell-relay network). The higher DSL speeds are deployed with ADSL2+ technology, so fiber to the node, copper ADSL2+ to the home.. (contrary to the big marketing push for "all fiber-optic internet").

As far as I know, Qwest isn't interested in doing the "triple-play" of voice-data-video over fiber to the home (ie. ala Verizon's FIOS service). They seem to still be doing their DirecTV tie-in for the video delivery.

FWIW: You can buy Qwest VOIP Broadband phone service as well, so VOIP over your broadband link, but they don't exactly push it too much.

Thanks for the response (and others for their responses.) I gather then that unless I were to opt for VOIP (not likely) that my voice service isn't affected at all by the new fiber. I forgot to ask the additional question -- is my current slower speed DSL affected by it either, i.e., will either of my existing voice or data circuits now be carried over the new fiber or do they continue over the existing paths?

-- Ted Lee Minnetonka, MN (yes, to answer another response, I'm in the city limits. The new equipment is actually on the border with Eden Prairie and I've seen our CO go by the name "Glen Prairie" since we are in the Glen Lake area of Minnetonka -- I have no idea where it is physically.)