How are fiber lines run?

[habib89]

We're in Richmond (94804) and the website continues to creep month to month. Anyway that's besides the point.

We're currently on AT&T Fiber and over the past couple months the fiber cables have been cut so a large area around Richmond and El Cerrito would lose internet for a few days each time. It's probably happened 4 or 5 times now and it's always on a Tuesday for some reason. So annoying!

So is Sonic going to be different? Are they running cables under ground?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[joeyyung911]

So is Sonic going to be different? Are they running cables under ground?

On poles.

[habib89]

So is Sonic going to be different? Are they running cables under ground?

On poles.

Dang so it's just gonna be the same issues huh?

[artakamoose]

So is Sonic going to be different? Are they running cables under ground?

On poles.

Dang so it's just gonna be the same issues huh?

Everyone's infrastructure is different, so you can't make that conclusion. While the last mile may be on poles, portions of the network are underground also. If an underground trunk line was cut, that may just affect AT&T, or Sonic, or Comcast. It all just depends on who's running lines where the accidental cut happened.

[habib89]

On poles.

Dang so it's just gonna be the same issues huh?

Everyone's infrastructure is different, so you can't make that conclusion. While the last mile may be on poles, portions of the network are underground also. If an underground trunk line was cut, that may just affect AT&T, or Sonic, or Comcast. It all just depends on who's running lines where the accidental cut happened.

They're being cut at the poles. I see the att workers fixing them weekly at this point.

Oh also we were told by these workers that it's vandals cutting the wires. Presumably for scraping? I dunno, either way it's annoying.

[artakamoose]

Best guess is they’re going after AT&Ts copper infrastructure. Supposedly, copper has a high scrap value.

FYI, each company gets a different tier on the poles. Power gets one tier, the local cableco gets another tier, AT&T gets a tier, and Sonic gets its own tier too. I’d bet they’re just going after the AT&T tier since it’s loaded with copper. There’s zero point in going after fiber, and Sonic’s tier is only fiber as far as I know. If it were me, I’d talk to Richmond PD and/or your city councilperson and ask what they’re going to do about this.

[habib89]

Best guess is they’re going after AT&Ts copper infrastructure. Supposedly, copper has a high scrap value.

FYI, each company gets a different tier on the poles. Power gets one tier, the local cableco gets another tier, AT&T gets a tier, and Sonic gets its own tier too. I’d bet they’re just going after the AT&T tier since it’s loaded with copper. There’s zero point in going after fiber, and Sonic’s tier is only fiber as far as I know. If it were me, I’d talk to Richmond PD and/or your city councilperson and ask what they’re going to do about this.

I doubt local PD would do anything.

Last week I noticed it go out as I was using my phone so I drove down the street to where the wires were cut and I saw a pickup truck with no plates. Might have been the vandals who knows.

I'm on AT&T Fiber service, do they also use copper at some point?

[artakamoose]

Best guess is they’re going after AT&Ts copper infrastructure. Supposedly, copper has a high scrap value.

FYI, each company gets a different tier on the poles. Power gets one tier, the local cableco gets another tier, AT&T gets a tier, and Sonic gets its own tier too. I’d bet they’re just going after the AT&T tier since it’s loaded with copper. There’s zero point in going after fiber, and Sonic’s tier is only fiber as far as I know. If it were me, I’d talk to Richmond PD and/or your city councilperson and ask what they’re going to do about this.

I doubt local PD would do anything.

Last week I noticed it go out as I was using my phone so I drove down the street to where the wires were cut and I saw a pickup truck with no plates. Might have been the vandals who knows.

I'm on AT&T Fiber service, do they also use copper at some point?

Yeah, who knows at PD. I doubt AT&T is going to call, but you never know.

I've read stories about AT&T pulling down their old copper infrastructure when or after they install fiber in some locations. However, they left all the copper up in my neighborhood in Oakland and it's been years since they ran fiber here. Anyway, the copper and fiber is all bundled together on their tier. So if a thief pulled the copper down, they're bring down the whole line. I doubt the Sonic and Comcast tiers would be affected if that happened, especially since the Sonic tier is the topmost of the three.