[Info-vax] US Broadband

[Robert A. Brooks]

On 3/4/2015 4:40 PM, JF Mezei wrote:

> Why active ethernet istead of GPON ?  It means 32 times more lasers in
> your POP. There are some advantages to having a fibre from each home to
> the POP and a port for each home, but it is costlier to deploy and to
> run (electricity and heat from all those extra lasers matters).

Our design estimates did not show a huge cost difference.  Yes, GPON
was slightly cheaper, but we like the maintenance ease of active ethernet.

> I take it your town's system will connect to internet trasit providers
> in Boston ? Or are your backbone links to New York's 60 Broad exchange ?

The state of MA does deserve some credit for making this easier for us.
They built a middle mile backbone to all the small towns in western MA.
Western MA is more like VT or NH, where there are small towns and a lot 
of trees.  Not at all like the Boston area.

We will connect to the middle mile point of presence in our town, which 
will connect to 1 Federal Street in Springfield, MA (about 35 miles 
south of my town).

> It is great to see that some people will be able to get services without
> the incumbents meddling and trying to hinder development.

In our research, it's typically the cable companies who tend to 
complain; telco's not so much.  Verizon would be happy to shed their
entire copper plant in MA.

> beware however that once the town starts to distribute TV signals, it
> gets into a conflict of interest with internet putting downward pressure
> on TV distribution revenus. (I think TV distribution is called MVPD in
> USA, it is BDU in Canada (Broadcasting Distribution Undertaking)

We are not providing any video services.  Most folks who care already
have satellite dishes, so between those and any over-the-top services 
(Hulu, Netflix, etc...) we saw no need to offer any.

-- 

                       -- Rob