atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General Telecom News A date set for the end of POTS?

Not entirely...

While it is probably the worst kept secret that Verizon...and other LECs...want to get away from copper, they will not completely abandon it. at&t IS trying to abandon landline service in rural areas, but, it remains to be seen if they will be allowed to do so.

Verizon's policy of not deploying fiber to every single address that they service means that the copper has to stay. Verizon still cherry picks where FiOS fiber will go in towns where it has been given the okay to offer the service. This means that the copper infrastructure has to remain in place and be serviced as needed.

Verizon has capped the expansion of FiOS. The company will install the service in areas where it is allowed to do so...so long as backbone fibers are in place. It will also forge ahead in areas where the process to gain access has begun.

Outside of that...Sorry Charlie.

Verizon is supposedly looking to use a wireless system to deliver phone, TV and Internet services to buildings. Until a proven system is introduced, copper will continue to be needed.

In the Bell service area between Richmond and Willamsburg, VA, Verizon has been engaged in a very aggressive copper plant upgrade. This is also an area where FiOS won't be deployed, so they have sent some of their best copper people there to do a complete makeover. I must say that they are doing some nice-looking aerial work.

Maybe I should clarify: the volunteer was told by Verizon that they will no longer accept NEW orders for T-1 circuits over copper. And existing copper T-1 circuits will stay in place but not be serviced in any fashion. Verizon has gotten rid of their local special services department & techs from what he found out.

But what happens if an existing T1 in a location with no fiber alternative has trouble? Will Verizon just say "Oh well" and do nothing except continue to send the user a monthly bill?

Verizon is aggressively installing fiber to office buildings and converting all services to fiber. If the circuit is on copper now, it will stay that way. But if a new circuit is being installed or a circuit goes bad on copper, it is replaced with fiber.

In one shopping mall, I was stunned to see a 4,000 pair copper feed chopped off at the conduit and three orange fiber ducts going into a big blue Verizon Fiber cabinet. Then all the existing POTS circuits were cross connected to the fiber/copper interface.

Two of our customers recently had cable damage due to snapped poles and pole line damage. Verizon "patched" a copper bridge but, when the pole line was repaired, fiber was brought to the premise and all copper circuits were fed off the ONT. The Verizon FiOS garage here has ONTs that will supply 8 voice circuits and broadband internet.

Rcaman

I was told once that part of the reason involves CLECS , Verizon doesn't have to share fiber they do have to share copper

I assume most/all of the locations the volunteer works at have access to fiber, so I guess Verizon would cut out copper and install fiber drop and a mux.


Bingo. Eliminate competition & "pesky gov't oversight/regulation" in one foul swoop.

Verizon continues to pick and choose where to install fiber. While hanging fiber on poles is relatively inexpensive, Verizon will not run fiber & conduit under streets unless they feel that they can recoup the cost. Where that is not the case, copper plant will remain and will need to be maintained.

This hits home for me because Verizon and the cable companies will not provide FiOS (or any in the case of the cable companies) service to the church I attend. Utilities are underground and the only other active structure on the block is a CVS.

The various fiber/coax conduits end under the block before the church and resume on the next block. Calls to the various Business Offices result in a "Sorry" response.

Don't get me wrong. We have had almost no problems with copper in the years that I have been in charge of the phones and Internet (except for DSL issues related to Central Office problems and an issue where a backhoe pulled up the 50-pair telephone feeder cable because Verizon did not have accurate records of the cable path from the building out to the street).

It just grates on me when I hear how Verizon wants to go whole hog into fiber and knowing that there will be lots of "exceptions".

Yes and this is the only way they can compete with the cable companies who pay a lot less in mandated taxes and surcharges. Once enough people move away from the regulated stuff, then they'll start regulating fiber and the rest of the IP type carriers. I have no inside info on that statement, but it is the government.

One of my sites received a call from an AT&T rep today, telling them they should replace their "old fashioned" POTS lines with new technology, for the same price.

I called the guy back and found that he was pushing IP Flex, which would actually be almost double in price. And by the way, you'll need to keep those POTS lines for your fax and credit card terminal.