Hacker News Reader

Comment by fyfy18 | Hacker News Reader

The article mentions the main costs with deploying fibre "lie within the construction of new poles and other infrastructure". Is there any reason why fibre can't be strung between existing power poles? They aren't conductive, so you don't need to worry about distances to buildings (i.e. they could be run lower than power lines).

View on HN

Fiber is routinely hung on utility poles, in the same way hardline coax was deployed in previous decade, and open pair telegraph was hung in previous centuries. Actually comms cables on poles are much older than power cables.

You can actually purchase MV/HV cables with fiber optic built right into it - There's a few power companies in Canada that have built their infrastructure such that they can also provide fiber optic internet service to communities up north who otherwise wouldn't have internet access.

The costs involved have to do with labor needed to string cables. You need a crew of humans in bucket trucks moving from one set of poles to the next. Whereas this robot clamps to the conductor which acts as a rail and the little robot can string the fiber on its own for the length of the cable.

Right that's what I thought. Maybe in North America where labour costs are high this will be popular, but the article talks about developing countries where lower labour costs and less regulations make deployment of fibre a lot cheaper.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com