US hunters shoot down Google fibre
Google has revealed that aerial fibre links to its data centre in Oregon were "regularly" shot down by hunters, forcing the company to put its cables underground.
The search and advertising giant's network engineering manager Vijay Gill told the AusNOG conference in Sydney last week that people were trying to hit insulators on electricity distribution poles.
Okay, according to these yahoos, bored hunters are taking potshots at insulators - which are larger than wires - and hitting the wires themselves? Does this sound even remotely possible to anyone with even the slightest knowledge of firearms, ballistics, and high tension wires? Regularly shot down? I think someone's been watching DieHard3 a little too much here. Either that or they're telling stories at the local geek bar trying to impress the ladies - the telcom version of the mall ninja.
There I was, heli-skiing into the backcountry to initiate repairs on a vital portion of the fiber optic network. I had my trusty GOOGLEWATER! fusion splicing kit slung across my back using a single-point sling, when all of a sudden we came under withering fire from a volley of hunters...
Yeah. I don't theeeenk so.
That is all.
8 comments:
I'd put my money on drunk teenagers.
When I worked for Nevada Power, we used to have all kinds of equipment shot up out in the desert. I guess the yokels couldn't be bothered with bringing their own targets.
I agree with bluesun; drunk teenagers or Luddites.
Management sends the same team of people out to nowhere to fix something, and they keep going out. Eventually management asks "why can't you fix the damned thing?!" The team can admit they are lazy and stupid, or lie and say that it is hunters, lightning, bears, Mexican bears with stolen US guns, whatever. They decided hunters was the lie too good to be fact-checked.
Either total BS or thoose hunters are realy bad shots. The Insulators on power distrubution poles are on the electric power lines at the top of the poles.
Cable TV, Telephone and Fiber lines live further down the poles to avoid EMF interfence. They don't use or need the large glass / Ceramic insulators.
I work for [power company in the northeast] on transmission lines, and people shooting at insulators is fairly common in some areas. It's because they explode similarly to a clay when you hit them, as they're usually made of porcelain or tempered glass. However, when this happens the insulator usually doesn't fail mechanically: there's still insulating material between the metal cap and shell of the broken insulator, and it will still hold up the line, not drop it. The insulation is compromised, but there are enough in a string to be safe with a few broken. It's more common with shotguns than rifles, and we have found shotgun pellets, and an occasional bullet, lodged in the strands of the conductor in these areas. Power conductors are usually made of aluminum and steel strands, so they're a bit more resilient than an optical fiber. I'd imagine that a hit to the outside of a cable could break some fibers internally, without disconnecting the cable from the pole or tower supporting it. Also, fiber optic lines are commonly carried on the same structures as electric transmission lines, so they could be damaged by someone aiming at insulators and missing.
Sounds like BS to me... There aren't any insulators on fiber.
More likely somebody's cutting them.
That or really heavy birds are landing on the lines.
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