ecarson
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2017
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Sorry for the "hook" on the thread title, but I think I can be forgiven. Something happened a couple days ago, which will have a massive impact on my life.
I moved out here to the deep forest "sticks" in 1995, fed up with city hassle and strife. I never have regretted that decision, and found that rural living agreed with me in the extreme. One thing though, was the availability of internet communications.
Round 1: When I first set-up in 1995, there was not even local dial-up bulletin board service. I had to pay long distance charges to get that even at 2400bps. I had accounts with Compuserve and Prodigy if I remember right, and spent a lot of money trying to stay ahead.
Round 2: A local start-up company called Aeneas offered a local dial-up server for a monthly charge, and I jumped on it right away. I was elated to not have to pay, what was at the time massive long distance charges. I think we went from 2400, to 4800, to 9600 bps modems during that time. Each step up was the cats meow.
Round 3: Around ten years ago, the local landline phone company offered DSL service. So, I said adieu to Aeneas and the phone modems. It was advertised at 1.5Mbs, and I got that in the beginning. As time went on, and more subscribers got that, it got slower and slower. Finally I felt lucky to get 0.6 to 0.8 Mbs. I could watch YouTube, and Netflix at low resolution in the wee hours when traffic went down. I lived with it, but wished for more. Everytime I asked about speed increase, they said, "No way out there where you are!"
Round 4: This brings us to a year ago. The local electric cooperative, of which I am a member, advertised that fiber optic tech was coming my way. WHAT? I put my name on the list every single month when I paid my electric bill. The cooperative formed a partnership with guess who?...Aeneas. The cooperative wanted the power system data monitoring, and Aeneas wanted the infrastructure.
Round 5: I noted 3 months ago, trucks were stringing a small black cable from pole to pole, right in front of my house, and on down the road. I went to them and asked, is this the fiber optic? Affirmative. The next electric bill payment, and inquiry was met with an immediate "available to you now" offer. I started a new account, and got a drop installed right on the side of my house shortly after the New Year. Single fiber 9/125 to standard SC-AP connectors. Out here. In the sticks.
Round 6: Techs arrived yesterday, and I directed them to what I wanted. Fiber now runs clear up to my desktop here, and I have a fiber optic service going up to the fiber access point just a few feet away from my nose. Techs explained it was a duplex over single fiber system, via two frequencies of light pulses. I could now have up to 1 Gbs speed. I elected to start on the 500Mbs option to get familiar.The system includes wifi and a new landline telephone hookup, all over the same fiber. All installed for no charge. No contract or monthly equipment fees either. I have died and gone to heaven. This is all for less than I was paying for landline telephone, and DSL. Guess who will be shown the door in just a short while?
Speed tests indicate 0 seconds latency, as the main server is only 30 miles away via light speed. My first speed tests indicate about 560 Mbs down and 580 Mbs up. Netflix at full resolution, at the same time watching YouTube at full resolution, and downloading gigabyte sized files in 1/100th the time it used to take. Out here. In the deep woods sticks.
Just today, I was watching SpaceX videos in full HD resolution streaming, and for lower cost! Will wonders never cease?
I moved out here to the deep forest "sticks" in 1995, fed up with city hassle and strife. I never have regretted that decision, and found that rural living agreed with me in the extreme. One thing though, was the availability of internet communications.
Round 1: When I first set-up in 1995, there was not even local dial-up bulletin board service. I had to pay long distance charges to get that even at 2400bps. I had accounts with Compuserve and Prodigy if I remember right, and spent a lot of money trying to stay ahead.
Round 2: A local start-up company called Aeneas offered a local dial-up server for a monthly charge, and I jumped on it right away. I was elated to not have to pay, what was at the time massive long distance charges. I think we went from 2400, to 4800, to 9600 bps modems during that time. Each step up was the cats meow.
Round 3: Around ten years ago, the local landline phone company offered DSL service. So, I said adieu to Aeneas and the phone modems. It was advertised at 1.5Mbs, and I got that in the beginning. As time went on, and more subscribers got that, it got slower and slower. Finally I felt lucky to get 0.6 to 0.8 Mbs. I could watch YouTube, and Netflix at low resolution in the wee hours when traffic went down. I lived with it, but wished for more. Everytime I asked about speed increase, they said, "No way out there where you are!"
Round 4: This brings us to a year ago. The local electric cooperative, of which I am a member, advertised that fiber optic tech was coming my way. WHAT? I put my name on the list every single month when I paid my electric bill. The cooperative formed a partnership with guess who?...Aeneas. The cooperative wanted the power system data monitoring, and Aeneas wanted the infrastructure.
Round 5: I noted 3 months ago, trucks were stringing a small black cable from pole to pole, right in front of my house, and on down the road. I went to them and asked, is this the fiber optic? Affirmative. The next electric bill payment, and inquiry was met with an immediate "available to you now" offer. I started a new account, and got a drop installed right on the side of my house shortly after the New Year. Single fiber 9/125 to standard SC-AP connectors. Out here. In the sticks.
Round 6: Techs arrived yesterday, and I directed them to what I wanted. Fiber now runs clear up to my desktop here, and I have a fiber optic service going up to the fiber access point just a few feet away from my nose. Techs explained it was a duplex over single fiber system, via two frequencies of light pulses. I could now have up to 1 Gbs speed. I elected to start on the 500Mbs option to get familiar.The system includes wifi and a new landline telephone hookup, all over the same fiber. All installed for no charge. No contract or monthly equipment fees either. I have died and gone to heaven. This is all for less than I was paying for landline telephone, and DSL. Guess who will be shown the door in just a short while?
Speed tests indicate 0 seconds latency, as the main server is only 30 miles away via light speed. My first speed tests indicate about 560 Mbs down and 580 Mbs up. Netflix at full resolution, at the same time watching YouTube at full resolution, and downloading gigabyte sized files in 1/100th the time it used to take. Out here. In the deep woods sticks.
Just today, I was watching SpaceX videos in full HD resolution streaming, and for lower cost! Will wonders never cease?