Hey Kevin how do you think you will make out on the up coming contract? How bad do you think Bell is going to give it to you guys after what they did to Expertech? Im suprised you guys arnt looking for a new union at this point, everyone in my Local wishes we had a new union.
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#42
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Posted 17 June 2007 - 02:04 PM
They just took the post retirement benefits away so that should keep them satisfied I hope.
I believe there won't be much change on this contract but I'm guessing the big crunch will come on the next one but I could be wrong.
It may happen sooner than later.
If they sell BCE then everything will most likely break up and they'll sell everything that is costing them.
Copper is dead and that's what they'll want to dump along with everything associated with it.
They will never invest in fiber to the house now, it's too late to play catch up.
The company is into making money not spending it.
This has been in the works for a couple of decades now and the end is near, at least that's how I see it.
I don't think another union would help, we have little or nothing to bargain with.
The network pretty much runs itself now.
I believe there won't be much change on this contract but I'm guessing the big crunch will come on the next one but I could be wrong.
It may happen sooner than later.
If they sell BCE then everything will most likely break up and they'll sell everything that is costing them.
Copper is dead and that's what they'll want to dump along with everything associated with it.
They will never invest in fiber to the house now, it's too late to play catch up.
The company is into making money not spending it.
This has been in the works for a couple of decades now and the end is near, at least that's how I see it.
I don't think another union would help, we have little or nothing to bargain with.
The network pretty much runs itself now.
It's leaving here 
We're not happy ...until you're not happy
We're not happy ...until you're not happy
#43
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Ground Hand
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Industry: Fiber Optics
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Location: E. KY
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Union: CWA Local 3371
Posted 23 October 2007 - 08:17 PM
QUOTE (noisebuster @ Jan 20 2007, 12:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
...Get ready boys and girls. Wireless is here, more and more companies will be getting in the game, and it's only going to get better.
I agree with that, but with one caveat. The speed is getting there, and wireless is cheap, and essentially instant to roll out compared with anything else. But unless wireless can provide service with the kind of near-absolute (almost there, but not quite) reliability that twisted pair can offer, they may continue as an also-ran. But I think they will meet, and with time, exceed the reliability of twisted pair, fiber, cable, you name it, because air is awfully hard to break*. The same can't be said for wires and light guides...
*We all break wind now and then, but that's not the same. ;)
~S~
~S~
#44
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Flag Man
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Industry: Telephone
Posted 15 March 2008 - 11:16 PM
personally I think that people like Verizon will put fiber to the house in my town faster than AT&T will. I hate how tight AT&T is with their money without being "tight". They just blow it on stupid stuff. they are paying us all to do FTTN work while it would save them in the long run to have sent up to learn how to fiber splice and have us run fiber everywhere and tear down the old crap. I am so sick of having to use my lead knife and tone out pairs in order to get a "state of the art service" such as U-verse to work on pulp cable. State of the art technology on "Stone age" of telecom wires. awesome. They would rather us just touch what we need and not resplice rat nests and make the signal better for the other pairs. ridiculous. I guess they have the money to blow but honestly I dont care how much money you have ignorance like this is what gets me. Im stepping off my soap box now...
#45
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Fallen Never Forgotten, Support our Troops
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Posted 16 March 2008 - 08:12 AM
I know in my area of my company, mostly rural, they are expanding the wireless network by pushing fiber out to almost every tower. By doing that, they can expand both the customer base and allow joint use by competitors. With the expansion of the 1X and EVDO networks, wireless data is going to be the big seller.
In the larger centers, the plan is for FTTH as an over build
In the larger centers, the plan is for FTTH as an over build
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#46
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truly sucks ass
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Posted 16 March 2008 - 10:34 AM
I think for AT&T, a continuing roll out of U-Verse will not pay off. I think they will slow down or cut out the program for a venture with Dish Notwork in order to continue to offer a triple play of some sort. 80 year old twist pair plant can only do so much. Fibre and coax is the only reliable way to deliver phone, data and video. AT&T and other phone companies are getting into this to hang on to what they have, the truth is, their isn't money in video. The money is in phone and internet and AT&T can't make money if people are leaving for the ease of the triple play. Remember AT&T was in the video biz once before and we see how far that went.
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#47
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Ground Hand
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Industry: Telephone
Posted 20 June 2008 - 05:58 PM
my opinion is that first of all competition is great. on the other hand i feel like im cheating on my wife if i say fiber or fttp/fios is better. im really interested in the one post about tv. phone and internet over a single copper pair. here in maryland the fttp/fios project is the only way verizon offers that type of service. curious as to what the speeds are on something like that. with the fttp/fios they offer speeds of 5-15 and 30 megs.
baby bells have been around forever and will continue to be. copper trouble men and splicers will be needed ( maybe not in the same demand, but needed just the same ) for another 10-20 yrs. eventually the art of chasing troubles and putting a nice splice together will be all but forgotten when the guys they have retire cause lord knows they arent hiring copper guys anymore here in maryland.
i have to disagree on the wireless, theyve been saying that for years and i just dont see how wireless will ever have the reliability of " any " type of hard wire be it copper, fiber or catv.
baby bells will stay the leader in the game, even if they join the hunt a day late people will subscribe if for nothing more than the name itself...
baby bells have been around forever and will continue to be. copper trouble men and splicers will be needed ( maybe not in the same demand, but needed just the same ) for another 10-20 yrs. eventually the art of chasing troubles and putting a nice splice together will be all but forgotten when the guys they have retire cause lord knows they arent hiring copper guys anymore here in maryland.
i have to disagree on the wireless, theyve been saying that for years and i just dont see how wireless will ever have the reliability of " any " type of hard wire be it copper, fiber or catv.
baby bells will stay the leader in the game, even if they join the hunt a day late people will subscribe if for nothing more than the name itself...
Love the art and true craftsmanship of a great splice and being the last tech to leave the customer with a smile after the long list of repeats from other ding-dong serv techs. " self-accomplishment"
#48
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Union: ITS CABLE MAN!
Posted 22 February 2009 - 05:07 PM
I think the telephone company will never go away because of there existing infustructure and the ace in the whole which is cell phone. Thats there cash cow, but after that tv is a mystery. Verizon will invest were they think its profitable but the hood will never see the likes of fios. So being fair i think they both will win in parts of the country and push service competition and new services to the new frontier. ![ernaehrung004[1].gif](http://www.line-man.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/ernaehrung004[1].gif)
#49
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CATV is my life
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Union: no
Posted 22 February 2009 - 05:19 PM
QUOTE (Elvis is in the house @ Sep 22 2003, 07:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
High n mighty your boring me.
Telephone has been around for around 100 years and will be for another 100 :o
Telephone has been around for around 100 years and will be for another 100 :o
I'm with High n mighty We where a phone company (Valley Telephone) a 100 years ago and know we are kicking ATT's a$$ on phones here.
But to be honest the overbuilder already knows what they have in it before they, build it and, sell it for a better price...
sorry I work for an overbuilder.
olo131
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#50
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truly sucks ass
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Posted 22 February 2009 - 06:42 PM
To give you an idea why cable get's into phone:
55% profit in video
70% internet
80% phone
So with these numbers, why would carriers go into video? As I said before, for survival.
55% profit in video
70% internet
80% phone
So with these numbers, why would carriers go into video? As I said before, for survival.
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#51
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Posted 14 March 2009 - 01:12 AM
I think whoever gets away from outside plant and can go wireless with bundled services is going to win, and in a big way. Outside plant is expensive to place, maintain, and upgrade.
It could be modeled after the way some cell towers work. Fiber or microwave fed towers service an area and sync up directly to the customer's various devices. There will still be some plant to deal with in this scenario but overall reliability will increase.
I have also read of satellites that can provide all the needs of a city the size of Houston from one bird being developed, but I wonder about latency and round trip delay issues.
Probably a long way off, but the way technology leaps along, who knows? I remember having the clerk look up dad's credit card in "the book" 30 yrs ago, now I pay my toll driving 70.
It could be modeled after the way some cell towers work. Fiber or microwave fed towers service an area and sync up directly to the customer's various devices. There will still be some plant to deal with in this scenario but overall reliability will increase.
I have also read of satellites that can provide all the needs of a city the size of Houston from one bird being developed, but I wonder about latency and round trip delay issues.
Probably a long way off, but the way technology leaps along, who knows? I remember having the clerk look up dad's credit card in "the book" 30 yrs ago, now I pay my toll driving 70.
"I am opposed to millionaires,
but it would be dangerous to offer me the position" Mark Twain
but it would be dangerous to offer me the position" Mark Twain
#52
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Flag Man
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Industry: Telephone
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Posted 24 June 2009 - 06:55 PM
QUOTE (JoeW @ Mar 22 2009, 06:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Ok let me preface this discussion with I do not work for a telco I am a cable guy. We do phone service but only deal with twisted pair in the house. I got my hands on a sidekick the only problem is no one knows how to use it so I am taking it upon myself to find someone who does.
Will this tool help me on finding in house problems or is it mainly used out on the pole?
Any help with trying to use this tool would be great. Thanks in advance.
Will this tool help me on finding in house problems or is it mainly used out on the pole?
Any help with trying to use this tool would be great. Thanks in advance.
This is why telephone will win. We "Qwest" always get coax customers back. Usually it's because they cant find high shorts, grounds, opens in the IW. When I go to cut them over I find those issues and the customers say there service was always staticy. Yeah this is one of the best meters to use. Its quick, easy, and one of the only meters with a stress test.
#53
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Line-God
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Posted 19 November 2009 - 10:23 AM
QUOTE (Bellguy @ Jan 26 2007, 08:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Just my 2 cents, at Bell we're doing TV over phonelines now. Running 24 megs outta D-Slam cabs straight to the prem. Not to mention the cable guys brag about their 6 meg service, thanks to the good old governments anti-trust laws we can't fire back at their lies on the radio and TV about their junk being superior. Our speed is constant as opposed to their drops per customers on the line.
Boy you've got it all wrong. your 2 cents is just that, 2 cents.. We offer 20 meg down at Charter here in Tennessee, and we're releasing DOCSIS 3.0 beginning January 2010 which will bring 153meg down, with over 90 meg up. I hear this "how many people are on the line" crap all the time.. It doesn't make a difference about the COAX along the streets. It's called port congestion on the CMTS in the headend. We have 5 CMTS's in the headend where I am. We don't have a problem with port congestion, or as you say "too many people on the line" Do your homework before you slam the leaders of technology.
Jason C.
Broadband Maintenance Technician
CDE Lightband
Clarksville, TN
Broadband Maintenance Technician
CDE Lightband
Clarksville, TN
#54
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Flag Man
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Posted 26 February 2010 - 08:37 AM
FTTH, we're selling 50M down, 5M up for $150. Dirt cheap. Not offering video yet. Still waiting for things to settle in the hardware market. We offer DirectTV for our triple play.
#55
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Posted 26 February 2010 - 11:53 AM
QUOTE (Slacker @ Feb 26 2010, 10:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
FTTH, we're selling 50M down, 5M up for $150. Dirt cheap. Not offering video yet. Still waiting for things to settle in the hardware market. We offer DirectTV for our triple play.
That's the trouble Slack, telcos think 150 bucks a month for only 50 meg is dirt cheap. Most telcos are living in the past.
Cable companies and overbuilders are doing it cheaper, way cheaper. Telcos still live in a world where 256k is worth
40 bucks, and 900k is worth 90 bucks, usually, because the telco is the only game in town. Plus that telco is most likely regulated to hell because it built itself up with RUS funds. It has to be a shock to the system now that all of that guaranteed money that the telcos have been getting is drying up. It's funny that when a telco goes FTTH suddeny they have a 3 meg service that now only costs 40 bucks. Most cable subscribers get 15 meg for 30 bucks.
I agree though, that whoever get's the FTTH will win, but they must be competitive. Case in point, my local telco has gone FTTH. They offered 10 meg, telephone, and video for 90 bucks. But only offer 2 email and 25 meg of webspace, total. Plus, the video has to come from that 10 meg, so if I'm watching TV, my bandwidth for surfing goes down. The local cable company gives me 15 meg down. 1 meg up, plus 70 channels analog video for 47 bucks a month, and that includes my modem rental. In addition, I get 7 email addresses, and 50 meg of webspace for each email address. So, I get that service from them, and my landline from the telco. Total of about 85 bucks a month. If the telco could give me the same service, I would take them in a heartbeat, but they just don't get it. They come from the world of the privileged telcos who used to have a guaranteed income, but the competition is from a world of the lean and hungry, and they'll stay lean to whisk those customers away from the telcos.
Dak
Edited by Dak, 02 March 2010 - 09:09 PM.
The time when you know it all is when you are the least intelligent.
#56
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Line-God
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Posted 26 February 2010 - 09:15 PM
Well said Dak..
Jason C.
Broadband Maintenance Technician
CDE Lightband
Clarksville, TN
Broadband Maintenance Technician
CDE Lightband
Clarksville, TN
#57
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Grimple
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Industry: CATV
Posted 02 March 2010 - 07:52 AM
I've been with 3 CATV companies for the last 16 yrs, all from the same location. TCI, AT&T and Comcast. My father was a union telephone employee from '68 til just a few years ago (Happy Retirement Dad, now get back to your manual labor job to supplement your fixed income)! I can honestly say the things I have seen our industry launch has blown my mind. As we grow, we have maintain our core video service, enhanced it with VOD, HD, Home DVR and will be reclaiming bandwidth with our next project, saving billions on an unneccesary system upgrade. We launched Docsis 3.0 Internet, Residential and Business Phone service and will be launching Home Security systems and Wireless Phone services as well. I started with a 300Mhz system and my only concern was hoping "W" wasn't snowy after 3 4-ways, lol. Now we are looking at so many oppertunities for revenue and continued growth. There is no doubt in my mind CATV has the backbone, the leadership and most importantly the LINEMEN to win out. I doubt there will be a day when competition will cease to exist, as there are so many lines of business. So winning out will not be a knock out punch, but more of "first choice" by our customers.
We are all brothers here, some phone, some cable, some power, some all of the above, working dangerous jobs to feed our kids, maintain our homes, living the dream. We may compete for customers, but we are all here to improve the lives of our customers and our families. I have never said a bad word about the guy working in the ped next to me, or on a neighboring strand. It is a job I love and hope to continue as the technology progresses, just the same as the Phone and Power Guys.
We are all brothers here, some phone, some cable, some power, some all of the above, working dangerous jobs to feed our kids, maintain our homes, living the dream. We may compete for customers, but we are all here to improve the lives of our customers and our families. I have never said a bad word about the guy working in the ped next to me, or on a neighboring strand. It is a job I love and hope to continue as the technology progresses, just the same as the Phone and Power Guys.
QUOTE (System Tech Senior @ Feb 26 2010, 11:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Well said Dak..
#58
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Posted 02 March 2010 - 08:20 AM
Welcome Yamo2861, very well put
Live Safe, Live Long.
lightningrod
lightningrod
#59
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Grimple
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Posted 02 March 2010 - 08:39 AM
Cheers! Thanks!
QUOTE (Lightningrod @ Mar 2 2010, 10:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Welcome Yamo2861, very well put
#60
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Jedi-Lineman
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Posted 02 March 2010 - 02:53 PM
Who is gonna win.......where? We don't even have a CATV provider here in our town. Actually we don't have a CATV provider in any part of the two telephone exchanges I cover. There was CATV in the past but they walked away years ago, abandoned everything in place. Most of it has been cut down now by the electric co-op. So I guess we're winning here in the sticks. And we sell 10Meg down/768K up internet for $49 or 1.5Meg down/256K up internet for $39.
Mud makes poor encapsulant
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