Sewer pipes to deliver fiber cables

Many have dreamed of using the sewer lines to run high-speed cable networks into neighborhoods. No digging , easy access, protected from weather and, apart from the smell, far less problematic than running cable down power poles. Now a British company is giving it a go: Merseyside-based H2O Networks is rolling out a fiber network using sewer pipes to bring network cables to homes in three proposed FiberCity proposals.

The plan has been six months in the making and is expected to see physical work begin in September with the roll out likely to take around 18 months for what is expected to a 100Mbps network. The Register reports an engineer saying running the (submarine) cable down the main sewer line is relatively easy, but bringing it into the home is more problematic.

H20 is a retailer but is also going to wholesale the fiber to others who want to access the network. Not sure if this is going to catch on everywhere, but it makes sense in any post-World War II development. Installation is by robot and during the dot-com boom a number of cities--including Indianapolis and Albuquerque--completed some fiber roll outs using the storm water drain rather than the sanitary drains.

For More:
- 100Mbps sewer broadband roll out coming your way Article
- Portland had a consultant do a study on fiber down the sewer Report

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