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Fiber Optics On The Way

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By SUSAN M. GREEN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 22, 2007

Updated: 12/20/2007 07:22 pm

RIVERVIEW - People who live and drive in neighborhoods near Lake Grady are likely to see a whole lot of digging going on near roadways as Verizon prepares to extend fiber-optic cable services to the community.

Verizon spokesman Bob Elek said installation of the fiber-optic network is not expected to affect motorists' travel on roads in the service areas of Shadow Run and Karlson Acres. The county has approved a permit to allow intermittent lane closures on several roads, however.

"There's no point in sugar-coating it; it is pretty disruptive," Elek said. "There's a lot of people. There's a lot of commotion. But we leave it the way we found it, or we fix it."

The company listed an end construction date of Dec. 11 on its permit application. Elek said installation probably won't take that long if workers don't encounter unusual circumstances.

Crews will be working along Raulerson and Boyette roads, Hillcrest Drive, Shadow Run Boulevard, Hidden Valley Lane and Silk Oak, Meadowmoor and Killearn courts.

Once the optical cable is buried along the roadside, it will take 180 to 240 days for services to be available to customers who sign up, Elek said, adding that additional engineering work will be needed after the utility installation.

The technology allows high-speed Internet service, access to cable television channels and telephone service.

The communities are among pockets of Hillsborough County that have not yet received the fiber-optic services. Verizon has provided similar services to about 800,000 households in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota and Manatee counties, Elek said.

"We've got a very large portion of Hillsborough County, especially the Brandon area, deployed and covered," he said.

County officials this week authorized year-long permits for optical cable installation along Dorman and Browning roads and Red Bird Lane in Lithia and several streets in south Brandon neighborhoods along Bloomingdale Avenue in the vicinity of Kings Avenue, Bryan Road and John Moore Road.

Next year, the company plans to make a push in Plant City and the southern reaches of Hillsborough, including about 4,900 homes in Ruskin, Elek said. Verizon expects to offer fiber-optic services to a total of 1.1 million households by the end of 2008.

Pinecrest and Thonotosassa are on the calendar for 2009, he said.

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Fiber optics, also called optical fibers, are long strands of pure glass about the diameter of human hair that are bundled into optical cables. The cables transmit light signals over long distances.

The technology generally provides clearer phone conversations and television reception and is considered cheaper than traditional copper wire cables, which transmit electrical signals.

Source: Howstuffworks.com

Reporter Susan M. Green can be reached at (813) 865-1566 or sgreen@tampatrib.com.

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