Does Eircom really run broadband fibre for two counties across the front of a shop!!!

From RTE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0113/cavan.html

Does Eircom really run broadband fibre for two counties across the front of a shop with the rest of the tangle of phone wires!!!

Robbery leaves 10,000 without broadbandWednesday, 13 January 2010 14:09
Around 10,000 Eircom broadband customers in counties Cavan and Monaghan have been disconnected after a fibre optic cable was cut during a robbery early this morning.
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident at Scotshouse near Clones. Raiders cut cables before breaking into a small shop in the village.
700 telephone customers have also been affected.
A spokesperson for Eircom said they are working to repair the cable and expect to have services restored by early afternoon.

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Re: Does Eircom really run broadband fibre for two counties across the front of a sho

Towger, with the state of the Broadband network in this country - does it surprise you that much?

Re: Does Eircom really run broadband fibre for two counties across the front of a sho

Not just Eircom, UPC have the same. You'll see it run across the front of houses with an end property having a coil of excess cable in case they need expansion of the line.

Also means that with a pair of wire cutters, a ladder and a splitter you could tap into the line if your were to be so dishonest.

To be honest, I don't blame the providers too much. They were under pressure from the Department to roll out broadband, but the local authorities were laying on huge charges for excavating the ground. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the easiest means of getting the Department off their back and being able to get it done quicker and cheaper was going across the eaves.

Re: Does Eircom really run broadband fibre for two counties across the front of a sho

This fiber optic cable was probably accessed by lifting a manhole cover and then cutting it. At least nothing in the report suggests it wasn't - I think.

These type of fiber optic cables are usually thick and heavy (much more so than the standard cable tv coax) so running it across buildings is unlikely.