# any IP network geniuses out there?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 12, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925 "2000-09-12T19:52:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ignatiusjreilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@ignatiusjreilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatiusjreilly)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/1 "2000-09-12T19:52:12Z")

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In general, how much does it cost to light a segment of fiber optic cable? For example, if Qwest installed a new segment between San Francisco and LA, how much would it cost to light the fiber once it’s in the ground?

One estimate that I’ve read is $1.5 million per mile, but that seems awfully high.

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**Author:** ![CandyMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@CandyMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandyMan)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/2 "2000-09-12T21:14:12Z")

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A lot.

The buildings required on either side (a send and recieve station) are about 10 million dollars each. Its about $100,000 a mile to just lay the fiber.

The company I work for does exactly this. We have from Buffalo, NY through NYC to NJ and up to Toronto.

CandyMan

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2000, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/3 "2000-09-12T21:43:32Z")

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what do you mean by “light”? Are you asking for the cost of laying the cable?

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2000, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/4 "2000-09-12T22:18:12Z")

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Yeah, it’s quite expensive. Candyman’s estimates look pretty decent for a rural longhaul run, but once you get into a dense population and area have have to plan distribution and begin adding splices, your costs can skyrocket. Here in Toledo, we’ve nearly completed a 2400 mile HFC (hybrid fiber-coax) build from the ground up. I believe the total tab for this thing is going to be right around 375 million bucks. That works out to a bit more than $150,000/mile.

The “buildings” that Candyman has mentioned are typically called “head-ends” and I really can’t address the cost of those guys except to say it’s considerable. I’m more on the distribution side of it. My work starts at the head-end and ends with the user.

Candyman, I’m currently an engineer with these guys, [http://www.teamsigma.com](http://www.teamsigma.com)

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**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2000, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/5 "2000-09-13T10:23:21Z")

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Hrmm. Ok, so assuming no splices, if I bought a pair of (presumably cheap-o) $1500 single-mode media converters (100Base-TX to 100Base-FX) from [blackbox.com](http://blackbox.com), how far could these reliably send a single 100mbit signal?

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**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2000, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/6 "2000-09-13T10:36:32Z")

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Single-mode is longhaul, and BlackBox claim up to 60 kms (37 miles) for full-duplex 100 Mbit Ethernet. I see no reason to doubt that figure, Black Box is cheap but usually reliable enough.

S. Norman

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**Author:** ![CandyMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@CandyMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandyMan)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2000, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ip-network-geniuses-out-there/32925/7 "2000-09-13T12:37:36Z")

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Good deal UncleBeer… I am in IT Application Support/New Technologies at [http://www.telergy.net](http://www.telergy.net)

CandyMan