US hunters shoot down Google fibre

Tue Sep 21 17:52:42 UTC 2010

Modern telephone pole aerial fiber uses all dialectric self-supporting
(ADSS) technology, where the self-supporting component consists
primarily of aramid yarn, the same material used for bullet-proof vests.
This makes for an extremely light weight, almost indestructible fiber
bundle. My guess is that ADSS fiber would deflect any bullets, or it
would take a very good marksman using a very high caliber weapon to
actually sever an aerial fiber. 

Now in the case described below where optical ground wire (OPGW) fiber
is used as a component in the ground wire running at the top of high
voltage transmission towers, it may be possible to hit the insulators at
the top of the towers, but the ground wire itself is usually armored,
with ADSS inside. Seems far-fetched to me.    

-----Original Message-----
From: Eugen Leitl [mailto:eugen at leitl.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 3:05 AM
To: nanog at nanog.org
Subject: US hunters shoot down Google fibre

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/232831,us-hunters-shoot-down-google-fibre.
aspx

Repairers forced to ski in to Oregon back woods.

Google has revealed that aerial fibre links to its data centre in Oregon
were
"regularly" shot down by hunters, forcing the company to put its cables
underground.

The search and advertising giant's network engineering manager Vijay
Gill
told the AusNOG conference in Sydney last week that people were trying
to hit
insulators on electricity distribution poles.

The poles also hosted aerially-deployed fibre connected to Google's
$US600
million ($A635 million) data centre in the Dalles, a small city on the
Columbia River in the US state of Oregon.

"What people do for sport or because they're bored, they try to shoot at
the
insulators," Gill said.

"I have yet to see them actually hit the insulator, but they regularly
shoot
down the fibre.

"Every November when hunting season starts invariably we know that the
fibre
will be shot down, so much so that we are now building an underground
path
[for it]."

Gill said that on one occasion, a snowstorm and avalanche prevented
Google
from transporting repairers and gear into the area of the cut.

It usually used a helicopter or a Caterpillar D9 tractor for transport.
It
improvised by sending three technicians on skis to "repair the fibre
that got
shot down".

"These guys had to cross country ski for three days," Gill said.

"[One guy] is carrying what is known as a fusion splicing kit on his
backpack."

He joked: "These guys had to go in and fix the fibre while facing
gunshots

"So [the] internet... [it's] more dangerous than you realise."