FTTH – our fibre box is here!

We’re still missing the final step, but as of this morning, the 2nd last step was accomplished, the neat little white plactic box was installed, see picture. Apparently we have a total of twelve fibres – four for building 1, four for building 2 and four for somethingelse.

Later today, the electrician will be installing two little boxes (one for each building) which, as far as I have understood, will terminate the fibre in regular little RJ45 sockets for plain ethernet. I guess there has to be a fibre optic converter somewhere, not sure who gets to install that.

In Herrliberg back in June 2010, it was decided by popular vote to install a fibre-optic network for all households, price approx SFr4.5million. In September 2010 I was told that our house is in phase II, expected fibre-optic connection towards the end of 2011.

The work is progressing according to schedule, so by 2014, every household in Herrliberg will have the option of having fibre installed, with transmission speeds measured in Gigabit/s. The providers currently only offer up to 100Mbit/s, I guess we’ll just have to make do.

The amazing thing is – back in 1986, i.e. more than 25 years ago when I was studying electronic engineering at Ingeniørhøjskolen Århus Teknikum, one of first projects we did was a study of the plans for Denmarks “hybridnet”. This was about the implementation of a fibre-optic infrastructure for distribution of various signals, first and foremost TV. “Hybridnettet” was dismantled/abandoned less than 10 years later.