• SnausagesinaBlanket@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Japan’s current fiber-optic commercial internet connections use optical fiber transmission windows known as L and C multi-core fiber (MCF) bands to transport data long distances at record speeds. Meanwhile we (USA) have fiber back to copper and Cat3 for the last few hundred feet in most cities at best making the entire idea into a bottle neck.

    • falsem@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      There are a lot of very good reasons to switch back to copper for the last portion of a run. I highly doubt that consumer internet in Japan is terminating fiber directly into peoples’ computers. Fiber is a lot more expensive both for the line, to run it, more prone to breakage, the network cards are more expensive, etc. It’s really not needed for most purposes.

      Also no one uses cat3 for data and it can’t be run for ‘hundreds of feet’. And LC fiber IS used in the US - that’s a kind of connector not the kind of fiber.

      • Dave.@aussie.zone
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        1 year ago

        I highly doubt that consumer internet in Japan is terminating fiber directly into peoples’ computers.

        You run fiber to the home and gigabit ethernet or whatever internally in the premises. All your other complaints re: cost and etc aren’t really an issue for last mile consumer grade fiber.

        I have seen installers run a fiber drop cable across from a power pole, bring it down an outside wall , then staple it to joists under a house, cleave off the end and stick a mechanical splice on it, bang it in the power meter, all good, plug it in the fiber modem, good to go in less than 20 minutes. All this stuff uses standard components and technology that’s been available for 10+ years now.

        Also no one uses cat3 for data and it can’t be run for ‘hundreds of feet’. And LC fiber IS used in the US - that’s a kind of connector not the kind of fiber

        It’s probably the standard “last mile” half assed solution where they decide to use existing phone lines and VDSL from a box down the street instead of biting the bullet and running fiber.

        • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          This is how it works in the UK too. I’ve got Fibre To The Premises (FTTP), and the installation was pretty much exactly as you described.

        • falsem@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          No it’s not? Fiber is a bad solution for short runs for residential use inside people’s homes. Copper can pull 10 gig speeds or more.

      • tiredofsametab@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Typing from my Tokyo fiber-to-the-home connection now. They ran it off the pole, installed a little thing in my house, ran the fiber to the modem they make me rent, and it works like a charm.

        • falsem@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, it’s not terminated in your computer though for all the reasons I said.

          • tiredofsametab@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            I don’t think I understand unless you’re expecting me to buy some router and network cards that natively support fiber to go from the modem (which is fiber in from the pole outside).

        • ralakus@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          In my area, you’re lucky if you even get internet at all. There’s no broadband except within the towns and the fiber installations got canceled because someone sued the companies doing it for some dumb reason to make a quick buck. People around here resort to using 4G cellular modems which get around 100kbps on a good day.

      • lazylion_ca@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Cat 3 isnt actually a thing, but people call house phone wiring that. Runs DSL quite well.

        • Dave.@aussie.zone
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          1 year ago

          Cat 3 is a thing and is basically unshielded twisted pair. You can abuse it quite a bit from its voice grade days to cram a few hundred megabits of VDSL over it if it’s only from your house to the curb.