Warning: I think faster internet speeds actually made my installs worse

Ever since we started rolling out gigabit fiber here in Portland about 18 months ago, I've noticed way more callbacks for signal noise issues than with the old 50mbps connections. The higher frequencies just seem to pick up every little imperfection in the run, so who's actually benefiting from this speed war?

2 comments

2 Comments

barnes.jamie8d ago

Did you catch that piece on The Verge last month about how fiber installs are actually getting harder techs are reporting more noise on the higher frequencies? One guy quoted said he's seeing interference from things as dumb as old phone wiring just sitting there in the wall. I heard a local installer here in Seattle say he's swapped out three splitters this week alone because the new speeds keep showing up ghost signals that weren't there before. Kinda makes you wonder if the extra speed is worth all the extra hassle for most people.

evan_morgan818d ago

Same thing is happening with my car's backup camera actually. The old one worked fine for years, but the new high-def model picks up static from the rear defroster grid every time it kicks on. Feels like every upgrade in tech just exposes how sloppy the rest of our infrastructure really is. @barnes.jamie your guy swapping out three splitters reminds me of a buddy who runs an IT repair shop here in Portland - he says the gigabit installs are revealing bad wiring in half the older buildings downtown. Makes you wonder if we're just polishing a turd with all these speed boosts.