Goodbye to copper?

[Randy Cole]

Dan Ritter wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 03:56:30PM -0400, Randy Cole wrote:
>   
>> Copper lasts for up to 100 years or so, but I've been told that fiber is
>> designed to last 20. Is this true?
>>     
>
> We don't really know.
>
> We don't really have any hundred-year-old copper lines in use.
> Certainly the insulation is likely to erode before that, and
> water in the lines can cause havoc. Glass fiber can eventually
> break under mechanical strain, but so can copper. Exposed copper
> will eventually oxidize, and copper oxide isn't nearly as good a
> conductor as pure metal. This is worse because of skin effect, 
> but not very much worse.
>   
The copper wires are solid; In the absence of water, or oxygen impurity
in the copper, the copper should last indefinitely. As for the
connections and insulation...

The existing New England Telephone and Telegraph wire copper is still in
place, but unpowered. There is no network interface or ground. I don't
know how old the drop is, but the service was originally a party line &
the house is 99 yo. Nynex replaced the street plant ~late 80s, but they
didn't put enough in - only 5 yrs later they were scrounging for pairs.
This is turning into Telecom Digest...

I've been told that the problem with fiber is the connectors getting
wet. I've seen damage to fiber that was improperly installed - indoor
cable used outdoors, exposed to freeze/thaw. about 21 out of 24 fibers
were broken.