Fiber optics
October 5th, 2007 by 
Alica
Alliance Communications is digging in my backyard today to install fiber optics. The workers say my Internet will run faster once the work is done. That is a good thing. I can’t tell how much they’ve dug up the yard, but mostly it looks ok.
Have the Alliance people been to your house yet? Did they leave your yard looking ok? Is your Internet running faster? The lady I talked to just now at Alliance said 30 to 40 percent of the town is done so far. I hope they get finished up before everything’s covered with snow.
Posted in Uncategorized | 
October 5th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
They did a great job with our yard. It was done in stages, if I remember correctly.
1) Digging the line in.
2) Wiring
3) Final wiring, outside to the inside.
YES, faster internet!!
October 5th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Well, they kept coming back and forth for months! They first came last fall and tore up half the front yard. Half my lawn was completely ripped up and gone. Wires were sticking out all winter. They finally tied the wires together this summer and then months later put the lids on the boxes. I had to reseed the lawn. Still nowhere near what it was.
October 6th, 2007 at 8:01 am
I called and complained about them digging up my lawn also. they said they would come and seed it and that was 6 mouths ago.
then last week they where in my back yard again because My back yard is the only one with out a fence and they dug it up more. I said somthing to them about putting grass seed in again and they said they would.
Most the time I just saw the Local Telephone guy smoking cigs and talking to the guys.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:07 am
They came to my house, did their thing, cleaned up and left all in the same day. I would never have known they were here, except for the new box on the back wall of the garage with the little green lights. It definitely sped up the internet; and I understand it will bring in some new cable options when it’s all done.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:12 am
They did tear up my yard also…but the local phone company compensated them leaving it a mess…have the box on my house but not hooked up yet..
October 8th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I don’t get it! We want progress as far as better technology but piss and moan about some dirt and grass getting torn up? Hello…how else do you think they get the lines in…it will require some dirt to be moved. Come on people! I don’t think any realizes the extent of the work it must be to change over an ENTIRE town to new technology. Give them a break and hey, maybe even thank them for all of their hardwork!
October 8th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Do the complainers have any idea…any at all…how much money and work it takes to upgrade a town the size of Brandon to a new service like this new fiber system? Do these people also realize that we are one of the fist communities IN THE NATION to have a service like this? As someone WHO HAS LITERALLY HAD HIS YARD TORN OUT BY A UTILITY COMPANY, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THE WORK DONE IN MY YARD HAD A MINIMAL IMPACT. I DIDN’T EVEN NEED TO PUT DOWN GRASS SEED.
In my old community, the company came in with a trencher and dug trenches all over the place. My yard looked like a combat zone. Alliance used a boring machine (I didn’t even know such a thing existed before coming to Brandon), so that they could go under the sod WITHOUT HAVING TO RIP IT OUT.
Some people had their yards torn up? I would love to know that their definition of “torn up” is. Did the Alliance crew rip long swaths of SOD out of the ground and leave it in a pile on their driveway, for them to deal with? In my experience, that is what “torn up” means.
My guess is that that the crew bored a hole under the yard, and they left some dirt where the bit came out. Sprinkling a little grass seed around a small hole in the ground is a lot easier then moving a quarter-ton of dirt at your own expense, let me assure you.
OK. Now that I have my angry moment out of the way, I just want to say that Alliance has bent over backwards for this town. We have the best prices for TV and Internet that I have ever seen. If you doubt that Alliance is a great outfit, move to Sioux Falls and see how Midco treats you when they decide to upgrade their system…15 years from now.
October 8th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
In reference to my 1st comment.
They used the boring machine at my house also. I probably wouldn’t have known they were there, except they contacted us, and then of course for the indoor connections.
Another different thought which I thought of when reading the above post: Aside from the fantastic upgrade we are getting, do you stop to think that we actually get to talk to a real live person when we call Alliance? Not everyone is so lucky.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
They did leave rather large bare patches and a nice sized dip in the back yard. I also called and asked them to come fix it, they said they would, that was maybe…4 months ago. It’s alot better than 2 of my neighbors that had significant holes where the ground collapsed. Muttering, I could measure the holes and survey the depth of my dips for you, to make sure your definition of significant is the same as mine, but I don’t think we’d agree to what amounts to what. I’m teasing, and I do see your point. I just think they could come clean up after themselves is all.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:54 am
Tangy,
After reading my post, I realize that it was probably a little harsh. That’s the danger of blogs…it is very easy to unload. Next time I will read my comments aloud before submitting.
At any rate, I understand your point…I do…its just that I have had so many bad experiences with utility companies prior to coming here. I have had nothing but good service from Alliance. My experience with the yard may not be the same as everyone else’s, but I still think what we are gaining far outweighs the negatives. I can fix grass and landscaping myself, but I can’t install fiber optics in my home (especially at no cost)!
) That’s my take, anyway.
ps. dhanson…you are absolutley right. I can talk to a live person. What a novel concept!
)
October 9th, 2007 at 7:52 am
Fiber - installed
Internet - faster (10M)
Yard - hardly noticed they were there
Digital Cable - looking forward to it!
October 9th, 2007 at 10:40 am
They were in my back yard for three days (so far). They dug a hole about a foot deep, nearly a foot wide and about three feet long in the middle of the back yard and then they bored in each direction from there. That was last week. I haven’t gone back there to look and see how they left it, but I did notice this morning that the front of the big green box (the one for the block is in our back yard) is off an laying on the grass. They haven’t come inside the house yet.
I figure they have to do what they have to do. I’ll wait until they’re finished at my house before assessing the damages, if any. I don’t anticipate there being any, though.
Have you ever watched that show on the Discovery Channel “Dirty Jobs?” It’s amazing the things some people do for a living just so the rest of us can have a nice, clean, convenient existence. Sometimes I think we get so far removed from nature that we forget that we still need to interact with it. Does that make sense?
Anyway, it’s real interesting to see what kinds of experiences other people in town are having with this new fiber optic project. Thanks.
October 9th, 2007 at 11:15 am
#7…to clarify…the outside company yes did tear up my yard pulled fairly new sod up and landscaping and left it on my sidewalk for 3 days I did not know they where even coming to do this until the morning of when they where jumping over my back fence…Alliance showed great concern about this and corrected the problem…I still do not have the system hooked up yet…
October 13th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
You will be happy in the long run
October 14th, 2007 at 11:55 am
They did a nice job at my house - no damage to the yard at all. They dug a hole in the yard next mine - not sure what that was about. You might have more damage since you have the green box!
October 23rd, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Well this sounds intresting, the only company around that I will have is Comcast, I am in Minnesota. Looking into high speed internet. 300 Mbits per second. Althought I have never seen this high in someones home, must have been a bench test at the central hub location. Generally though its 100, 150 mbs per second.. How much faster is the Fiber Optics? I have been pricing nic’s for it, could try out a peer to peer first and then get a provider that deals in fiber optics. Satilight is too expsensive for me, but would be nice. Starts at 400mbs per secons and this is no lie, I have seen it, its blazing fast!