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ColorBASIC
8-bit Fun
Premium
join:2006-12-29
Corona, CA
| Anonymous insider Or corporate mouthpiece continuing a response to the unfounded claims of the CWA a while ago.
Just as I don't trust the CWA for the truth, I don't trust an anonymous "insider".
It could be a number of things from lot sizes out west, especially SoCal being a lot smaller (typical residential lot is about 1/8-1/4 acre), better weather, etc.
--
Macintosh Users Group Serving the Inland Empire | |
|  | 
La Cucaracha
@charter.com
| Re: Anonymous insider YEA RIGHT We are union on the west coast!!! Installs can take as long as 8 hours but for most, they are done in half the time, even in bad weather. Perhaps its because of older buildings on the east coast but I really bust my butt to get them done quick, neat and proffesional. I really don't like being at someones house longer than 4 hours and I'm sure that customers don't want us being there that long either. | |
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EmeraldLynx
@verizon.net
| Re: Anonymous insider: The real skivvy O.K. folks, here's the real deal. I've lived in MD and VA and installed FiOs in the midwest and CA. The union employees do NOT want FiOs to fail. I can't speak for everyone, however, 99% of us are really excited about being on the ground floor of something new. FiOS success is our bread and butter.
I won't lie to you, there are folks who milk a job, every company has them, and those very few are the ones you hear about the most. As a technician, I apologize if you happen to have had one of those. We take pride in our reputation and do our best to provide peer pressure to the one or two here or there who may, or may not tow the line.
Now, to the installations. A lot of homes in Cali are prewired. Period. Also, they use a different Optical Network Terminal than we do here. On top of that, almsot every home has a shanty, in the garage, where everything is prewired to. What does this mean? The ONT in Cali can all be mounted inside, which means no trips back and forth, inside, outside, inside, outside, everything centralized, ground right there. Beautiful! Here in the midwest and out East, alot of homes have a utility room in the basement, which means, up the stairs, out the door, around the house to the back and the reverse. Something blocking the wire? and around you go again. And don't forget measure twice, drill once. On top of that, don't forget the traffic out east. I used to live 17 miles from home, took me 2 to 2.5 hours every night to get home. All of that is wrapped into an installers production time. Long story short, are there better attitudes east west of middle? Perhaps more or less skill? Not really, just different environments, almost completely different jobs, outside of the basics.
I encourage you to be involved with your installation, ask why, when and how. Know why your installer has to take a little more time, to crawl through your 120 degree + attic, through this tiny crawl hole separating two haves, and that it may take a while to do it safely. Compare it to doing calesthenics in a sauna while walking a tight rope. Then puts hooks on your feet, and climb 20 feet up, look at the 1.4 inch of steel holding you up and tell me that you can say that I am underpaid.
Please take the time to research before spouting off. Passion without education is nothing more than a mob mentality. Managers may fall into that trap, but leaders do not. "Anonymous insider", quit managing your assets and lead your men and women to success! | |
| bamabrad
join:2006-01-27
Port Orange, FL | Solution?- It's called 'Subcontractors' | |
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odreian615
join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL | Re: Solution?- I'll do you one better Illegals no just joking but I do agree with you on the subcontractors if the Union guys are holding back progress | |
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Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ | Re: Solution?- And wasn't it mostly sub-contractors screwing things up in the beginning, like cut utilities, property damage, etc.? | |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| Re: Solution?- said by Jodokast96  :And wasn't it mostly sub-contractors screwing things up in the beginning, like cut utilities, property damage, etc.? Yes, but it's unfair to point the finger directly at them. Contactors did all the ground work. If they did a perfect job would you hear about how great using subs is? Also, while I'm sure subs do make mistakes, in a lot of cases the problem was that utilities were either marked incorrectly, or not at all.
--
Go Colts | |
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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Solution?- This is about the installation, not the prep (ground, pole, underground...) which the subcontractors already did (or messed up depending on who said what).
I go with the age of homes, the scheduling and infrastructure.
My install took less tahn 2 hours. That is becuase I did ALL the prep (board with punchdown, house-LAN, termination ready, and EASY access). I bet only .1% have such prep done for the FIOS guys. | |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| Re: Solution?- said by cableties :This is about the installation, not the prep (ground, pole, underground...) which the subcontractors already did (or messed up depending on who said what). I was only commenting on the early prep work. The installation from the drop on the pole/post to the house is another story. But if they are breaking utilities during that phase, either the utility wasn't buried nearly deep enough or they are cutting way too deep.
--
Go Colts | |
| |
vz fiostech 21
@myvzw.com
2 edits | This "news" article is full of crap, normal for Karl's telco bashing style. First of I am in California and last time I checked we are union employee's, so I don't know where that comment about west coast's higher productivity is due to non-union comes from is pure BS.
There are many reasons why numbers come out the way they do. In reading some of the reviews I noticed that the techs that work in the east coast are having to place their own service drops. In our area, we don't place the service drops to customers homes, they are pre-installed before we get there or we call out a contractor to climb the poles for us while we concentrate on the inside work.
Second, I also read that they fish walls and do all this extra crap, guess what it doesn't happen over here. Want your walls fished, hire someone before we get there or do it yourself. Since the east coast guys do fish walls it obviously takes a lot longer to do a job.
The other factors that go in, every house is different, a lot of the new construction already has a smart panel built in by builder, so I can come in and be done with a triple-play in 1 hour 30 min.
The biggest factor that would be skewing those number would be that when I finish that job in 3 hours and I go help out one of my fellow co-workers I have to do it by applying those hours to the job I just did, so while I may have been done in 3 hours the paperwork will show that job being done in 5-7 hours. The copper side had help tickets to cover your time on tech assistance but on fiber you just have to absorb your time on whatever job you happen to be on. That is what messes up your so-called productivity.
For those of you that call for contractors, go ahead, because the way the system works, I get one job completion credit whether it is a repair or install and I would rather spend my time on repair than installations. I have gone out on repair issues from subcontractors, in and out in 30 minutes or less, love it, simple problems to fix. Why you ask, because some of the sub-contractors previous employment was landscaping which is how then ended up laying wire.  | |
| | | mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA | Re: Solution?-
My drop was pre-installed before the tech got there.
I had 1 TV and 1 PC hooked to the service. I think it took the guy less than 3 hours... maybe even less than 2. I was quite surprised. | |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
 ·CableOne
| Re: Solution?- said by vz fiostech 21 :
This "news" article is full of crap, normal for Karl's telco bashing style. First of I am in California and last time I checked we are union employee's, so I don't know where that comment about west coast's higher productivity is due to non-union comes from is pure BS.
Light Reading speaks to an anonymous Verizon insider who says...
Karl doesn't make this stuff up just to bash telcos, he simply finds the story online just like every other story on DSLR.
A more important question is, if you are so familiar with Karl's telco-bashing style, how come you are unregistered?
--
A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention, with the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequilla. -- Mitch Ratcliffe | |
| | | | 
Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: Solution?- Technically I think it would be "union bashing," since it's the telco itself making the claims. | |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03 | Re: Solution?- Good point. You're such a basher, Karl! | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: Solution?- Thank you!  | |
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JamesPC
join:2005-10-12
Orange, CA | Screw Unions, lazy babies. | |
| | | | Haquai
join:2005-02-24
Ronkonkoma, NY | Re: Solution?- Hey James, you have no idea. So relax alright tough guy. | |
| | | 
Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:
| said by vz fiostech 21 :This "news" article is full of crap, normal for Karl's telco bashing style. First of I am in California and last time I checked we are union employee's, so I don't know where that comment about west coast's higher productivity is due to non-union comes from is pure BS. There are many reasons why numbers come out the way they do. In reading some of the reviews I noticed that the techs that work in the east coast are having to place their own service drops. In our area, we don't place the service drops to customers homes, they are pre-installed before we get there or we call out a contractor to climb the poles for us while we concentrate on the inside work. Second, I also read that they fish walls and do all this extra crap, guess what it doesn't happen over here. Want your walls fished, hire someone before we get there or do it yourself. Since the east coast guys do fish walls it obviously takes a lot longer to do a job. The other factors that go in, every house is different, a lot of the new construction already has a smart panel built in by builder, so I can come in and be done with a triple-play in 1 hour 30 min. The biggest factor that would be skewing those number would be that when I finish that job in 3 hours and I go help out one of my fellow co-workers I have to do it by applying those hours to the job I just did, so while I may have been done in 3 hours the paperwork will show that job being done in 5-7 hours. The copper side had help tickets to cover your time on tech assistance but on fiber you just have to absorb your time on whatever job you happen to be on. That is what messes up your so-called productivity. For those of you that call for contractors, go ahead, because the way the system works, I get one job completion credit whether it is a repair or install and I would rather spend my time on repair than installations. I have gone out on repair issues from subcontractors, in and out in 30 minutes or less, love it, simple problems to fix. Why you ask, because some of the sub-contractors previous employment was landscaping which is how then ended up laying wire. Pay the fuck attention, The report claims the installers in the western U.S. are non-union (something our commenters say isn't true), and the installers in the east are unionized and "dragging their feet" because they "don't want FiOS to succeed." Karl didn't claim that, the report did, some of you people need to learn how to read  | |
| | | | Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH
·buckeye cable
| Re: Solution?- said by Cheese :Pay the fuck attention, The report claims the installers in the western U.S. are non-union (something our commenters say isn't true), and the installers in the east are unionized and "dragging their feet" because they "don't want FiOS to succeed." Karl didn't claim that, the report did, some of you people need to learn how to read You may be wasting your time, Cheese. Union workers generally have union jobs for a reason... 
- Tate
--
Happiness is an OC-48 in your basement... | |
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Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:
| Re: Solution?- said by Done_Posting :said by Cheese :Pay the fuck attention, The report claims the installers in the western U.S. are non-union (something our commenters say isn't true), and the installers in the east are unionized and "dragging their feet" because they "don't want FiOS to succeed." Karl didn't claim that, the report did, some of you people need to learn how to read You may be wasting your time, Cheese. Union workers generally have union jobs for a reason... - Tate | |
| | | | | Tech_Guy
join:2007-06-13
Ontario, CA | Yeah, because we were smart enough to pass interviews and testing."This does not apply to public employee unions" douche bags | |
| | | | | | Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH
·buckeye cable
| Re: Solution?- said by Tech_Guy :Yeah, because we were smart enough to pass interviews and testing."This does not apply to public employee unions" douche bags Are you joking? What did your test and interview consist of? Part one -- show up. Part two -- color the horsey brown (stay inside the lines!). Shouldn't you be standing in front of your place of employment with a sign that demands more pay and benefits that you probably don't deserve?
- Tate
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Happiness is an OC-48 in your basement... | |
| | | | | | | cymbolkid
join:2005-01-09
Allentown, PA
1 edit | Re: Solution?- Your statement shows how ignorant you are.
My interview consisted of going in front of a commitee of 8 union members, and them asking me questions.
Out of a pool of 150 members only 50 were accepted for the year i was taken in. Then we have to go through a 5 year apprectice in which consists of school 2 nights a week 3 hours each night for 9 months out of the year.
I also have to maintain a 85 average if i dont they kick you out. ALso if i fail a test guess what im out.
That seems like a pretty hard process doesnt it buddy.
Let me guess buddy you work 8-5 in a office right??
Guess what the union gave you that. They gave you the weekend. The gave you some many things that if the union never fought for you wouldnt have....
So considering i go through alot more training than my non union conterparts I DO DESERVE MY PAY AND BETTER BENIFITS!!! | |
| | | | | | | | Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH
·buckeye cable
| Re: Solution?- said by cymbolkid :So considering i go through alot more training than my non union conterparts I DO DESERVE MY PAY AND MORE BENIFITS!!! I could point out the fact that you obviously weren't given any type of grammar exam during your rigorous testing, but that would be petty. Instead I'll say "congratulations" for apparently being more worthy of your job than many of the other union folks I've encountered.
- Tate
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Happiness is an OC-48 in your basement... | |
| | | | | | | supertech315
join:2006-03-01
Perris, CA | Dude when i took the test 12 of us passed out of 80, so get the idea........ | |
| | | | | | | | Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH
·buckeye cable
|  Re: Solution?-
said by supertech315 :Dude when i took the test 12 of us passed out of 80, so get the idea........ Nice. I could rattle off a list of my own achievements too, but I don't see any point in doing so. I'll assume the "idea" that you want me to "get" is that you're worth what you're paid. I don't know you or what you do, so I'll just go ahead and take your word for it. The point I was originally trying to make (which I seem to have failed to illustrate), is that many of the union workers I've had personal exposure to seemed unqualified, lazy, and in many cases unintelligent. To top it off, almost all of them exhibited what I feel was an unwarranted sense of entitlement. I guess things are different wherever you are and in whatever line of work you perform. No doubt there are highly skilled, ambitious, overqualified union employees out there too, I just have yet to encounter them.
Either way, I've said my piece. I have no intention of discussing my thoughts on organized crime (unions) any further, so please don't expect another reply on the subject.
I hope your unions make all your dreams come true.
Take care,
- Tate
--
Happiness is an OC-48 in your basement... | |
| | | | | | | | | cymbolkid
join:2005-01-09
Allentown, PA
| Re: Solution?- So you bash unions in one statement I come back with a counter point and and you can get me on is grammer?!?!?
Im sorry I am not a freakin english teacher.
How many union members have you encountered?
Im my local we have about 900 member and they are the hardest workers I have ever worked with.
Sure we have some bad apples. But so does every other company out there.
Just because you saw a few lazy workers dont categorize all of us in that stero type. | |
| | | | | | | | Tech_Guy
join:2007-06-13
Ontario, CA
| Re: Solution?- said by Cheese :said by vz fiostech 21 :This "news" article is full of crap, normal for Karl's telco bashing style. First of I am in California and last time I checked we are union employee's, so I don't know where that comment about west coast's higher productivity is due to non-union comes from is pure BS. There are many reasons why numbers come out the way they do. In reading some of the reviews I noticed that the techs that work in the east coast are having to place their own service drops. In our area, we don't place the service drops to customers homes, they are pre-installed before we get there or we call out a contractor to climb the poles for us while we concentrate on the inside work. Second, I also read that they fish walls and do all this extra crap, guess what it doesn't happen over here. Want your walls fished, hire someone before we get there or do it yourself. Since the east coast guys do fish walls it obviously takes a lot longer to do a job. The other factors that go in, every house is different, a lot of the new construction already has a smart panel built in by builder, so I can come in and be done with a triple-play in 1 hour 30 min. The biggest factor that would be skewing those number would be that when I finish that job in 3 hours and I go help out one of my fellow co-workers I have to do it by applying those hours to the job I just did, so while I may have been done in 3 hours the paperwork will show that job being done in 5-7 hours. The copper side had help tickets to cover your time on tech assistance but on fiber you just have to absorb your time on whatever job you happen to be on. That is what messes up your so-called productivity. For those of you that call for contractors, go ahead, because the way the system works, I get one job completion credit whether it is a repair or install and I would rather spend my time on repair than installations. I have gone out on repair issues from subcontractors, in and out in 30 minutes or less, love it, simple problems to fix. Why you ask, because some of the sub-contractors previous employment was landscaping which is how then ended up laying wire. Pay the fuck attention, The report claims the installers in the western U.S. are non-union (something our commenters say isn't true), and the installers in the east are unionized and "dragging their feet" because they "don't want FiOS to succeed." Karl didn't claim that, the report did, some of you people need to learn how to read Sorry cheese but I think he was too busy boning your mom to listen above her screaming | |
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Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:
| Re: Solution?- said by Tech_Guy :said by Cheese :said by vz fiostech 21 :This "news" article is full of crap, normal for Karl's telco bashing style. First of I am in California and last time I checked we are union employee's, so I don't know where that comment about west coast's higher productivity is due to non-union comes from is pure BS. There are many reasons why numbers come out the way they do. In reading some of the reviews I noticed that the techs that work in the east coast are having to place their own service drops. In our area, we don't place the service drops to customers homes, they are pre-installed before we get there or we call out a contractor to climb the poles for us while we concentrate on the inside work. Second, I also read that they fish walls and do all this extra crap, guess what it doesn't happen over here. Want your walls fished, hire someone before we get there or do it yourself. Since the east coast guys do fish walls it obviously takes a lot longer to do a job. The other factors that go in, every house is different, a lot of the new construction already has a smart panel built in by builder, so I can come in and be done with a triple-play in 1 hour 30 min. The biggest factor that would be skewing those number would be that when I finish that job in 3 hours and I go help out one of my fellow co-workers I have to do it by applying those hours to the job I just did, so while I may have been done in 3 hours the paperwork will show that job being done in 5-7 hours. The copper side had help tickets to cover your time on tech assistance but on fiber you just have to absorb your time on whatever job you happen to be on. That is what messes up your so-called productivity. For those of you that call for contractors, go ahead, because the way the system works, I get one job completion credit whether it is a repair or install and I would rather spend my time on repair than installations. I have gone out on repair issues from subcontractors, in and out in 30 minutes or less, love it, simple problems to fix. Why you ask, because some of the sub-contractors previous employment was landscaping which is how then ended up laying wire. Pay the fuck attention, The report claims the installers in the western U.S. are non-union (something our commenters say isn't true), and the installers in the east are unionized and "dragging their feet" because they "don't want FiOS to succeed." Karl didn't claim that, the report did, some of you people need to learn how to read Sorry cheese but I think he was too busy boning your mom to listen above her screaming Cute....no really, what are we in third grade? Boning my mom? | |
| | |
cxvbvb
@charter.com
| Sounds like it was just another know-nothing higher up spouting crap from his mouth from his 10th story window office , miles away from any technician.
It's really amazing how, in this industry(telco/cable), a higher up can have no clue how a job is done or why things are they way they are.
I remember standing outside a regional vice president's office and hearing him yelling about how many jobs were canceled from customer's not being home. He wanted the techs to somehow do more to make sure the customer was home...
One of my co-workers was working on an outage and he found the problem to be an amplifier that was for some reason buried in a ditch. Only problem being the ditch was full of water. A manager told him to pail it out with his hard hat.. haha. | |
| | Ztp1112
join:2005-03-18
Springfield, VA
| this is all bull, the east coast has older homes not prewire like the west for catv data.
I dont know who the insider is but being a fios tech here in the east coast I can tell you on a average we complete 3 jobs per day
maybe this has something to do with our contract that will be up in 2008, | |
| | | Haquai
join:2005-02-24
Ronkonkoma, NY | Re: Solution?- You mean a voice data and video right> all at ten same location? | |
| Hooper
Premium
join:2001-10-22
Villanova, PA
| I call BS It is not because they don't want FIOS to succeed, it is because they get paid the same whether they do 1 job a day or 10. A VZ tech was out last week to install phone, tv and internet service at my neighbor's house. He commented to me that he needed to figure out a way to stretch this install because it was Friday and it was 95 degrees out. Thus a 3-4 hour install took all day. | |
| | chemaupr
join:2005-06-06
Alexandria, VA
| Re: I call BS I have to agree. If your pay is not tied to your production they have not much incentive to move faster. They should required them an avg of at least 2 installations per day. If they cannot modify their pay then offer incentive to those that do exceed the avg. | |
| | | 
CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| Re: I call BS said by chemaupr :I have to agree. If your pay is not tied to your production they have not much incentive to move faster. Then the opposite would be true. union Scale increase wages each year regardless of production or even performance.
No union is all performance AND production.
And thinking that going fiber will equate to LESS manpower is insane. Resturcture the current levels sure, but they will never need LESS techs to work with technology and demand.
Union BS propaganda.
--
CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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| | | Haquai
join:2005-02-24
Ronkonkoma, NY
| Dont know about then rest of the world, but here on Long Island, we havent gotten a raise in the past 10 years that even comes close to the cost of living in the area.
And I hope you get the guy who is on his "second Job" and cause he is shot from the first job in 100 degree heat, and with 5 tvs and 3 computers and nothing run and the customer telling him he dose not want to see any wire and, and , and. And then he drills in to your water pipe, or you electric main or better yet he hits the natural gas. All because he was in a rush to make his prick boss happy and get the job done quicker. | |
| 
floepie
join:2005-12-01
| Not surprising. Think that's bad? You should see how long it takes them to repair roads/bridges over here in the East. One cannot comprehend how long some projects require. Simply shocking. The U.S. flag draped all over these so-called construction sites and trucks is an embarrassment. | |
| | | | yettavr6
join:2004-07-26
Plymouth Meeting, PA | Amen to that. It's amazing how they can close down an entire lane of a freeway for 3 months just to patch some potholes. The best is when you are driving through that section at 20mph and you don't see anyone working. | |
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floepie
join:2005-12-01
1 edit | I'm not sure about the BQE, but I can only imagine. Is that the one that hugs the western limits of Brooklyn and Queens?
3 months you say? You should be so lucky! | |
| | Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | well in NYC its a method of promoting the subway.... | |
| 
h8verizonDSL
Had fiber today
join:2005-02-25
Middletown, DE
| It's all about the assignments Hello,
My FiOS install took 4 hours by one installer. FiOS TV took 4 hours by 2 installers, of which one installer was a trainee. In each case, the installers were only assigned one install per day. When they were done, they went to help other installers with installations. 9 hours for an install seems to be a stretch of the imagination. | |
| | subman87
Another day in the Brentwood
join:2000-11-24
Harrison, NY | Re: It's all about the assignments
My fios was installed over 2 years ago, Verizon sent 2 installers here, took them nearly 8 hours to complete the installation.
--
" more is lost by indecision than wrong decision." | |
| | | mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA | Re: It's all about the assignments
Back then, weren't they fishing CAT5 through the walls?
the Coax installs are far faster because the wiring is already there. | |
| brainlessdog
join:2005-11-30
Portsmouth, NH
| Load of Crap What a bunch of garbage. How about engineering? How about contractors placing the fiber all the way to the house? Comparing apples and oranges. What about contractors? They get paid by the job. The last Comcast Tech to my house was a contractor. They gave him 3 jobs in the 3pm to 5pm window. He said the regular techs do about half the number of jobs per day. I am assuming this is the same for Fios in the west. | |
| | 
John Galt
Forward, March
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
 ·CenturyLink
| Re: Load of Crap said by brainlessdog :The last Comcast Tech to my house was a contractor. They gave him 3 jobs in the 3pm to 5pm window. He said the regular techs do about half the number of jobs per day. I am assuming this is the same for Fios in the west. Contractor installs are notorious for being poorly done.
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A is A | |
| Cod
join:2000-07-05
Greensboro, NC | 4 techs for POTS install? Been in telecommunications for 10 years, never seen more than one service technician needed to install a POTS line unless there were multiple lines & jacks going in and he/she requested assistance. Sounds like FUD. | |
| |
PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| Re: 4 techs for POTS install? NOT four techs at the customer premises, four people involved in the entire process, i.e. one tech at customer's house, one tech in data center to "flip the switch" to make the line active, one tech to do something on the pole, etc.
I'm really don't know how the process works, I'm just trying to explain what I think he meant by saying a POTS install takes four techs.
--
A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention, with the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequilla. -- Mitch Ratcliffe | |
| | | Cod
join:2000-07-05
Greensboro, NC
| Re: 4 techs for POTS install? said by PolarBear :NOT four techs at the customer premises, four people involved in the entire process, i.e. one tech at customer's house, one tech in data center to "flip the switch" to make the line active, one tech to do something on the pole, etc. I'm really don't know how the process works, I'm just trying to explain what I think he meant by saying a POTS install takes four techs. I understand who you are saying but it is still misleading. In most telephone companies, the outside service tech does ALL work from the CO right to bringing dialtone to the customers jack including climbing poles, etc. A typical POTS installer can do 4-6 normal jobs a day within an 8 hour workday. It takes the CO tech maybe all of 5 minutes to wire the jumper in the central office. The translations technician who "flips the switch" might take 3-5 minutes to provision the OE. Point is the original article is very misleading and the 'facts' are skewed. | |
| kenyg
join:2001-02-09
Hatboro, PA | 9 hours Mine took 4hrs. There was one guy, he climbed the pole across the street, hooked it up, ran the the cable, installed... he was pretty busy. Was very knowledgable, bright young guy. Did a good job.
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aye aye captain! | |
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danclan
join:2005-11-01
Midlothian, VA | Re: 9 hours mine took 1.5 hrs for both the internet 18mo ago and tv a few months ago.
Sure i made it easy on them but so what...they were in and out and on to their next install they were grateful for not having to dick around all day at one home. | |
| | 
birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
·Verizon FIOS
| said by kenyg :Mine took 4hrs. There was one guy, he climbed the pole across the street, hooked it up, ran the the cable, installed... he was pretty busy. Was very knowledgable, bright young guy. Did a good job. Two installations in Rhode Island, one was at work, the other was mine at home: the first one took under 4 hours, one guy working. The second one took under 4 hours for the hardware, then he waited for his more experienced co-worker to show up to verify the computer setup. Still under 4 hours total. | |
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nfixit2004
Premium
join:2004-01-06
Brooklyn, NY
| said by kenyg :Mine took 4hrs. There was one guy, he climbed the pole across the street, hooked it up, ran the the cable, installed... he was pretty busy. Was very knowledgable, bright young guy. Did a good job. I dont care if it takes 20hrs just hurry up and bring FIOS to NYC...
please | |
| 
Alex G Bell
join:2002-07-02
Boston, MA
2 edits | Baloney! "There's a good reason for it too. A typical POTS line install reportedly involves four different union techs working at different levels of the network hierarchy. FiOS is installed by a single technician [whose job classification is new and different than the old union POTS tech jobs]."
I don't know where they got this information from, but it simply is false. There are easily as many people involved in the FIOS install that you do not see at your house, and the job title (SST) is the same for either job in the North East.
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"Remember, Comrade, people who are willing to destroy an efficient telephone system may not be playing with a full deck." | |
| 
SteveCon
IBEW 2222 Boston, MA
Premium
join:2004-09-02
Burlington, MA
·Verizon FIOS
| "..don't want FiOS to succeed" Stating that Verizon installers "dont want FiOS to succeed" is purely BS. First and foremost, the IBEW in New England is firmly behind Verizon's deployment of FiOS, and actively supports the company's endevours for statewide franchises. FiOS is Verizon's future - and we IBEW members know it.
As far as "dragging our feet" goes, New England is home to some of the harshest weather in wintertime and is "right up there" with heat and humidity in summertime. Also consider that the plant infrastructure here is among the oldest around and can result in complications for an installation.
Combine these scenarios and it is plain to see that the AVERAGE install time can skyrocket. Working in a young physical plant in comfortable weather makes the work flow much smoother and a s a result, quicker.
The "insider" seems more like an outsider to me.
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United we bargain, divided we beg. | |
| ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16
Stratford, CT | Hm " Quality or Quantity, you cant have both. "
CWA workers
FiOS installations are quite complicated, Id rather a FiOS tech install my service CORRECT and NEAT than see them rush thru it half-assed. | |
| 
napilus
join:2006-03-26
Hillsboro, OR | All Fios Work Is done by union workers on the west coast (being one myself)in the initial rollout we had subcontractors doing the build of OSP infrastructure, but installations are done by union workers (IBEW) | |
| wstwrdho
join:2007-03-15
Riverton, UT
| GO 95 Before you installers east of California get to nervous let me tell you about General Order 95 enacted by the California legislature back in the early 80's. This utility rule requires anyone building a subdivision provide permanent access to buildings for all utilities and utility based providers.
What this means is there is conduit in every easement and from easement locations to every home.
Don't you guys east of CA think that if you had a conduit at every home built in a subdivision after 1980 you could get done hours earlier? I do. | |
| | 
jimmydont
join:2000-08-10
Framingham, MA
clubs:
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | 4 week "install" and counting There were 5 people involved with my install. 2 to do the "tap" out a the street, 1 bucket truck guy to help run the 600 foot drop, the primary installer, and another guy that came to help. The install itself took about 6-7 hours. It was all done very professionally and I have no complaints. But they left the drop running across my yard.
4 weeks later (and 4 phones calls) and it's still not buried. Anyone with a contact in the Framingham,MA area that can get someone to get on it? My kids are tripping on it, so has my wife.
A support tech gave me "the turnaround time" would be 48 hours on the ticket I opened this morning, but I think I'm going to call back and try and get a supervisor to expedite it, seeing it's been 4 weeks. Any suggestions on how to succeed at this? | |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| Re: 4 week "install" and counting Wanna get something done? Call and tell them you want to cancel. They do NOT want to lose you now that they have just spent a load of $$ running fiber to your home.
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A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention, with the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequilla. -- Mitch Ratcliffe | |
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joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
·AT&T U-Verse
| Re: 4 week "install" and counting said by PolarBear :Wanna get something done? Call and tell them you want to cancel. They do NOT want to lose you now that they have just spent a load of $$ running fiber to your home. I'd cut my grass. Then call verizon and complain of my service not working. If they still don't get it after the 2nd time I don't know that they ever will.
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Am Heimcomputer sitz' ich hier, und programmier' die Zukunft mir | |
| 
zbryne
join:2005-04-11
Ardmore, PA | hhh 4 hours for me. | |
|
txfiostech
@myvzw.com
| union in tx too This whole article sounds like a load of you know what. I am pretty sure FiOS is being installed by union employees in all locations with minimal subcontractor support (weekends mainly here in TX). A triple play installation where many new lines need to be run can take this long, but that is pretty rare. Not to mention a majority of installations are not triple plays. And to think that union workers want FiOS to fail is INSANE! If it fails, 50% of VZ union workers are out of a job. If anything we are pushing for them to go out of franchise (AT&T area's, etc). Sounds like a disgruntled local supervisor who doesn't have control of his team. | |
| | AMDonUT2004
join:2006-06-12
Bedford, VA | dang. 9 hours sames a bit long for me  | |
| 
Tzale
Proud Libertarian Conservative
Premium
join:2004-01-06
Sweden | FIOS It might also have to do with the fact that the East Coast generally has older homes than the West Coast which has more modern structures.
-Tzale | |
| |
See 8 replies to this post | |
JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
clubs: | Measure twice... I wonder if the install time could be shortened if the first drop was long enough? | |
| FDM80
join:2001-07-16
Silver Spring, MD
·Verizon FIOS
| Definitely under 9 hours East Coast. My install was 2.5 hours, 2 years ago when they were first rolling the fiber out in my area.
Things I did before hand to make things easier:
1) Mounted a piece of wood on the garage wall (cinderblock) so they could mount the internal hardware quickly.
2) Pre-drilled a hole through the brick/cinderblock into the garage (my hole was slightly smaller than required)
3) I knew in my head exactly where the ethernet run would go so I easily pointed out to them what the path of least resistance was.
At the time they were still learning how to do installs, and said I was the fastest install they had done. They had never finished an install before lunch.
Knowing your own house makes it easier for them. | |
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FiOS Installs Average 9 Hours
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