Do 'Learning Centers' really need data centers?

Chris Gabriel, vice president of solutions management at Logicalis Group (Bloomfield Hills, MI), a provider of data center server virtualization platforms, has turned in an interesting guest blog at Forbes.com. The blog takes as its launch point the increasing prominence and importance of networking and telecom technologies within the education sphere. It's no secret that a big part of the telecom equation for schools nowadays has to do with the provisioning of widespread mobile technologies. The rise of BYOD carries with it a significant footprint in the data center -- but the more pertinent question, these days is, which data center -- and owned by whom?

Read the full blog post from Forbes.com.


See also:  Technical guide outlines BYOD best practices

Don't underestimate the value of cabling skills

Today's blog post delves into the Cabling Installation & Maintenance mailbag...

Hi Patrick and Matt,

I read [your recently posted item regarding] Turck's white paper, Ethernet Cable: A Guideline to Implementing Solid or Stranded Cables. On page 2, referencing the TIA/EIA standards, the paper's author states, "By providing user-friendly instruction, as well as topology, connection points, termination points and media definitions, users can wire a building without prior knowledge or special skill."

Excuse me!

I have been in the cabling business all my life. I am highly offended by this statement. I am sure I am not the only one. I have worked with hundreds of cabling professionals over the years who are true craftsman and take pride in their work. I think the author has insulted anyone in our business who cables a building according to the specifications, building codes and especially those detailed individuals who make sure that every cable is dressed properly as if creating a masterpiece.

Just my two cents.

Regards,

Andrew C. Schmeltzer
Cable Technology Sales Engineer
Black Box Network Services


Hi Andy,

Your point is well taken: empirical data certainly suggests that the TIA/EIA specs for designing and implementing structured cabling infrastructure are only getting more complex -- which is exactly why the Fiber Optic Association (FOA) recently announced that it's creating its own standards for installers and users.

Thanks for the feedback!

Matt Vincent
Senior Editor, Cabling Installation & Maintenance

Google Fiber installations kick off

As reported at the Google Blog, after months of building-in new fiber infrastructure, the Internet search giant announced that it is officially starting to connect homes in Kansas City.

"There are two stages to getting you connected," Google informs its Kansas City customer base via the blog post. "First, we'll pull your fiber from the street to the side of your house; we’ve already done this for several houses in Hanover Heights. Then we'll get in touch with you to schedule the second stage, your in-home installation...If you live in Hanover Heights and see a new box on the side of your house (and have gotten a Google Fiber sticky note on your door), look for an email or phone call from us in the next few days to schedule an appointment. When the installer arrives, he/she will ask you about where you want your devices and then get to work."

Google Fiber has put together a short video to help customers further understand what to expect.

As noted by Light Reading, Google Fiber's 1Gbit/s broadband service carries a price tag of $70 per month, or can be had as part of a subscription TV bundle that starts at $120 per month. A "free" 5Mbit/s downstream and 1Mbit/s upstream service is being pitched to customers who pay a $300 construction fee.

Google's chief FTTH competition in the Kansas City area includes Time Warner Cable, AT&T, SureWest Communications and Comcast.

Cisco CEO: 'Government regulation of IT will not achieve intended objectives'

Cabling Tweets' top 10 Tweets for Tuesday, October 23, 2012:

In a wide ranging talk conducted just before noon on October 23 at the Garnter Symposium/ITExpo 2012 in Orlando (1), Gartner's Richard Hunter and David Willis took the stage (2) to interview Cisco CEO John Chambers.

Mincing no words, Chambers said that "over the next 5 years the fabric of IT will be deeply embedded with every business process (3)."

"Of the top 6 IT vendors, only three or four will be in top six 5 years from now," he added (4). "Any of the top 6 vendors who think they will be in top 6 in next 5 years are probably wrong," the Cisco CEO reportedly said (5) -- owing to the "magnitude of the changes" that stand before the telecom and datacom industries in the coming years.

To that end, at the talk, Chambers' main contention (6) was that "the Internet of Everything will be the platform of the future" -- to which he added provocatively (7) that "government regulation of IT will not achieve [its] intended objectives."

And that wasn't all, in terms of provocative networking industry takes from the Cisco chieftain -- just see his reported comments on competitors Oracle (8) and HP (9).

"When I compete, even with friends, I compete to win (10)," said the Cisco CEO.

Follow @CablingTweets on Twitter.

-- Matt Vincent, Senior Editor

Enterprise BYOD heroes; Cisco data center woes; Cool cars meet cool Icelandic data centers

CablingTweets' Top 5 Cabling Industry Tweets for October 11, 2012:

Heads up IT security managers(1)! You can look like a hero if you lead your organization's charge to establish enterprise BYOD policies -- despite any physical infrastructure challenges you may encounter.

If the prospect of this leaves you "searching" for answers, you know where to turn (2).

To that end, did you know (3) that "Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook buy more networking hardware than practically anyone else on earth? But at the same time, they’re buying less and less gear from Cisco, HP, Juniper, and the rest of the world’s largest networking vendors?" So writes Wired's Cade Metz in a recent exclusive article.

Related news: HP's enterprise services business tumbles

Moving from "discussion" to "call-to-action", how about...Smart Cities (4)! As addressed by Cisco -- who given the claim just made above, you can maybe see feeling impelled to make just that sort of move. (Come to think of it, Cisco's been boogieing quite a bit these days in the big-time data center space -- see the company's recent fast breakaway from Huawei-ZTE for selling critical facilities equipment to Iran.)

Cooler heads prevail elsewhere in the industry -- for instance, as in Iceland's modular data center space (5). It begs the question, which is cooler -- the cars or the facilities?

Follow @CablingTweets on Twitter.

-- Matt Vincent, Senior Editor

U.S. Senators call for executive order to boost cybersecurity of nation's critical infrastructure

United States Senators Richard Blumenthal (of Connecticut) and Chris Coons (of Delaware) have written a letter to President Barack Obama requesting that he issue an executive order dealing with cybersecurity. In a press release, Senator Blumenthal's office explained that he and Senator Coons "were part of a bipartisan effort to build consensus on critical infrastructure provisions of the Cybersecurity Act of 2012," and said that an executive order could "begin addressing the urgent need to improve the cybersecurity capabilities of the nation's critical infrastructure."

In particular, the release said the legislative effort to pass the Cybersecurity Act advanced the case for "a voluntary system for owners of key power, transportation and communication facilities to coordinate with the federal government on the strengthening of their cyber defenses."

The letter to President Obama states, "the failure of Congress to act should not prevent the executive branch from taking available steps to counter the enormous and growing cyber threat," and acknowledged, "We recognize that an order directing the promulgation of voluntary standards cannot and should not be the final word in cybersecurity ... A well-crafted set of voluntary standards could, however, be an important step towards improving the cybersecurity of our nation's critical infrastructure."

The letter also affirms the senators' commitment to work toward passing a Cybersecurity Act in Congress.

You can read the full letter from Senators Blumenthal and Coons to President Obama here.

Surveillance cabling cited in Seattle schools' financial scandal

A report in the Seattle Times says that a previously uncovered alleged financial scandal within Seattle's public-school system may be wider than previously believed, and points to surveillance-cabling projects as examples of the alleged corruption.

Seattle Times education reporter Linda Shaw writes that the scandal "may be $1.3 million more than previously thought," citing state auditors. She also writes, "In one instance, the auditor found, the district paid $14,505 for video surveillance cabling and conduit which auditors estimated was worth $1,054." (See her full report here.)

Shaw reports on other examples of alleged overpayments, including "$127,981 for security equipment at several schools and a district warehouse that auditors said doesn't work or is not fully functional," and "$2,500 for two security cameras at Cleveland High that were not installed at the school."

The installer of the security cabling and/or equipment is among 14 of 26 vendors with whom auditors found problems upon further investigating the original scandalous claims. None of the 14 vendors were named in the auditors' report, but according to Shaw, the problematic dealings with these vendors included "wages paid at much higher than the prevailing rate, lack of detail about what the district was paying for, charges for hours that vendors could not document, and adding what auditors considered excessive markups."

The probe focuses on Silas Potter Jr., a former administrator in the school system. Shaw reports, "It was not immediately clear whether any of the vendors could face criminal charges."

I have a feeling that somewhere in the Seattle area, there's a knot in the pit of some contractor's stomach.

Substandard cable, the steroid era and sour milk

In case you're wondering - yes, I did notice. Just a few days after we covered the latest round of testing the CCCA commissioned on 'no-name-brand' twisted-pair cables, we also ran a story about an upcoming price increase on the materials that are used to make the outside jackets of communications, electrical and other cables. The relationship between the two stories cannot be overlooked.

I know it's the fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) insulation around the copper conductors of a twisted-pair cable that has the most (almost everything, really) to do with whether or not the cable will pass the flame-spread and smoke-generation tests that determine a plenum rating. The material that is used on the cable's outer jacket is a lesser factor in that regard.

But there's a larger theme at work. We've reported on it before as the price of copper cable has vacillated. When the price of plenum-rated copper cables in particular peaks, it's often because of the "triple whammy" - when costs of copper (for conductors), FEP (for conductor insulants) and petroleum-based products (for cable jackets) all climb. Of the three materials, FEP is the most significant factor in the ultimate price the consumer pays for the cable. But they all play a role.

That's why the two stories are related. Even though the cost of the jacketing material is not the single biggest contributor to the price of a twisted-pair copper cable, the reality is that any cost increase for any cable material can serve to remind us why the influx of substandard cable does not appear to have subsided. Manufacturing cable is a business of tight tolerances and low margins. It is easy - too easy - for an unscrupulous party to cheat and offer cable at a significantly lower price than those that stay above board. For many purchasers, cabling contractors and end-users alike, it is too tempting to go with the cheaper option and not want to know the truth about what's in the cable. We've told you about copper-clad aluminum cable making its way into the market. As we've shown, such a cable can be detected easily enough by visual inspection.

But how will anyone ever know if the material compounds used to create the cable jacket, or the conductor insulators, really are the types and amounts required to achieve the riser or plenum rating that is claimed? In an overwhelming majority of cases, once a cabling system is installed it is tested to ensure its electrical-performance specifications meet or exceed those established in industry standards. No such testing takes place to ensure the cable meets riser or plenum flame- and smoke-performance requirements. All consumers of cable have to go on are the markings on a package/box/reel of a cable and/or the markings on the cable jacket. If it says CMP, it goes into a building's plenum space. Where I come from (up here in the puritanical northeastern part of the United States) we call that the honor system. Also where I come from, we're seeing examples all the time of that system's failings. Even the prestigious learning institution Harvard University is not immune, we're finding out.

As a sports fan I cannot help but make the analogy to Major League Baseball's steroid era. Everybody involved ignored the problem for years. When some very public admissions/accusations by well-known former players forced everyone's collective head out of the sand, the battle began over whether or not to test players for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). I suspect I'm like a lot of fans in that what frustrated me more than anything else during that debate was the notion that there were some clean players who banded together with the cheaters, unified against the idea of PED testing. I couldn't understand it. And I also couldn't fathom (and honestly, still cannot bring myself to believe) that there were no clean players at all.

Switching back from the sports world's performance-enhancing substances to our industry's performance-degrading substances, I read with great interest CCCA executive director Frank Peri's statement: "The CCCA has taken the position that this serious problem will not go away until quality assurance procedures include testing of samples of finished cable procured directly from the marketplace." In other words, it's not going to be good enough for a cable manufacturer to send its "golden reel" of cable - one (perhaps the only one) that it produced above board - to be tested, then once a certain rating is achieved, use substandard materials in the product produced thereafter. That's like testing baseball players for PEDs in spring training then letting them juice up all season. But that's not how it's done in baseball. Just ask Melky Cabrera or Bartolo Colon. (Or ask Brian Cashman.) And that's not how it should be done with cable either.

There is one "minor detail" in this perfect-world scenario, in which test labs shop for cable the same way you do and test what they buy to see if it's on the up-and-up. That is, these testing programs are not free. And to implement them the way I'd like to see, they would not be even close to inexpensive. So am I really suggesting that we pile further costs on cable manufacturers who already are in fierce competition with each other and who face substantial price pressures from their customers? It sounds like I am. But wouldn't these added costs have to be passed on to cable purchasers, further widening the gap between the cost of a cable from an above-board manufacturer and one from a cheater? Unfortunately, the way I see it, yes. It would. If this problem was easy to solve, it would have been solved long ago. But it's not easy. And I have the luxury of sitting at my desk up here in my ivory tower, using my keyboard (and hopefully at least a little bit of my brain) to spout off about the way things ought to be. Easy for me to say what should happen. Very, very difficult for it to actually happen.

So rather than being someone who only curses the darkness, here's my attempt to light a candle. And if I can take that analogy one step further, in much the same way a candle turns darkness into the visible, how about some enhanced visibility into the "freshness" of a cable manufacturer's testing program? Another recent bit of news from the CCCA, in conjunction with Underwriters Laboratories, was the release of a mobile app that can help users identify suspect cable as legit or not. Among the features of that mobile app is access to UL's online certifications directory, where users can verify that the cable they're looking at is in fact certified by UL. As far as I can tell, that directory is the deepest visibility there is into the extent to which a cable actually has met the performances it claims. Wouldn't it be reassuring if other test agencies developed this depth of visibility? Furthermore, I think it would be helpful for the end customer to know just how recently any brand of cable passed performance testing, based of course on a random sample taken from the supply chain. I'm envisioning some cross between the "born-on date" initiated by Anheuser-Busch for its beers, and the signs we see inside industrial facilities that count up the number of days that operations have carried on without a workplace accident. The information could state the most recent date on which a sample was purchased that passed the required tests, along with pertinent information about the sample used. Whether this information would exist in a central database accessible to cable customers, on cable manufacturers' websites, some combination thereof, or wherever, I don't see how it could be anything but an asset to the industry as a whole.

And assets don't just materialize out of nowhere. They require investment. That brings us back to, "This would be a costly endeavor, which would actually increase the price of cable and further tempt users to go with a lower-priced, illegitimate alternative." All I can really say to that is that my mythical "cable-sample-passed-the-tests-on-this-date" information has to become the equivalent of the date stamped onto a carton of milk. By that I mean, nobody buys the product without such a date. Imagine even seeing a gallon of milk without an expiration date on it, much less buying one. Even if I'm in a supermarket where I've shopped for years and I have a level of trust in that retailer, and even if the brand of milk is one that I consume regularly, I'm not going to purchase a gallon without a date on it. And I'm certainly not going to walk into a store I haven't been in before, see a container without a brand name that says only "MILK" (or, even worse, "MLIK"), notice that the container has no date on it at all - then buy that milk and give it to my family.

As an industry, it is evident that we have a long, long way to go before some users are unwilling to purchase the cable equivalent of undated milk. But I maintain both optimism and confidence that we do not face the situation Major League Baseball did, in which the cheaters were the popular superstars exhibiting the best performance and resisting a rigorous testing platform. As a baseball fan up here in the puritanical Northeast, I have had my ups and downs cheering for the Boston Red Sox. But one person I remember distinctly, and admire, from the steroid era was a fourth outfielder named Gabe Kapler. He looked like a bodybuilder and was exactly the player some would point to and say, "It's obvious these guys are on steroids." But every time he was asked, Kapler made his stance clear, in contrast to the MLBPA as a whole. Kapler would say (and I'm paraphrasing), "Test me right now. Test us all. I'm clean and have nothing to hide." He wanted to compete, literally and figuratively, on a level playing field with others who were doing their jobs above board. If all the players in our industry truly embrace that attitude, with nothing to hide and eagerness to verify their clean records, we'll all be better off.

I'll drink a glass of fresh milk to that anytime.

Proposed Alaskan copper mine a political, environmental hot button

Pebble Mine, a proposed copper-, gold- and molybdenum-exploration project in Alaska's Bristol Bay area, has become an environmental and political hot button in this election year. This recent report from the Kansas City Star explains the wrangling between members of the United States Congress - primarily Republicans - and the Environmental Protection Agency over the potential for an EPA study to be used to block the proposed mining operation.

Bristol Bay "produces about half the wild sockeye salmon worldwide," reported Sean Cockerham in the Kansas City Star report. Yet the proposed mining site is the largest copper-gold deposit in development, according to a report from Minefund.com.

The discourse among concerned parties includes questions about the thoroughness of a study the EPA recently conducted on the proposed mine's potential environmental impact. Cockerham reported that the EPA study, termed a draft assessment, "found that even if such a mine operated smoothly up to 87 miles of rivers or streams would be lost or blocked, as could thousands of acres of wetlands that are vital fish habitat." The EPA has staked a claim of having the ability to block plans for the mine before developers reach the point of applying for permits.

You can read Sean Cockerham's full story here.

Wikipedia entry: Pebble Mine

But Mr. President, you didn't build that

A couple weeks ago we pointed you to the executive order titled "Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions" and signed by President Obama on July 6.

Coverage of the executive order by Network World generated some interesting if predictable right-wing/left-wing posturing among commenters.

The portion of the order being scrutinized by networking professionals is Section 5.2(e), which says the director of the Department of Homeland Security must "satisfy priority communications requirements through the use of commercial, [g]overnment, and privately owned communications resources, when appropriate." Two thoughts about that phrase. 1) The reason the word "government" is written with the "g" in brackets - [g]overnment - is because in the document, the word is capitalized: Government. Just how self-important can an entity be? It capitalizes references to itself, while leaving the words "commercial" and "privately owned" in lower case. Perhaps that tells us all we really need to know about this order and anything/everything else that emanates from our legislative and executive branches. (I'll let the judicial branch off the hook for now but they better not get me started ...)

Sorry, I digress.

Thought number 2) about the phrasing in the executive order: The way I interpret it, if the government decides it needs to take over your network - or indeed, any commercial or privately owned network - in order to ensure it (the government) can continue to communicate during a time of crisis, it will do so. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security is on notice to identify such commercial and private networks for that purpose.

That's interesting.

Exactly one week after the executive order was put in place, President Obama served up to Republican SuperPACs a doozy of a quote when he spoke in Roanoke, VA.

My humble plea, Mr. President, is that should the need ever arise for the government to take over private communications networks, you will remember your own words: "You didn't build that. Someone else made that happen."

President signs executive order affecting nation's communications networks

On Friday, July 6, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that revamped and reassigned responsibilities concerning the nation's communication functions during times of national emergency. Entitled "Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions," the order revokes Executive Order 12472, which was issued in April 1984 and defined the National Communication System (NCS).

The order establishes a National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) Communications Executive Committee, made up of "Assistant Secretary-level or equivalent representatives designated by the heads of the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Commerce, and Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the General Services Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, as well as such additional agencies as the Executive Committee may designate. The designees of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Executive Committee."

Among the committee's responsibilities is to "promote the incorporation of the optimal combination of hardness, redundancy, mobility, connectivity, interoperability, restorability, and security to obtain, to the maximum extent practicable, the survivability of NS/EP communications under all circumstances." Another responsibility is to "recommend to the President ... the regimes to test, exercise, and evaluate the capabilities of existing and planned communications systems, networks, or facilities to meet all executive branch NS/EP communications requirements, including any recommended remedial actions."

In defining the specific responsibilities of certain government agencies, the order declares that the Secretary of Homeland Security will "satisfy priority requirements through the use of commercial, Government, and privately owned communications resources, when appropriate; maintain a joint industry-Government center that is capable of assisting in the initiation, coordination, restoration, and reconstitution of the NS/EP communications services or facilities under all conditions of emerging threats, crisis, or emergency; serve as the Federal lead for the prioritized restoration of communications infrastructure and coordinate the prioritization and restoration of communications ..."

Additionally, the Secretary of Commerce will "provide advice and guidance to the Executive Committee on the use of technical standards and metrics to support execution of NS/EP communications; identify for the Executive Committee requirements for additional technical standards and metrics to enhance NS/EP communications; engage with relevant standards development organizations to develop appropriate technical standards and metrics to enhance NS/EP communications."

And the FCC "performs such functions as are required by law, including: ... the extension, discontinuance, or reduction of common carrier facilities or services ... the construction, authorization, activation, deactivation, or closing of radio stations, services and facilities; the assignment of radio frequencies to [FCC] licensees; the investigation of violations of pertinent law; and the assessment of communications service provider emergency needs and resources ..." as well as "supporting the continuous operation and restoration of critical communications systems and services by assisting the Secretary of Homeland Security with infrastructure damage assessment and restoration, and by providing the Secretary of Homeland Security with information collected by the [FCC] on communications infrastructure, service outages, and restoration, as appropriate."

Some critics of the order view it as government overreach, saying that what it boils down to is giving the federal government the authority to take over wireline and wireless networks. Some also say the revocation of Executive Order 12472 is a move that expands the circumstances under which the executive branch can claim the need to take such control of these networks. Conservative father-and-son pundit Doug and Joseph Hagmann wrote on the Canada Free Press website that, "At first blush, it appears that the order modernizes previous communications functionality, particularly as it relates to the continuity of governmental communication during wartime or national crisis as defined by Obama ... Based on our analysis of this order, it would appear that the implementation of emergency communications by Obama, using all forms of wired and wireless communication systems, is redirected through the Executive branch and could expand such takeover abilities beyond the limits of an actual act of war, national emergency, or other vent impacting the national security of the U.S. ... One is forced to wonder whether the actual function of this order is to assure continuity of communications during an actual emergency, or if this order is designed to expand the control of all communications by implementing measures that redefine crises and emergencies." Just in case the political position of the Hagmanns was in doubt, their column is titled "Obama's obsession with control." You can read it all here.

The full executive order is slightly more than 2,000 words in length. You can read it here at the White House website.

Inquest shows firefighters perished after becoming trapped in cabling

An inquest into a deadly fire at Shirley Towers in Southampton, U.K. has indicated that the two firefighters who perished became trapped in cabling that had fallen from above while they were attempting to fight the blaze.

The fire occurred on April 6, 2010 and although no individuals will be prosecuted in relation to the deaths, an inquest has commenced. On that night firefighters Alan Bannon, 38 and James Shears, 35, died in the fire that ignited when a curtain was left in a lamp.

The U.K.'s Daily Echo has followed the inquest. On June 20, Daily Echo assistant news editor Jenny Makin reported that a separate firefighting unit had successfully evacuated the building, but "Mr. Bannon and Mr. Shears had become trapped under cabling that had fallen from above. It was eight minutes later when an automatic distress signal on Mr. Shears' firefighting kit was activated."

Seven minutes after the distress signal was activated, "Mr. Bannon's breathing apparatus ran out of oxygen and within a minute of that happening, his distress alarm sounded after he failed to move for 30 seconds, meaning it was likely he was unconscious," Makin reported.

You can see the Daily Echo's full reporting on the inquest here.

Palo Alto gives up on municipal fiber-to-the-home, investigating wireless broadband instead

It looks like the city of Palo Alto, CA is giving up on its 15-year pursuit of a fiber-to-the-customer broadband architecture, and is opting to investigate wireless broadband instead. So reports Gennady Sheyner of Palo Alto Weekly, who covered the decision made by the Palo Alto Utilities Advisory Commission.

Sheyner reports, "Despite some reservations, the Utilities Advisory Commission voted 4-3 Wednesday night, June 6, to stop analyzing the possibility of expanding the city's existing dark-fiber network to local residents ..." Sheyner added that the city council will have to go along with the commission's decision in order to officially spike "a project that the city has been coveting for more than a decade."

Palo Alto has an existing 41-mile fiber ring that serves 78 commercial customers and has brought in $2.1 million in revenues annually, Sheyner reports. But recent temperature-taking of city residents indicates they would be unwilling to bear the financial burden of last-mile fiber connectivity. "Analysis ... shows that even in a best-case scenario, an average household would have to pay $1,000 upfront for the connection and $75 per month to subscribe to the fiber service," Sheyner reported. Several commissioners frowned upon other options, such as a city-subsidized plan.

Instead, it looks like Palo Alto could go wireless for the last mile. The recommendation that the commission intends to act on directs the utilities department "to pursue a study that would determine what a Palo Alto wireless system would look like," Sheyner reported. "The study would cost between $25,000 and $50,000."

The article details Palo Alto's 15-year history of trying to bring fiber to residences, including its unsuccessful pitch to be selected as a "Google Fiber" city. You can read the article at Palo Alto Online here.

NLRB weighs in on Hawaiian Telcom-union spat

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) dismissed unfair labor-practice charges filed by IBEW Local Union 1357 against Hawaiian Telcom as part of a contract dispute that has left the telco and union without a contract for more than 200 days.

On its website, IBEW Local 1357 said the charges claimed Hawaiian Telcom was "not bargaining in good faith," adding, "While we are disappointed with the decision, our goal of making sure we position the members to succeed is not done." The union stated that it is meeting with its attorney as well as its international office to explore possibilities including a strike, slowdown/sickout, appeal of the NLRB decision, acceptance of the impasse as-is, and continuing to negotiate with the telco.

The site also acknowledges "division among the rank and file, caused by the employer, about whether we should acquiesce and take what they give us or fight them to the death."

Hawaiian Telcom recalled the negotiation process as follows: "After good faith bargaining reached an impasse, the company proceeded with the implementation of the last, best and final offer that had been presented to the union but rejected by a vote last December."

While the union did not state a definite intention to appeal on its website, the company said it "is aware that union leadership intends to appeal the NLRB's dismissal." Hawaiian Telcom added that, "Dialogue between the company and IBEW 1357 representatives is ongoing."

IBEW Local 1357 referred to Hawaiian Telcom chief executive officer Eric Yeaman by title only in a strongly worded message. "The membership must realize," the union said, "that ever since the CEO took over in 2008, we have been fighting for our lives. And it is with the support of our membership and your willingness to stay strong ... that we have moved the company to the precipice." The notice to membership also asks them to "please be responsible and make sure you do not deviate from policy and procedures, and please continue to help out your friends and peers."

For its part, Hawaiian Telcom notes in Yeaman's bio that he "has successfully led the company's return to profitability, stabilization of its business (customers, employees and systems) and positioning for the future."

You can visit the IBEW Local 1357 website here. It includes documentation from the negotiation process. You can find information about Hawaiian Telcom here.

NIMBY attitude means some Londoners lose out on fiber access

The boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England have rejected plans for BT to install fiber-to-the-cabinet infrastructure, apparently because of how unsightly fiber cabinets would be along the streets of the affluent neighborhoods.

City A.M.'s Steve Dinneen reported on the spat between the telecom provider and the boroughs, saying BT planned to install 108 cabinets along the street but the boroughs' council "rejected 96 of the proposals as part of its drive to de-clutter its streets."

The two sides traded verbal barbs when a BT spokesman told Dinneen the two boroughs might end up being "an island of slow connectivity ... a desert of 20th century technology in a 21st century city." A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea also had fighting words: "BT has not worked in the spirit of cooperation and needs to consider our historic streetscape. Perhaps one of its competitors will step into this role." BT then told The Register, "Other councils, including those of neighbouring boroughs, have shown a greater eagerness to enjoy the benefits of fibre broadband. We will therefore refocus our engineers' efforts in other areas where planning authorities have taken a positive approach and are keen to ensure their residents and businesses can benefit from this technology."

City A.M. reported that BT's proposal would have boosted connectivity speeds for as many as 34,000 homes and businesses up to 76 Mbits/sec, which is a tenfold increase over current speeds in Kensington and Chelsea.

You can read Steve Dinneen's report at City A.M. here. You can read the report from The Register's Kelly Fiveash here.

Cable-recycling firm fined after workers suffer lead poisoning

An Edmonton, UK-based firm that recycles cable pleaded guilty to exposing workers to lead and has to pay approximately £75,000 in fines and costs. The government agency Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the recycler and described "an abysmal lack of care" at its facilities. The HSE is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It found that between October 2008 and July 2009 Metal and Waste Recycling significantly exposed more than 90 workers to lead when those workers stripped the lead-sheathed copper cable that came from British Telecom after the carrier upgraded to fiber-optic cabling. "HSE inspectors visited the site in April 2009 after an employee complained about insufficient protection when working with lead," the HSE said. "During the site visit, HSE found nothing had been done to reduce lead exposure, with inadequate ventilation, face masks or respiratory equipment available." Further, the HSE found, the recycler provided its workers with gloves but they carried out their duties wearing their own clothing, "potentially spreading lead to other people and their own homes," according to the agency. Blood testing on the workers revealed that 23 of them had significantly high levels of lead in their blood, the HSE said, adding that six had symptoms of lead poisoning and were treated at hospitals. Two required chelation therapy, the HSE added. Chris Tilley, an inspector with HSE, said the recycling company "failed to implement adequate control measures, carry out any health surveillance of their workers and provide adequate welfare facilities. "The company fell far short of its legal duties and exposed its employees to an unacceptable level of risk." Metal and Waste Recycling pled guilty in Westminster Magistrates Court on April 23. It was levied a fine of £49,500 and ordered to pay £25,483 in costs.

Elderly cable thieves shut down 46 oil wells in China

The next time you fill up your vehicle with fuel and are exasperated by the price per gallon, don't blame the big oil companies. Don't blame President Obama's stance on the Keystone Pipeline. Instead, blame two elderly Chinese men.

The Shanghai Daily has reported that the two residents of a nursing home in the east China province of Shandong shut down 46 oil wells when they stole electrical cable.

The story explains the two men, both 78 years old, have no income and make their living by selling waste and scrap. "They found an electric pole lying on the ground a few days ago and went back with pliers and a handsaw to cut the power cable from the pole to sell," the story says. However, when they cut the cable it "fell onto another electrical line and caused a short circle [sic], halting operation of the 46 oil wells" in the Shengli oil field.

The men reportedly were returned to their nursing home and will not face punishment.

You can read the full story on ShanghaiDaily.com here.

NASA details International Space Station cabling installation

How many times have you heard someone joke that the job of routing and installing cabling is "not rocket science"? Well, recently it was part of rocket science when a NASA commander routed and installed several new cables aboard the International Space Station.

In two recent updates of NASA's involvement in the ISS mission, the agency reported on the cabling-installation work that Commander Dan Burbank is carrying out aboard the mission.

On March 16, NASA reported that Commander Burbank "had most of his workday (~7 hours) dedicated to one part of major ISS outfitting: upgrading the ISS Ku-band system by routing and installing cabling for the HRCS (High Rate Communication System)." NASA further said the day's work "focused on the routing of four cables in the U.S. Lab Forward Endcone ... Four cables had to be installed today: one Ethernet cable from the Ku-CU (Ku-band Command Unit) to the JSL [Joint Station LAN], one AV-3 power jumper for the Ku-CU2, and two MDM (multiplexer/demultiplexer) 1553 data cable bundles ... Three more installation and cabling tasks will be scheduled at future dates."

On March 20, NASA's report stated, "After last week's routing and installing of cabling for the HRCS ... CDR Burbank had ~2 hours set aside to install a HRCAS AV-2 connector panel ... The panel carries 16 connector plugs, to which Dan mated 9 JSL Ethernet cables of the Ku-CU and 6 Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway 1/Automated Payload Switch data cables."

NASA explained the purpose for this cabling upgrade: "When fully installed and operational, HRCS will provide substantially faster uplink and downlink speeds, improved bandwidth, two extra space/ground voice loops, two extra video downlink channels, and contingency Ku Commanding capability. It will also allow additional data to be downlinked from the payload and command-and-control MDMs through Ku-band using the MDM Ethernet cables routed by the crew during the Enhanced Processor and Integrated Communications (EPIC) work completed earlier ..."

You can read the complete report from NASA on the ISS activities of March 16 here, and from March 20 here.

We are pursuing further information from NASA and hope to provide more detail on the cabling work being done on the International Space Station.

Kenya grapples with fiber cuts

The country of Kenya has been stung by the network architecture it has chosen for its national fiber-optic infrastructure.

Winfred Kagwe of news provider The Star has reported that the permanent secretary of Kenya's ministry of information and communications, Bitange Ndemo, is proposing changes to the way fiber-optic cabling systems are designed and administered in his country.

The catalyst for these proposed changes is a string of fiber cuts, the most recent of which "nearly [cut] off the entire country for two days," Kagwe reported. He further stated that Ndemo is proposing changes intended to reduce the incidence of outages when cuts happen.

The country has not implemented a ring architecture for its fiber-optic cabling system, leaving it prone to widespread outages like those it has experienced recently. Ndemo is quoted as saying, "Initially we thought everyone would behave, so we put all the cable in the one-line format; this is what is causing the outages."

Kagwe reports that experts are saying the financial loss suffered by the outages "runs into millions."

You can read Winfred Kagwe's full report here.

FOA open letter to President Obama encourages communications-systems investment

The Fiber Optic Association included as part of its February 2012 newsletter an open letter to President Barack Obama. The brief letter emphasizes the potential for job creation that can result from investment in communications infrastructure and Smart Grid technologies.

The letter reads, in part, "Your proposal to develop and deploy a nationwide wireless broadband public safety network could create an estimated 100,000 new jobs in ICT [information and communications technology] industries." Over time, the letter adds, such a network could produce a benefit of an estimated $4 billion to $8 billion per year. It adds that an investment of $3.4 billion as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (frequently referred to as "The Stimulus Act") intended for Smart Grid deployments "could produce 30,000 new jobs" and furthermore, could ultimately lead to economic benefits that range from $48 billion to $76 billion annually.

You can see the letter to President Obama and the FOA's complete February newsletter here.

(Note: Why is the FOA concerning itself with broadband wireless networks and the Smart Grid? As our sister brand Lightwave has pointed out, there's plenty of fiber in wireless backhaul and in Smart Grid infrastructures.)

Two-minute drill: Dropping cable down a wall

One of the videos that came out of the 2012 Cabling Icon contest could be used as a training aid for newcomers to the cabling-installation trade, as well as a refresher for some experienced installers.

In one round of the elimination tournament, contestants had two minutes to demonstrate their ability to drop a cable down a wall. Eventual contest winner Dan Dosch scored points in the contest as well as with commenters with his display. In just a little more than two minutes, Dosch used a stud finder to pinpoint the correct location for a mounting plate, cut a hole in the drywall, installed the mounting plate, cut a hole in the wall's top cap, installed a grommet in the hole, then dropped a Cat 6 cable down the wall and through the mounting plate.

All Cabling Icon contestant videos were posted to YouTube. You can watch Dosch's video here:





If you opt to view the video on YouTube rather than in this player, you may notice that the comments laud Dosch's practices. Specifically, one commenter noted the activity is "fully OSHA compliant," citing the use of a hard hat, safety glasses, safety cone, and appropriate ladder type for the job environment.

As the winner of the Cabling Icon contest, Dosch competed in the BICSI Cabling Skills Challenge, which was held as part of BICSI's 2012 Winter Conference. Also for his Cabling Icon victory, Dosch received a cash prize of $6,000, the Golden Punchdown award, and a leather vest with the Cabling Icon logo embroidered on it.

You can visit the Cabling Icon website here. Or, visit the page with all three wall-drop videos here.

What's wrong with LEED

You want to know what's wrong with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program put forth by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC)? I'll tell you exactly what's wrong with it. You - the professionals who design and implement the structured cabling and wireless systems that are the central nervous systems of the business that actually gets done within buildings - are not part of the consideration for LEED certification. That's wrong, and it's what is wrong with LEED.

Over the past few years we have reported about the possibility of structured cabling systems, and the broader technologies they support, getting some consideration in the LEED process. It is evident that the possibility will not become a reality. Despite ongoing dialogue between the USGBC and organizations such as BICSI and others over the course of years, USGBC has shown no signs of including technology networks or network infrastructure in its evaluation of buildings seeking LEED certification.

Many of you who are cabling- and network-design professionals undoubtedly have lived the frustration of being left out of the LEED conversation. Your architectural and engineering colleagues have made decisions about a building's heating and cooling systems, windows, concrete foundation, carpet - even bicycle racks - based in some part on the extent to which these choices would affect the quest for LEED certification. Meanwhile, your efforts to design the most-efficient technology infrastructure possible have been all fine and good. But they haven't contributed a single point toward LEED. I shudder to consider that this fact of life may be affecting the funding of technology systems in new-construction projects that are gung-ho about achieving LEED certification, and align their construction budgets accordingly.

Now that I've vented for a few paragraphs, this green conundrum appears to have a silver lining. Recently I had the opportunity to learn about the rationale behind the creation of the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP). Spearheaded by InfoComm, STEP is also being supported by BICSI, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). We've told you briefly about BICSI's and TIA's roles within STEP, including representation on the organization's board.

The primary reason for STEP being organized was ... well ... what I complained about earlier. Without a voice in the "green building" construction process, technology-based professions like yours have gone unrecognized for the extent to which your expertise helps a building achieve a certain level of sustainability.

STEP has a website, www.thestepfoundation.org, that no doubt will be fleshed out as the program develops further. Already on the site is a preliminary rating system, which you can check out here.

With a group like BICSI involved, I expect we'll see a comprehensive course of study developed for professionals who will implement the program. And with TIA, InfoComm and CompTIA also in leadership roles, I have to believe a set of clearly defined specifications will be coming as well.

Why the USGBC has chosen not to involve technology systems in its LEED program, I cannot say. It strikes me, though, that the components and systems that LEED considers are pretty much static once they are installed. Technology systems, on the other hand, are living, breathing, evolving ecosystems. (What, you don't think a technology system breathes? Next time you're in a telecom room, step behind the racks to the area of network-equipment exhaust. You tell me that's not the endless panting of a live, tired and overworked beast of burden.) Perhaps that fact has had something to do with the USGBC's inaction.

So while STEP will not be part of the USGBC's LEED, it will be - in my opinion - a bona fide program that quantifies how "green" a building's technology systems are. And there is no better group to administer it than those who have put the program together.

BICSI honors members for industry service

At its annual awards ceremony held on Wednesday, February 15, BICSI honored a number of individuals who have contributed to the organization and to the industry as a whole.

Thomas "Lee" Renfroe, RCDD, ITS Technician, Certified Trainer was crowned BICSI Installer of the Year for finishing atop the 16 competitors in the 2012 BICSI Cabling Skills Challenge.

Additionally, BICSI awarded scholarships to two college/university students who are sons of BICSI members. Recipients of the Ray Gendron/BICSI Cares Scholarship, named for the former BICSI president and longtime BICSI Cares volunteer, were David Picariello and Joseph Lentine. Picariello is majoring in electronics engineering technology at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Lentine is majoring in computer information systems at the University of Akron in Akron, OH.

Husband and wife David and Myra Bowling were honored as recipients of the Larry G. Romig Committee Member of the Year award. It was the first time in 12 years that the award went to two individuals rather than one. The Bowlings have dedicated years of service to the BICSI Cares Committee.

Patricia A. Fisher holds the professional designations RCDD, DCDC, OSP and WD, and now also holds the title of the 2012 David K. Blythe/University of Kentucky Award for Outstanding Member of the Year. The award honors "the volunteer spirit of BICSI members, and spotlights one individual ... for outstanding efforts in promoting BICSI's educational programs and commitment to professional development within the industry," BICSI explains. Fisher has been a BICSI member since 1998 and is active on several committees. BICSI specifically noted that she has organized several BICSI Breakfast Club events over the years.

David M. Richards, RCDD, NTS, OSP, ITS Technician, was honored with the Presidential Eagle Award, which is presented to an individual exhibiting leadership, sacrifice, faith in BICSI and dedication over a period of time, the association notes. BICSI commented on Richards' "neverending commitment to spreading ITS education across the globe, as well as for his work on the BICSI Installation Committee, which includes helping to create and implement the BICSI Cabling Skills Challenge."

The Harry J. Pfister Award for Excellence in the Communications Industry, characterized by BICSI as a "lifetime achievement or major accomplishment" award given to an individual in the telecommunications industry, was given to Mark S. Harger. Harger is active on several BICSI committees and "is highly knowledgeable in the field of bonding and grounding," BICSI notes. "His expertise and leadership has been used to help form and publish numerous standards, as well as several BICSI manuals."

CWA likes what it hears from President Obama during State of the Union

On Tuesday, January 24, as President Barack Obama wrapped up his State of the Union address, the Communications Workers of America issued a statement praising the president "for his focus on creating an America that is built to last with an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few."

The statement added that the CWA "strongly supports legislation that would end taxpayer subsidies for corporations that get tax breaks, then move call center jobs offshore, among other measures." It chastised a legislative process that "rewards corporate interests and abandons U.S. workers, when it comes to manufacturing and services."

The statement also is critical of the role corporations play in election processes. "That's why CWA supports measures to limit the outsized and harmful influence of corporate money in U.S. elections," it says.

You can read more about the CWA's political viewpoints, and some of the activities it is planning, here at their website.

FOA says, 'We have your standard right here ... on one page'

In its January 2012 online newsletter, The Fiber Optic Association stated that it is starting a program "to make standards more accessible to the world of users, contractors, designers and installers." Specifically, the association is creating one-page standards, which it says will be "simple explanations of standards that you use all the time but don't need the originals; you just need to understand how to use them.

"We'll cut out all the fluff and give you the info you need," the FOA says. And, knowing FOA founder and president Jim Hayes, I can say with a high degree of confidence that the organization will live up to that promise.

Perhaps anticipating some of the potential backlash at the prospect of a one-page standard, the FOA asked itself: "Can the FOA create standards? And what is a standard anyway?" It then produced the following definition from ISO/IEC Guide 2: 1996 (definition 3.2), which defines a standard as follows:

A document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

The FOA then states, "FOA certification is now internationally accepted and our technical references the first choice for unbiased, technically correct information on fiber optics and premises cabling. It's certainly logical that we would next try to put some order in the chaos of current standards. FOA standards are developed by FOA members whose expertise in the technical areas covered by the standards and whose experience in the industry contributes to FOA standards being accurate, relevant and current."

The FOA didn't just announce its one-page standards in January; it offered one as well. FOA CPL1, which you can access as a PDF here, is (as promised) a one-page description of how to test installed fiber-optic cable plants. It is available for free, as the FOA's other one-page standards will be.

You can read the FOA's January 2012 newsletter here.

Video demonstrates how to test patch cords for standard compliance

In a five-minute video posted to YouTube, Adrian Young, senior technical support engineer with Fluke Networks, demonstrates the procedures for using the company's Category 5e, 6 and 6A patch-cord adapters with the DTX-1800 CableAnalyzer.

In the video Young tests a Category 6A patch cord twice and gets significantly different results. First he runs a test using the channel adapters that come standard with the DTX-1800, plugging one end of the cord into the adapter on the main unit and the cord's other end into the adapter on the remote unit. When he runs a channel test, the tester produces a "pass" result with more than 18-dB near-end crosstalk margin. As the test is taking place, Young explains why it is inadequate - because a channel test ignores the RJ-45 connection between the cord and the test adapter, and also because the channel test allows for four connections and therefore has a lot of "leeway" for performance.

He then removes the cord from the adapaters and removes the adapters from the main and remote units, and replaces them with the patch-cord test adapters. After walking viewers through the steps of setting up the patch-cord-specific test, Young runs the test on the same patch cord. This time it passes, but with a NEXT margin of 3.3 dB - a difference of more than 14 dB from the test conducted with the channel adapter.

Fluke introduced its patch-cord test adapters in spring 2011.

You can watch the video here.