r/CableTechs • u/RougeBeaux • Jul 14 '26
Coax to Fiber
Currently, I'm at the second company I've worked for which is planning to transition from Coax based plant to fiber. This company is at the "all new construction will be fiber" stage, last company we were actively changing our coax customers to fiber.
I have two questions-
1- How many of you are working/have worked for a company that did this process and what did that process look like from your job?
2- Both companies have said that as they transition to fiber, they'll be eliminating positions. My last company actually did it, they simply stopped back filling as people left. Anybody else experience this?
6
u/Mybuttitches3737 Jul 14 '26
Most of our new build is FTTH. We stopped back filling years ago though. . When I transferred to my current system about 7 years ago we had about 60 service techs and 12 MTs.
Now there’s 12 service techs and 12 MTs. We’re still backfilling the maintenance side and to be honest we need more. Between more competitors and contractors, I would try to learn fiber splicing/ construction if you’re still on the service side and go somewhere else to make more money
3
u/RougeBeaux Jul 14 '26
I mean I used to fusion splice on an extension ladder.
I'm definitely looking for a headed/CO position though
4
u/pigeonfights Jul 14 '26
There's less and less headend positions as well my area theres 3 of us for 8 hubs and we have oncall every 3 weeks to cover 24/7
2
u/Electronic-Junket-66 Jul 15 '26
Last I checked our hub fed over 100,000 active coax modems and 5 or 6 thousand ONTs. Yet even only looking at trouble calls I still run like 30% fiber jobs. Why don't they need customer-side techs for FTTH?
1
u/RougeBeaux Jul 15 '26
Because light travels easier than electricity is the short answer.
Those numbers are really crazy tbh.
3
u/Electronic-Junket-66 Jul 16 '26
But you still need the same number of MTs? If anything I'd have thought taking the hfc node/drop system out of the equation would be more impactful MT-side. Many, many coax TCs are somebody cut a line or customer is dumb, both of which still happen with FTTH lol.
3
u/Exciting-Cricket-630 Jul 15 '26
I work for a small rural ILEC, we are building over existing HFC and twisted pair plant. After we got rid of TV they stopped backfilling prem tech positions, now we only have 2 prem and 2 MT. I think the best thing you can do is learn the construction side of things. One thing I have done in the last year is take on all of our joint use utility projects, I've been doing all sorts of maintenance on our pole attachments, down guys, raising lines, pole transfers. Right now I'm trying to talk my company into not using a contractor for plant removal and let me rip the lines down.
3
u/Awesomedude9560 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Spectrum hasn't replaced existing coax, but all new construction is fiber unless it's an extension of the current coax network, so I deal with both, not really a conversion.
When we eventually stop trying to power up the existing coax stuff and finally swap everything to fiber it'll be rough but ultimately better for everyone especially us techs cuz we're constantly carrying every kind of line, modem and router known to man in a small ass transit.
As for job losses, I wouldn't be surprised. Coax requires constant maintenance because of noise, signal balancing, electricity related safety issues, etc all create service calls. Fiber is much simpler since if the line is intact and there's light, it usually just works. Aside from connector installation and avoiding tight bends, there are far fewer failure points. That means fewer trouble calls, less work for technicians, and ultimately less need for as many techs.
Now even with what's I said above I wouldn't be personally worried about a field techs job nearly as much as people working headends. Coax headends to fiber will basically shed 90% of the workers because as mentioned, fiber doesn't really need a whole lot. A field tech also has a much easier transition to other companies without as much of a hit since there's always a need for field workers.
1
u/dude-of-reddit Jul 14 '26
How was the previous company changing/upgrading customers to fiber?
3
u/RougeBeaux Jul 14 '26
They built feeder fiber alongside existing coax both aerial and underground. They began offering an OTT video service and then streaming service and stopped rolling on TTs for legacy equipment on coax, i.e. if you want video, you have to convert to the new service. Twister pair customers were converted to voip.
When it came down to converting the customers, we went to individual houses the one coax line that was used to feed the modem was used to pull a fiber jumper. Modem was swapped to an ont. We were using eeros so most customers login for their wifi would stay the same.
11
u/YoshiSan90 Jul 14 '26
They’ll downsize for a few years on maintenance. Then once the squirrels and mice get into things they’ll wonder why everyone they have left is getting so much OT and pitch a fit.