Forth Road Bridge Closure etc

Has anyone any idea of the routes taken by Fibre-Optic for FTTC etc, to get from the south side of the Forth to the north side, Fife and points further north?

Are there any alternative routes?

Possible effects on PSTN, Mobiles etc?

Why do you think that communications will be affected?

There may be telecoms cables across the bridge, however there are a number of underwater cables across the Firth of Forth.

Routes to and through Scotland will be quite diverse with traffic going on both East and West coast routes. If any services are disrupted by the bridge closure, I would suggest that there will still be enough capacity - maybe just a small increment to latency for some

In reply to a post by eckiedoo:

Has anyone any idea of the routes taken by Fibre-Optic for FTTC etc, to get from the south side of the Forth to the north side, Fife and points further north?

When they say 'bridge closed' I doubt that applies to electronic or optical signals. It's not like the cables weigh more when a signal is flowing though them

Only way I can see comms across the bridge ceasing is if it moved enough to sever the fibre links, i.e. almost collapsed

I remember something about when they did some previous renovation that they could not do some work because of fibre-optic cables running through "unprotected".

edit to add:

This document refers to services and fibre optic - could be telecom fibre ...

Atkins document and search for fibre optic.

Edited by MHC (Fri 04-Dec-15 18:29:33)

Yes, Andrew.

Possibly I should have expressed the questions in terms of complete collapse; or at least complete severance of any public communications making use of the FRB.

I recollect back in the 1970s when we lost phones and dial-up at the former Donibristle Airfield on the north side, when the older type, uninsulated, twin-copper was broken at the Rail Bridge - hence my question.

Later in that same decade, we again lost those facilities when a rotovator went through our "underground" cables.

Edited by deleted (Fri 04-Dec-15 18:57:41)

Picture of the commute across this morning ... Image

In reply to a post by MHC:

Picture of the commute across this morning ... Image

Guy on right drowned out by the wind!

"It's now or never"

In reply to a post by MHC:

Picture of the commute across this morning ... Image

I found Waldo, what do I win

Paul

To be the First across it after repair?


My late brother, although not involved in its construction in any way, was one of the first "Non-Briggers" to cross, just after the first safe path for visitors was established, about 18 months before it was officially opened.

My lady-wife, our son and myself crossed it on the first Saturday afternoon after the official opening. There is a photo of us boarding the tour bus in one of Gavin Booth's early bus books.

The proposed re-instated ferry has not appeared yet.

I wonder if the temporary hovercraft crossing of about 5 years back, may re-appear, although it would probably not run under the present windy conditions.

Think the only operational hovercraft in the UK are crossing the solent to the IOW.

I think you are correct; but Stagecoach and the various authorities had the use of one in 2007, for demonstration purposes, from Kirkcaldy Beach by the old Stagecoach/Fife garage, to Portobello Beach, by the Marine Gardens Garage of originally Edinburgh Corporation Buses, now Lothian Transport.

We travelled on it, from Kirkcaldy to Portobello, followed by LT bus to Princes Street, walked to St Andrew's Square Bus Station; and Stagecoach Fife bus over the FRB and back to Kirkcaldy - about 70 miles, free!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzqE1o4Rlng