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Technology Stocks : Qwest Communications (Q) (formerly QWST) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Curtis E. Bemis who wrote (2489)	12/8/1998 12:12:00 AM
From: Marion Barker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6846

Not sure what state Roger is from but they are currently running the conduit from Atlanta, Ga to Charlotte, NC. They were about half way there about a month ago. The conduit reels and metal conduit is still on the side of the track in the nearby town. Hope this is helpful.

To: Curtis E. Bemis who wrote (2489)	12/8/1998 8:56:00 AM
From: Roger Hess	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6846

I live in Tallahassee, Florida, which was mentioned in the article in Wired magazine. The train was headed East towards Lake City and Jacksonville. It sounded like most of the trains were in the Florida area. Since it was on a Sunday, my impression is they are working seven days a week. Also, when they mentioned Level 3, I think their views were that of a construction worker. I got the idea that, with Qwest getting closer to finishing its network, some of the workers were headed over to Level 3 for work. They said Level 3 was building a bigger network than Qwest, but Qwest would be the first one finished. One other thing. The five conduits are layed down vertically, with the upmost being four feet below the surface of the ground. The two Quest lines are buried the deepest, which I'm sure helps when a line is severed from above! It must be interesting, some of the situations they get in to when trying to lay the conduit. Going along a track in the middle of nowhere is one thing, but going under roads, over bridges, etc., must present its challenges. I asked them if they ever dug up anything interesting and they said about the biggest thing was wheels and axles that had been buried. The plow pulls them up with ease. Now for the interesting part. What about other communication lines? Buried fiber is supposed to be marked, but once in awile, someone digs up a fiber line, moves it, and doesn't indicate it on the maps. Then, someone else comes along thinking nothing is there and ..... That was why I was curious how much it costs when you sever a fiber line. I hear it can bankrupt an individual in a couple of minutes.