Intermediate speed radio operator was my third job after shooting rifles and knowing how to crimp caps with my teeth. Not.

We used to see that where I grew up then lived for a while knowing the area occasionally got snow storms with outages of 3-5 days the amount of people unprepared was mind boggling. Meanwhile we just chunked wood in the wood stove, cooked on the top of it and continued with christmas or whatever.

I use that same thing in my writings as Science Fiction. Two neat things about SF if you can't explain it don't but it's better if you have some grasp of the subject. Second real science has a way of outstripping SF and these days today's fantasy is tomorrows ho hum. But it did get me interested in the true sciences again and that is a big adventure.

Back to real life my old unit used to conduct what are called 'target tours' going from installation to installation bridges, dams, generators, and more. We studied them structurally and looked for weak points to exploit . One of the rules was percent of damage and how could you damage something without really harming it to cause a delay in it's use. An example a bridge left standing but the approach and access ramps put out of action. That's the first step a demonstrated ability and demonstrated will to use the ability. The second step is double down by announcing or leaving information lying around about some follow up. 9/11 followed by anthrax followed by the suggested use of crop dusters worked rather well. Follow that by suggested use of mmmmm what's current? Use of immigrants especially from areas like Syria .....The original event has not been repeated but we're still reacting to it. Even to the point although it didn't stop the home grown variety from taking office. Yet. Follow up events are more psychological than mechanical. Both are effective. Economic warfare is perhaps the worst. The events of 2008 the genesis for that cycle.

To all of the above. The most efficient and safest way of transporting energy is in the form of electricity but don't touch. The exception is power users needing diesel. Gasoline I could do without and I'd like to see LPG replaced with CNG again for safety reasons. It's the one weak link on my boat.

Cables are laid by drilling sideways or horizontally 20 to 50 feet down and usually following a city street or highway. In the country they often use big ditchers, lay the cable then cover them over. the main 'hole' is 10 to 12" wide. One fitting that replaces the directional drill head (allows it to shift it's path left right up down) is a harness for towing back the tubing that will eventually house the fibers. As I recall it was eight with seven packed around a center tube.Space withing the tube or on the fibers is leased or rented out by the owner SPRINT does a lot of that if not most along with cell and cable companies. The center tube however carries the goverrnment circuits. As one of the tech guys says your conversation or surfing habits are only 4" away. the number of fibers in each tube is thousands and each carries frequency controlled multiple conversations. they don't enlarge carryingcapacity by drilling more holes but with electronic boxes that can ...in layman's term, shove more in the same space (the width of the fiber.) so the original hole didn't have to be that big.

Where they are vulnerable is crossing slung underneath high bridges the rest is deep underground.

Anyway NSA and whom ever is no more than 4" away. What they have to capture and sort out the various means of communication is beyond my pay grade. I got off when code keys were still standard (little devices to allow you to tap out dots and dashes.) I just though code key has an entirely new meaning in only thirty years.

This one was a really long reply..I'll give it a day or so then delete it.

Yes. Like radios and TV we have freedom of reading