There's an article

March 12, 2001 9:52 PM

There's an article in the current issue of Red Herring magazine (p. 58) titled Digital Canals about delivering data through water pipes. Sorry no link to this specific story, it's not up on the site yet. Can anybody shed some light on this technology? More in comments...
posted by JParker (15 comments total)

Dutch startup, Waternet, Inc., is out giving demos of the new technology while they attempt to raise funding. (The waternet.com URL is the web site of Water Technology Magazine, not related.) Favorite quote, "'I've seen a demo and I'm not giving anything away by telling you that we downloaded a feature-length Dutch adult film in roughly five minutes with zero packet loss.' Mr Man added that this feat was easily accomplished by attaching a special nozzle to a faucet in the kitchenette of his offices." And DOE water management specialist Phyllis Coles responds, " Yeah... and I'm the Pope."
posted by JParker at 9:53 PM on March 12, 2001

That wouldn't happen to be the APRIL 1 issue, would it?
posted by kindall at 10:26 PM on March 12, 2001

yeah, seriously. That seems a little bit dumb. I'm pumped. I can't wait to see this shit, and I hope its as cheap as water.
posted by howa2396 at 10:51 PM on March 12, 2001

definitely hoax material
posted by lagado at 10:54 PM on March 12, 2001

I know, I know. Every time I get in the shower, my neighbors hop on Napster.
posted by dhartung at 11:41 PM on March 12, 2001

Well, what can I say, here it is. I thought it was pretty lame.
posted by thijsk2 at 12:38 AM on March 13, 2001

Well, well, who would have guessed?
posted by lagado at 3:24 AM on March 13, 2001

Says right on the site that this is fake.
posted by internook at 4:33 AM on March 13, 2001

Still, the idea of using existing infrastructure to lay fiber is real--sewer pipes will probably be used for this, using fiber-laying robots. So there's just enough of an element of truth to it to make you think twice.
posted by mecran01 at 6:32 AM on March 13, 2001

CityNet Telecom is doing the fiber-through-sewer thing in a few cities right now. It's a great solution to the last mile problem in urban areas. Their homepage is flash-heavy but pretty interesting.
posted by gimli at 8:09 AM on March 13, 2001

Speakaing of laying fibre (no; not meant as smut), the New York Rev of Books has article which states that we bombed close to Bagdad (not "routine" as the president has said) because Iraq had got holdof fibre optic radar stuff from Serbian govt and it was being installed by Chinese technicians. The piece claims we waited till it was a day off for fear that we might mistakenly kill the Chinese technicians, the sort of thing done by our smart bombs (?) earlier.
posted by Postroad at 9:28 AM on March 13, 2001

Yes, kindall, it was the April 1 issue. You caught that pretty quick!
posted by JParker at 9:31 AM on March 13, 2001

CityNet Telecom is doing the fiber-through-sewer thing in a few cities right now. It's a great solution to the last mile problem in urban areas. Their homepage is flash-heavy but pretty interesting.

Shouldn't that be flush-heavy?

posted by rodii at 9:40 AM on March 13, 2001

:)
posted by gimli at 10:16 AM on March 13, 2001

Actually, considering the "shitty" connection speed I usually get, I believe that PacBell employs this method for their DSL infrastructure.
posted by fooljay at 3:57 PM on March 13, 2001