i agree with yanksheels1 ... i started out in coaxial splicing back in 1992... and was making an average of about 50.00hr as a tapper... (trainie who only splices in taps) which meant i climbed more poles and made less than my trainer... and God love him for it... he gave me a knowledge that brought me a very good income in the early ninties ... until everybody became contractors bidding and underbidding jobs until there was nothing left for the subs to make a living anymore.
i made at my peak as much as 245.00 hour on midnight bridger splicing.
and averaged about 125.00 just doing OSP newbuild, rebuild, upgrades and retro fits.on any regular given day...
paid 6,000.00 and 4 weeks at Seicor in Catawba County NC working in conjuction with Commscope fiber just to get entry level certification to splice fiber...
but now that knowledge is worth a whole 14-20.00 hour is quite a sickening thought.
but another poster also made a good arguement... fiber is the new implemented distibution and transmission, it has been on the poles since 1973 and was to the facility for our goverment since 1973... and now it has been released to be used in full customer distribution to the home no longer just to the node.
so pretty much whoever wishes to have some options to go around the country or the world... they will need more fiber knowledge and less coaxial.. telco twist pair has been dead for the last 10 years the only reason its still available is distant rural homes and in areas without coaxial service... coaxial is dying just as twist copper has been and will only hold on in the rural areas as well... and fiber is the new consumer offered product demanded in all metro cities... and wireless services have yet to meet the speeds and data bandwidth needed to compete... our consumer are demanding fiber services more and more each day ... and only those companies offering it will be successfully employing workers... it all comes down to internet speeds and reliability, and fiber has it hands down no comparison... you better learn it, and do it well ... or be the best fry cook you can be... or you could work in the factories manufacturing fiber cable and equipment... you always have to be willing to be flexible and learn all opurtunities given in this industry... if you go stale or closed minded to believe that what you know is all you need to know... you will go hungry...
