red to represent fiber to the office (FTTO), although this author is not aware of the second term currently being used. However, rather than discuss the routing of fiber-optic cable directly into an office building under the term fiber to the home, this author will use the term fiber to the office to represent the routing of optical fiber into office buildings. The title of this chapter stems from the fact that the routing of fiber to the curb, home, or office normally occurs from a central point within a neighborhood. In this chapter we will first focus on the current and evolving local infrastructure of the two primary operators of communications ser- vices in the neighborhood: telephone companies and cable TV (CATV) operators. In SO doing, we will note that both local telephone compa- nies and CATV operators are changing their network infrastructure by routing fiber into neighborhoods, which can include fiber to the curb. However, because of the high cost associated with rewiring hundreds of millions of existing last-drop twisted-pair and coaxial-cable connec- tions, it is doubtful that fiber to the home will become anything other than a limited networking strategy. Recognizing this, we will conclude this chapter by describing and discussing where fiber to the home makes economic sense. The Existing Telephone Company Infrastructure This section focuses on the existing telephone company network infra- structure at the local level. We will note how subscribers are serviced by a central or end office and why modern broadband communications support requires a modification to the existing telephone company infrastructure at the local level. Team-Fly® Fiber in the Neighborhood Overview The telephone company represents a technology that is over 100 years old. During this period of time the basic infrastructure of most tele- phone companies at the local level has remained relatively stable. At the local level of the telephone company a central or end office is used to interconnect subscribers within a limited geograph