Building Broadband

STEPS TO BUILDING A BROADBAND NETWORK

CVFiber will need to deploy several different sets of contractors or technicians for each community that we’re building in, in order to construct a broadband network. Below is an overview of these stages of the network build, and listed the types of contractors that may be in your area throughout each stage. All work is done in compliance with town and state permit requirements.  

  1. Design: The comprehensive “planning period” of our build occurs during Design.
  2. Field Data Collection: Once Design has been completed, it is field verified. The role of a Field Collector is to make sure the design “on paper” makes sense on the ground, which involves detailed pole inspection. Field Collectors gather all the information that the installation team will need, preliminarily inspect existing infrastructure in the area, and identify potential changes.
  3. Permits and Licenses: Our Right-of-Way Specialist is often looking for areas where we can place equipment cabinets in a central location for that town/area. 
  4. Make-Ready Rideout:  Make-ready is the process of making the utility poles ready for the fiber to be installed to it.  The Make-ready rideout is usually conducted by the local electric company, the communications company, and CVFiber.  During this rideout, the work that needs to be done to make the poles ready for CVFiber to attach to is agreed on by all of the parties. 
  5. Make-Ready Work: Make-ready work is usually done by the electric utility or their contractor.  This work can range from changing a pole out, to moving wires and equipment on a pole to make room for our fiber attachment. 
  6. Tree Trimming: Though the pole owners do some tree trimming on their own, our subcontractors may need to do some as well, in order to install the fiber on the cable. This may be necessary in order to navigate a right-of-way, or to ensure that the fiber isn’t likely to come down during the next wind or snow storm.  
  7. Underground: Sometimes, there are gaps between poles.  In these situations, we may need to place conduit underground to string the fiber.  You may see different types of equipment for boring or trenching. 
  8. Construction Rideouts:  When the steps above are completed and ready, construction crews will head out together on a Construction Rideout to look at the details of the build. 
  9. Construction Build:  Construction Build happens in phases, and encompasses getting our strand (the wire that the fiber attaches to) on the poles, and then spliced to the fiber. It is one of the most time-consuming steps, because each of the phases requires its own crew of technicians, and can only occur once the prior crew has completed their phase.
  10. Installation/Site Survey: Once we are ready for subscribers, we will do site surveys to assess what needs to be done on the ground to bring the fiber from the last pole to each subscriber’s service point. CVFiber will continue to keep our communities updated on the progress of this critical build. Thank you for your patience and involvement!

TO IDENTIFY A CONTRACTOR WHO MAY BE WORKING ON BEHALF OF CVFIBER:

  1. Vehicles may have a CVFiber sign on the vehicle’s door;
  2. Contractors have agreed that their employees will have identifying information on them;
  3. CVFiber will provide regular updates to our member communities through our delegates, Front Porch Forum, our website and through updates with local utility companies.