Berkeley removing Sonic fiber lines?

Internet access discussion, including Fusion, IP Broadband, and Gigabit Fiber!
41 posts Page 2 of 5
by digitalbitstream » Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:01 pm
California Public Utilities Commission
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102

Regarding R.17-05-010 on Rule 20A Projects

Dear CPUC;

I am a consumer living in an area that hopes to see underground utilities in the future.

I'm concerned because nearby underground projects have included no expansion space: only AT&T and Comcast have participated in the joint trench. This action has locked in the incumbency of those carriers despite the fact the trench exists on public land. I ask the CPUC to modify Rule 20A to place all communications companies, present and future, on the same footing and most likely sharing the same conduit. It's possible now for a telecommunication provider (such as the one I use for home Internet) to attach to a pole. The same concept should apply in a trench: with sufficient expansion space available for the future.
Full rulemaking request for comment:
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/E ... 978985.PDF
by ankh » Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:42 pm
Thank you for posting that. I borrowed and slightly amended your text, and emaled the CPUC.

Dane pointed out we can do this, see his posting in this thread Mon Dec 24, 2018 4:44 pm

Hurry, there's a deadline for comments: January 11th


Regarding R.17-05-010 on Rule 20A Projects

Dear CPUC;

I am a consumer living in an area that hopes to see underground utilities in the future.

I'm concerned because nearby underground projects have included no expansion space: only AT&T and Comcast have participated in the joint trench.

This action has locked in the incumbency of those carriers despite the fact the trench exists on public land.

I ask the CPUC to modify Rule 20A to place all communications companies, present and future, on the same footing and most likely sharing the same conduit. It's possible now for a telecommunication provider (such as the one I use for home Internet) to attach to a pole. The same concept should apply in a trench: with sufficient expansion space available for the future, empty pipes with pull rope in them to allow pulling in new communications fiber should be the default assumption for any new street trench.

It is insane to lock out businesses providing telecommunications service using utility poles when those poles are removed and trenches dug to replace them.
by digitalbitstream » Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:32 pm
I've created a mailing list for those interested:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum ... -utilities
by chrissamuel » Mon May 27, 2019 10:39 pm
Hey folks,

Just wondering if there's been any updates on this?

The Google group isn't public (just says "You do not have permission to access this content. (#418)") and I can see people on Nextdoor in the area agitating for services to go underground because of the fear of bushfires (which is understandable).

All the best,
Chris
by John Ingham » Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:04 pm
Dane and or company,

It is looking like the UUD 48 under-grounding project is actually going to happen. We have met City / PG&E team members a couple of times in the last month and talked about the impact on us with under-grounding happening on both ends of our property, Summit and Grizzly. Both times we met and mentioned Sonic we got shrugs. The issue of Sonics inclusion in the under-grounding seems to be up in the air yet.

Update?

We love the fiber and hope all the work you did does not do to waste. Certainly we do not like the alternatives expensive and slow.

John Ingham
1492 Summit Road
Berkeley CA 94708

510-898-1742
by stephencsu » Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:25 pm
by dane » Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:56 am
We still haven't heard from the City or PG&E about if or when this project will occur. Last time I checked, it was still "TBD" on the City's website. I'll inquire, because maybe they just haven't updated the info there.
Dane Jasper
Sonic
by stephencsu » Fri Jan 10, 2020 3:20 pm
From https://www.berkeleyundergrounding.com/ ... r-yourself

This is just a question submitted regarding an audit of the undergrounding program, but it is relevant to Sonic customers in the affected district.
Who is in charge of Complete Project Close Out? What can be done to make it happen in a timely manner?

According to the audit report PG&E considers 20A projects complete when powerlines are removed and utility poles are topped. Unfortunately this is NOT project completion for the communities involved. They are left with pole stumps, double poles supporting various and sundry telecommunication cables and equipments. Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Sonic etc are all notorious for years long, slow and/or incomplete pole removal. The poster child for this is the Marin Avenue 20A Utility Undergrounding District in Albany CA. A second local example of PG&E and Telecoms at cross purposes, is UUD 48 in Berkeley CA. This project was authorized almost 30 years ago. Apparently construction is about to start now in 2020, but the telecom Sonic Inc. was inadvertently permitted to hang cables and equipment during the course of the last 2 years (2018/19) while the UUD48 design was being finalized. Sonic has stated that they will not provide service to areas where utilities are underground. Sonic apparently will not be participating in the UUD48 undergrounding because they claim it will be too expensive for the “little guy” Sonic and they can not compete with the “big guys” AT&T and Comcast. Making no judgement about that, what motivation will the installed Telecoms, including Sonic, have to remove their cables and equipment from the utility poles when UUD48 is complete? Who will enforce the timely removal?
by egeoffroy » Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:02 pm
Our neighborhood has had underground for 10+ years. Sonic has been up on all the poles around our area, but they seem to be avoiding the underground utilities areas. Homes on the bordering streets have fiber. I'm starting to thing underground utilities is the kiss of death.
by stephencsu » Thu Nov 05, 2020 7:09 pm
The City of Berkeley Public Works Department Engineering Division mailed letters dated October 29, 2020 informing residents that the first phase of Grizzly Peak/Summit UUD #48 is starting soon. "As part of this work, PG&E's contractor will be evaluating your electric panel and recording key information for use in the UUD process. Your electric service and other utility services will not be impacted during this phase of the project. The evaluations are scheduled to being in November 2020."

Three utility companies were explicitly named in the letter, PG&E, AT&T, and Comcast.
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