Installation in areas where utilities are underground (no poles and no suspended wires to homes)

General discussions and other topics.
14 posts Page 1 of 2
by Buckster » Sun Jun 11, 2017 10:41 pm
Can Sonic use existing underfround conduit where cable tv and old phone lines are buried? Or does this (no poles, no overhead wires to homes) mean no Sonic fiber will by available in such areas for a long time? I live in Noe Valley area of San Francisco, which is slated for Sonic fiber in the very near future.
by dane » Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:51 am
No, that is not possible, in areas with underground utilities, new conduit would need to be placed. Because SF currently disallows modern "trenchless" construction technologies, this is not feasible. SF is working toward some limited allowance for directional boring (HDD) and micro-trenching (shallow slot-cut installation), but the limits remain TBD, so this may or may not make it practical. We are working closely with SF leadership and staff as standards are developed in hopes it will become viable.
Dane Jasper
Sonic
by Buckster » Mon Jun 12, 2017 2:45 pm
Thanks for the very clear and quick reply, Dane. It is indeed ironic that those who live in a "modernized" neighborhood where utilities have been placed underground in order to remove unsightly poles and wires are actually, as a result, unable to take advantage of state of art fiber to the home data streams. Too bad Comcast can't be required to share space in its conduit. When that pipe was laid it looked like it was about 6 inches in diameter, but that's not enough I guess. Wish the City had made known the limitations that we were being saddled with when they instituted the undergrounding program.

So a word to other neighborhoods pushing to have the City bury their utilities: DONT DO IT UNLESS YOU WILL NOT WANT GIGABIT DATA AVAILABILITY!

Makes one wonder if Comcast would be able to remove its coaxial cable from the underground conduit and replace it with fiberoptic cable . . .
by dane » Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:36 pm
Yes, conduits are owned by each utility - generally they place 1.25" (distribution), 2" (cable) or 4" conduits (on main lines). While there are some limited sharing obligations, they're not meaningful in a residential distribution environment. For example in a 4" conduit you'd place three 1.25" innerducts, and if TWO of these are vacant, another carrier can lease one, for about $0.60/ft. There is seldom availability of two or more conduits in a tapered residential distribution environment, and the cost isn't viable either even if it were available.
Dane Jasper
Sonic
by Buckster » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:43 pm
Thanks again for the quick reply. Seems to be a closed issue. Lose the poles and overhead utilities, then you lose the opportunity for any innovative competitor like Sonic to be able to provide new services like fiber to the home--at least in previously built out neighborhoods. SAD
by dane » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:56 am
Buckster wrote:Thanks again for the quick reply. Seems to be a closed issue. Lose the poles and overhead utilities, then you lose the opportunity for any innovative competitor like Sonic to be able to provide new services like fiber to the home--at least in previously built out neighborhoods. SAD
I don't think it's quite that clear-cut, but you certainly need to allow modern trenchless construction if you'd like to see new utilities built in a previously undergrounded region.
Dane Jasper
Sonic
by Buckster » Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:14 pm
Here's hoping that the city powers allow trench-less construction techniques to be employed. Is it a union issue too?
by dane » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:58 am
Buckster wrote:Here's hoping that the city powers allow trench-less construction techniques to be employed. Is it a union issue too?
Not that I know of.
Dane Jasper
Sonic
by TJohnson » Thu Feb 07, 2019 8:04 pm
What about in Berkeley? I am in an underground area in the hills
by digitalbitstream » Fri Feb 08, 2019 8:57 am
I'm managing a mailing list on the issue of spare space in undergrounding:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum ... -utilities
In Summer 2019 Sonic fiber will be ripped off the poles near Grizzly Peak, and almost certainly not be replaced, for a Berkeley undergrounding project. AT&T is repulling fiber through Berkeley conduit built for copper wire, but they have no obligation to install innderduct or allow dual pull or any form of sharing.
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