Berkeley removing Sonic fiber lines?

[darrinlee44]

Switched from Comcast/Xfinity to Sonic years ago and have never been happier. It's really gonna hurt that my only two options will be Comcast or ATT when this happens.

[dane]

An update on this old topic:

The Rule 20 work in the area is finally reaching an end, and unfortunately the team here at Sonic have informed me that Berkeley is not accepting the microtrenching construction process that could allow us to rebuild there. I had hoped this would be a good opportunity to roll out the new CA state  microtrenching standards in Berkeley, which would potentially allow us reach many pockets of the City where utilities are underground, but I’m being told we reached an impasse, despite the state law.

There is pressure now to remove the remaining infrastructure from the poles so that they can be removed. As a result, Sonic fiber customers in the region can expect a service discontinuation notification in the near future so that we can begin that removal process. I know this is a disappointing outcome for the folks affected in that neighborhood, and I’m sorry.

[daissfechner]

I don’t understand the sudden Sept 30 deadline. At least in our area (Summit Rd) the PG&E connections to each house have not been done, so there is no way the underground power system can be activated any time soon, and therefore the poles cannot be taken down any time soon either. What am I missing to understand the sudden urgency?

[timabe]

I'm curious what alternatives residents in the Berkeley Hills are planning on using when sonic disconnects at the end of September. I called AT&T to inquire about fiber internet, but they basically told me they couldn't service my house with fiber or any other sort of technology. Is comcast the only option now? I hope not. I suppose there is starlink too, but that's pretty expensive.

[joevansteen]

When I asked AT&T indicated they were intending on replacing the overhead lines in UUD-48 with fiber. Comcast will bury COAX, the same as whet they have on the poles. The major problem is the timing of the installation of the underground lines versus the date Sonic has announced for a discontinuation of service. Sonic has announced a September 30 service termination. The new underground communications lines may not, probably will not, be installed by that date. Comcast, if you have it, will probably provide continuous service, less interruption on the day your house would be rewired for any changes in the comcast service. For If you wait for AT&T, they will most likely be a break in service between when Sonic disconnects and before AT&T provides underground connections. The other option is 5G. Service availability can be determined by look-up by address. I tried lookup with Verizon and it was literally house by house, yes/no, on the same block.

[amayfield]

The 9/30 date to remove our infrastructure from the utility poles was assigned to us by the city of Berkeley. Thanks to feedback from you folks here on the forums and elsewhere the city has been receptive to a continued conversation about this and appear amenable to possibly extending that date and revisiting our microtrenching proposal. We'll be sending updates about all of this via email so I'd urge everyone here to make sure we have a good contact email on file for you.

[apl]

There is an article up on Berkeleyside about this:
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2024/08/20 ... s-shut-off
Mostly it is the same information available in this thread, but with a little more detail on some points.

I live on a street in another part of Berkeley with undergrounded utilities, so also have an interest in Sonic being able to provide service with microtrenching. I hope that Sonic will continue to provide updates on that issue here or somewhere else public, not just in emails to those in the hills. It may also be helpful for the city to know that there are other Berkeley resident Sonic customers who would benefit from that.

[joevansteen]

Can someone from Sonic please actually explain how micro-trenching is being proposed to work.

"(3) "Microtrench" means a narrow open excavation trench that is less than or equal to 4 inches in width and not less than 12 inches in depth and not more than 26 inches in depth and that is created for the purpose of installing a subsurface pipe or conduit."

I assume this describes how the main internet service line that would otherwise be placed on a utility pole would be buried in the street, and that the cost of the street trenching would be borne by Sonic. The critical question is: (1) how would lateral lines from that main line be provided to each customer's residence, (2) who would pay for that lateral trench, (3) what is the estimated cost for a typical customer in the UUD-48 district, (4) does the cost estimate include restoration of landscape and property disruption after such lateral trenching is accomplished, and (5) would Sonic be willing to commit to fixed price contacting for such lateral trenches if the customer would ultimately be expected to bear the cost?

My estimate is that the cost of such a trench for my property, and many of my neighbors, would be in the range of multiple thousands of dollars per house.

[chrissamuel]

Hi there,

Just wondering if there was any update on this yet please? The last email update from August said services would remain operational until "at least April 2025" which is great, but that's now just 3 months away.

All the best,
Chris

[ngufra]

I'm curious what alternatives residents in the Berkeley Hills are planning on using when sonic disconnects at the end of September. I called AT&T to inquire about fiber internet, but they basically told me they couldn't service my house with fiber or any other sort of technology. Is comcast the only option now? I hope not. I suppose there is starlink too, but that's pretty expensive.

Is LMI still doing microwave links?
I think they used to do Motorola canopy or something similar.
You would need line of sight to one of their antennas and speed in a lot lower than fiber