Underground Construction - February 2018 - 25

the same time frame. An additional 31 percent have already
completed fiber deployment to
their customers.
Many of the new fiber networks are underground, but
installation methods vary due to
cost, geographic terrain and other factors. Methods of construction include trenching and static
plowing in open areas, vibratory
plowing and horizontal directional drilling in towns where
it is important to limit surface
damages.
Even though costs are a barrier to fiber deployment, they are
considerably less than the cost to
deploy the copper cable networks
they are replacing. New construction materials and engineering
techniques have helped reduce
deployment costs in recent years.

Ribbon fiber helps reduce both
deployment and operational
costs of fiber networks.
When determining the installation methods, both initial
deployment costs and long-term
operational costs are considered.
In some areas, underground cable installed using cable plows is
the most cost-effective method
of construction. In other areas,
especially where the utility pole
infrastructure is suitable, aerial
construction can be cost effective. New boring techniques have
also made directional boring
practical in a town environment
and also minimizes impacts to
traffic control and soil disturbance. Some companies are also
using micro-trenching, where a
small cut is made in the road or
sidewalk and small (micro) con-

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duits are placed in the trench,
and strands of fiber are blown
in later. Conduit is often placed
during construction to minimize
the cost of future upgrades.
Barrier to deployment
The survey concludes that deployment cost remains the most
significant barrier to widespread
deployment of fiber, followed
by regulatory uncertainty, long
loops, current regulatory rules,
low customer demand, obtaining
financing, fiber order fulfillment
delays, and obtaining cost-effective equipment. Throughout the
history of the survey, deployment cost has been respondents'
most significant concern.
"By law," said Bloomfield,
"Congress has called for a universal service mechanism that is

sufficient and predictable. And
in letters sent to the FCC, Congress has called for updates to
universal service policies that will
enable better, more affordable
broadband for rural Americans.
"However, recent reforms
have laid bare that an insufficient
USF budget and an unpredictable
budget control are chilling broadband investment and preventing
rural consumers from obtaining access to reasonably priced
services.
"The diagnosis of the problem
is now unmistakable, and NTCA
is eager to work with the FCC
and Congress on a cure for the
benefit of the millions of rural
Americans who can't afford
broadband at these rates -
and can't afford for this system
to fail." ■

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Underground Construction - February 2018

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