Automating The Make-Ready Process for Telcos and Cable Operators With Geospatial Technologies

"Covid has moved the US 10 years forward."

This is something I recently read and have been pondering. The article in question was discussing the Internet, and how it is becoming viewed in the same way as utilities: electricity, oil, water.

An essential part of life.

But there is a problem!

Huge swathes of the US are rural. In many of these areas Internet access is either spotty or completely absent. That has put the US is in fast catch-up mode. New Federal funding, such as the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, is now in place to fast-track universal broadband access.

Both the telco and cable operators are frantically building out their infrastructures, in particular their fiber networks. Where to run that fiber is an ongoing challenge. Often the focus is on utility poles; to piggy-back off the power infrastructure.

The fiber make-ready rollout involves many steps, these include:

• Feasibility Studies - Finding which poles and routes to use
• Clearance studies - is there space on the pole for attachments?
• Agreements with pole owners (often utilities or rural telecom companies)
• Permitting from local authorities
• Equipment placement on the pole (given competing interests)
• Collaboration between stakeholders
• Post-installion inspection (positioning and clearance) or QA/QC

There are many activities conducted by different groups within telco and cable organizations as there are many stakeholders.

It can be a complex and confusing process, which is not helped by the array of technologies and manual methods used in the make-ready rollout.

Does Geospatial Data and Technology Change the Game?

Though it has been around for nearly 50 years GIS and geospatial data and technology remain poorly understood. Geospatial means place on earth. In our digital world that translates to location-centric data and technology. Think distributed people and things. For telcos and cable operators, in this discussion, that means first poles and secondarily field staff working on those poles.

Let's discuss briefly how geospatial potentially simplifies the make-ready rollout process. We will break down the conversation into 5 key areas:

1) Where?

2D digital maps are a powerful way to visualize distributed assets (poles) and help to answer those critical where questions (fiber route mapping and pole discovery). But more than visualization, the digital data which powers these maps serves as a spatial index. Translating, this geospatial data can be used to link all pole related data together (more on this topic in a moment).

2) What?

2D digital maps provide the where, spherical imagery and 3D models provide the what. Imagery is very powerful. Individual assets (poles, equipment, and lines) can be viewed and assessed. Helping in feasibility studies, starting with the question, is there space on the pole?

3D and interactive imagery from point clouds takes that to the next level. Thanks to advances in LIDAR technology, it is now possible to view poles from the office as if you were in the field: digital reality or digital twin.

3) Collaboration

The fiber make-ready rollout involves many stakeholders: telcos, cable companies, utilities, local authorities, and contractors. Collaboration can be very complex. Disputes are common. Geospatial data and technology serve as a central point of collaboration. Collaborators can visualize poles in 2D interactive maps, imagery, and digital reality. Related pole data: documents, plans, agreements, can also be viewed, all from a single access point.

4) Coordination

Make-ready rollout deployment involves office to field coordination. That can be very challenging, not only coordinating the work, but recording what was done. Geospatial simplifies this process. The combination of Mobile Lidar Acquisition, web-based tools for managers and mobile apps, which leverage a central geospatial database that is linked to work management systems, provides tight coordination between operational staff.

5) QA/QC post construction

NESC Clearances are essential in the construction process on the front end of design and engineering to the QA of the work performed by contractors. It is critical to keep detailed and accurate information along with images to ensure the integrity of your network and for the defense of any violations. Actionable intelligence from Mobile Lidar Acquisition is quick, accessible, and accurate for clearance measurements on newly constructed assets which may prevent costly fines.

Closing Thoughts

Geospatial data and technology has long been the bastion of experts. Finally, it is coming out of the shadows, and being used more widely. New data and technology are powering a new geospatial age.

This article focused on the telcos and cable operators, and described how geospatial can be used to help simplify the make-ready rollout.

In so many industries geospatial can be a game changer.