Fiber optics is the future of the telecom industry as consumers, businesses, and data centers increase demand for high-speed communications to transmit voice, data, and images. In response, electric utility companies across the country are preparing their utility poles for future fiber optic cable attachments. This process brings challenges related to regulatory compliance, ground and conductor clearance standards, permitting, coordination between third-party organizations requesting connections, and Federal Communications Commission-mandated time limits. Wade Trim helps utilities address these challenges under the umbrella of their Make Ready Engineering programs for utilities in nine states.

Collaborating closely with utilities and proposed attaching third parties has been integral to confirming utility poles are safe, reliable, and comply with all regulatory standards. Field staff visit pole locations to record measurements that are used to develop engineering estimates outlining the work needed to bring the poles up to code and maintain proper clearances between high voltage, low voltage, communication lines, and the ground. Other critical items regularly examined include conductor weight, attachment points, ownership of attachments, and cable height. Recommended solutions include increased pole heights and re-engineered pole assets to accept third-party attachments. We also help incorporate these data points and GPS coordinates into utilities’ mapping and GIS models.

Our team supports an ongoing, fast-paced workflow and project load for each utility. At times, solutions for a single pole can require coordination with 10 different cable or third-party communication companies. Typical projects include application packages of 15 to 50 utility poles, and project load averages 5 to 10 packages a day.