Telecom/Electric
Lumos to build 2,000 miles of fiber optic network in Ohio with $230 million investment
Lumos announced its expansion into the state of Ohio with a $230 million investment to build nearly 2,000 miles of its 100% Fiber Optic network, providing homes and small businesses in Mahoning and Trumbull County with access to life-changing internet.
Wisconsin utility to improve storm-related outages with $106 million undergrounding investment
We Energies, the state’s largest electrical utility, is proposing a $106 million investment over the next two years to bury overhead power lines and upgrade equipment to improve outage isolation and increase system automation. Currently, 45% of its lines are underground.
T-Mobile to expand fiber broadband infrastructure footprint with $4.9 billion Metronet acquisition
T-Mobile will have full responsibility for residential customer acquisition and support, leveraging its differentiated retail, marketing, brand and service model, and will utilize Metronet’s deep digital and fiber infrastructure expertise to expand to more households with fiber broadband services. Metronet will focus on build plans, network engineering and design, network deployment, and customer installation.
Texas governor demands CenterPoint Energy improve preparedness following Hurricane Beryl power failures
Governor Abbott directed CenterPoint to provide the Office of the Governor with an action plan by July 31, 2024, on how they will address current power issues and reduce the possibility that power is lost in the future:
Xcel Energy updates $1.9 billion wildfire mitigation plan with undergrounding measures
Xcel Energy is making physical investments to reduce the risk of utility-caused wildfires. These measures include targeted undergrounding of power lines, line rebuilds, and non-expulsion upgrades in Tier 2 and Tier 3 risk areas.
GoNetspeed connects over 4,800 customers to fiber optic network in Massachusetts
Through this deployment, Ludlow is the second Massachusetts community that is equipped with GoNetspeed’s high-speed internet access, providing access to 100% fiber internet to more than 4,800 homes and businesses.
Rocky Mountain Power to underground 35 miles of power lines to prevent wildfires
In addition to burying power lines underground, RMP plans to apply protective coatings to some lines to prevent sparks and has installed 480 weather stations for continuous monitoring and risk modeling.
Kinetic to bury over five miles of fiber optic infrastructure following devastating Iowa tornado
This investment will add to the already existing 10,600 ft (about 2 miles) of Kinetic fiber optic cable in the area. Kinetic's Iowa-based fiber network, about 12,400 miles, is 16 times larger than the total length of Iowa's 782 miles of federal interstates.
Dominion Energy Virginia buries 2,000 miles of power lines underground ahead of hurricane season
Launched in 2014 to reduce storm-related power outages and shorten restoration times, the program focuses on burying power lines in the most outage-prone areas. The company plans to bury several thousand additional miles of overhead lines as the program continues in the coming years.
Metronet to fund Loves Park, Ill., fiber optic network with $9 million investment
Construction activities began earlier this month, with the first customers beginning to receive service this fall. Metronet vehicles will be seen around the city, installing fiber-optic cable on telephone poles and underground.
Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
Berkeley city officials are pressing Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to include their city in a plan to underground 10,000 miles of power lines in regions with the highest fire danger, The Berkeley Scanner reported.
Fiber Broadband Association advocates for retiring copper in favor of future-proof fiber
FBA's new white paper argues that many telecommunications providers still face unnecessary expenses and complexity by maintaining legacy copper infrastructure, despite having migrated to fiber in core and access networks.
Ripple Fiber to expand fiber optic network to 45,000 residents in North Carolina
Residents across multiple municipalities in the area now or will soon have access to the provider’s 10GB-ready fiber internet network: Waxhaw, Wesley Chapel, Monroe, Sun Valley, Indian Trail, Weddington, Lake Park, and Stallings.
Unprecedented storms raise questions about undergrounding Houston’s power lines
Currently, Houston has extensive underground distribution and transmission lines, but the high costs and challenges associated with burying more lines, particularly in developed areas and flood-prone regions, are significant obstacles.
Telecom industry predicts boost in fiber optic networks to support growing AI, global study shows
A key theme from the study is the opinion that AI will enhance network performance. To achieve this, participants believe new solutions across fiber network infrastructure and operations will be required. In fact, 99% respondents believe they will need to upgrade fiber-optic networks to support more AI traffic.
Broadband installations are the leading cause of underground infrastructure damage in Minnesota, report finds
Telecommunications crews are frequently encountering electric lines and natural gas pipes underground, resulting in an average of more than 1.25 strikes per day.
Lowndes County, Ga., to bring fiber internet to 16,000 locations with $39 million public private partnership
Construction has already started and is expected to provide multi-gig internet speeds to eligible homes and businesses across the counties. This project will be critical in providing high-speed internet to underserved and unserved residents in the counties.
Meridiam breaks ground on “historic” fiber optic infrastructure investment in Memphis, Tenn.
Blue Suede Networks, a Memphis-based fiber-to-the-premises network developer owned and financed by Meridiam, is contracted to develop, build, finance, and manage a high-speed fiber-optic network that will pass at least 85% of business and residential premises throughout the city.
T-Mobile to invest $950 million in fiber optic joint venture with EQT to acquire Lumos
The next capital contribution by T-Mobile out of an additional commitment of approximately $500 million is anticipated between 2027 and 2028. These combined investments are expected to allow Lumos to reach 3.5 million homes by the end of 2028.
Zayo Group upgrades critical fiber broadband infrastructure across the country
Zayo Group announced its latest round of critical infrastructure upgrades, including its newest long-haul dark fiber route connecting Columbus to Pittsburgh and a highly sought-after 400G-enabled wavelength route connecting Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.
Frontier to expand fiber broadband network to rural Illinois with $25 million grant
Frontier, the largest pure-play fiber provider in the U.S, received $24.7 million in grant funding to expand high-speed fiber broadband service to homes and businesses in rural Illinois. The grant was awarded by Connect Illinois with the assistance of Greene County Economic Development Group.
Kinetic adds 20 miles of fiber broadband network in Pennsylvania
More than 1,220 homes, businesses and schools in Beaver County now have access to Kinetic fiber, local officials and Kinetic representatives said.
Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe secures funding for underground power line project
FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program has allocated $872,894 to support the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's underground power line conversion initiative.
Lumos breaks ground on fiber optic network expansion in South Carolina
Lumos ground in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, OneSpartanburg. With this expansion, thousands of homes and small businesses in Upstate S.C. will have access to Lumos' ultra-fast internet.
Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
The Fiber Broadband Association’s Technology Committee has published its “Fiber Broadband Scalability and Longevity” white paper — the latest FBA research that explains optical fiber is the only communications medium that can support both existing and future applications for many decades with no infrastructure changes.
Colorado Springs Utilities undertakes underground power line shift post-2021 windstorm
In Colorado Springs, efforts are underway by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to relocate power lines underground after identifying susceptibility during a windstorm in 2021.
California regulators greenlight program to accelerate electric infrastructure undergrounding
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has introduced a new initiative aimed at accelerating the undergrounding of electric distribution infrastructure across the state. This program, mandated by Senate Bill (SB) 884, targets increased system resilience and climate adaptation.
ALM fiber-monitoring solution detects faults in Kentucky fiber broadband network
The system acts like a radar that continuously scans fiber optic cables to pinpoint the location of issues such as attenuation, water damage and breaks.
Consumers Energy to bury electric lines in six Michigan counties
Consumers Energy has announced the approval of a targeted undergrounding pilot program by the Michigan Public Service Commission. With a $3.7 million investment, the company plans to bury 10 miles of overhead power lines within the next year.
Meridiam breaks ground on $230 million, 300-mile fiber optic network in rural Alabama
The firm will develop, build, finance, and manage a high-speed fiber-optic network that, upon completion, will enable fiber broadband to 53,000 households and businesses across more than 300 miles.
- Deadline to submit abstracts for Underground Infrastructure Conference's 30th anniversary education program extended to July 19
- Drilling under the LSU campus
- OSHA investigation launched after worker found unconscious in Kansas City, Mo., sewer pipe
- 26th annual directional drilling survey: More fuel on the fire
- Restoring power to Minnesota’s northwest angle
- Vermeer Debuts New Horizontal Directional Drill
- Sewer maintenance: Myth-busting, best-practice training
- Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
- Houston faces hurdles in transitioning to underground power lines amid severe weather concerns
- Calgary declares state of emergency over water pipeline repairs