Telecom/Electric
Gigapower’s Arizona fiber rollout linked to infrastructure damage, CWA report says
In Mesa, Arizona, where Gigapower began fiber deployment in early 2023, subcontractors have reportedly caused over 40 underground utility hits, including damages to electric, gas, water, and telecommunications lines, totaling more than $135,000 in repairs.
PG&E buries over 800 miles of powerlines in high wildfire-risk areas
(UI) — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has undergrounded more than 800 miles of powerlines since launching its wildfire safety initiative in 2021.
UTGIS launches voltage testing service to prevent pipe corrosion in water and gas systems
Corrosion is frequently cited as a leading cause of damage to buried municipal water and gas systems. While there are several external conditions that can cause pipeline corrosion, electrical voltage is one of the leading culprits.
JCP&L moving power lines underground in portions of Somerset County, N.J.
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is relocating and upgrading power lines in portions of Bernardsville, Somerset County, to enhance electric service for customers. The $1.75 million project is expected to be completed later this month.
Tachus Fiber celebrates 50,000 customers on 3,000-mile network in North Houston
Tachus has grown rapidly over the last five years to offer lightning-fast and incredibly reliable broadband services to more than 160,000 homes and businesses in a vast arc across the North Houston communities of Atascocita, Conroe, Huffman, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, Willis, and The Woodlands with current construction ongoing in the other Houston area communities.
Alectra Utilities invests $3.4 million to rehabilitate underground power infrastructure in Ontario
In 2024, Alectra plans to implement several key projects in Barrie, including $3.4 million to replace and rehabilitate underground cables through cable injection technology. This process will extend the life of existing underground cables, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help prevent outages.
IQ Fiber to deploy fiber optic network in Georgia on over $50 million investment
IQ Fiber's expansion into Savannah marks its third major market, following successful deployments in the Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida metro areas.
altafiber expands Northeast Ohio fiber optic network to 100,000 new addresses
The regional fiber broadband expansion plan in Summit, Portage, Geauga, and Cuyahoga Counties includes Tallmadge, Kent, Hudson, Twinsburg, Solon, Streetsboro, Stow, Aurora, and other surrounding communities. Plans are being finalized to expand to additional communities in Northeast Ohio as well.
Fermaca Networks finds critical sponsor for first phase of Mexican fiber optic route
The Phase 1 route will run fully underground, parallel to existing natural gas systems in some sections, and will follow highway routes in others, aiming at optimizing asset security and performance.
Arelion connects Mexico’s top digital hub to underground fiber network amid expansion
This network expansion reduces the risk of service outages and improves customer experiences, supporting content localization in Querétaro. This new route also offers end-to-end connectivity on Arelion's fiber backbone to markets such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, Dallas and Atlanta.
Duke Energy undergrounds 48% of Florida power lines with plans to expand as hurricane season peaks
Approximately 48% of Duke Energy Florida's primary power lines are underground and better protected from wind damage. The company will continue to install underground cable in areas that are identified as the most outage-prone areas.
NASA enlists Panhandle Power Solutions for $9.7 million transmission, distribution project at Kennedy Space Center
The awarded contract will involve the installation of 4.5 miles of both overhead (OH) and underground (UG) primary distribution lines, a crucial upgrade to the existing infrastructure at the preeminent launch complex for Government and commercial space access.
Frontier to expand fiber broadband network across California with over $23 million in grants
The three grants from the California Public Utility Commission will enable the company to expand its fiber-optic network in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Alaska Communications to extend 9,100-mile fiber network with $390 million infrastructure financing
Alaska Communications is currently developing a network that spans 9,100 miles of fiber, connecting business and wholesale customers throughout the state. The company has plans to further extend its critical infrastructure to enhance connectivity in Alaska.
Virginia’s Loudoun County to weigh in on Dominion Energy’s transmission line plans
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) will hold a public hearing in Loudoun County on Sept. 5, to gather testimony on Dominion Energy Virginia’s proposed Aspen-Golden and Apollo-Twin Creeks electric transmission line projects.
PG&E resumes underground power line work in California’s Plumas County
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has resumed its efforts to bury power lines in Plumas County, California, after work was paused due to the Park Fire.
Telecommunications crew damages underground water main in Fort Worth, damaging at least 5 homes
The water, under high pressure, shot out forcefully, damaging at least 5 homes in the area. It took over an hour for the water department to stop the flow due to the pipe's size and configuration.
Lumos to build over 1,300 miles of fiber optic network in Kentucky with $150 million investment
Through Lumos’ 100% Fiber-Optic Internet, the following communities in Louisville and Jefferson County will have access to the internet with equally fast upload and download speeds: Jeffersontown, Saint Matthews, Shively, Lyndon, Middletown, Douglas Hills, Hurstbourne, Prospect, Graymoor-Devondale, Anchorage and other areas in the Louisville Metro.
Utah’s Park City Council greenlights $7 million project to bury power lines in Bonanza Park
Park City is advancing its long-awaited initiative to bury power lines in the Bonanza Park area, paving the way for future development in the district.
Kinetic launches investigation into underground fiber optic cable theft in Hazard, Ky.
Preliminary assessments suggest that the vandalism took place Aug. 8-9, affecting fiber-optic infrastructure that supports local communications services. The incident not only disrupted communication but also posed safety risks to the community by limiting access to emergency services and other vital operations that rely on constant connectivity.
Stantec to modernize Los Angeles underground electrical infrastructure in $104 million LADWP contract
Stantec has been awarded a $104 million contract by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) to modernize underground electrical infrastructure as part of the city's efforts to enhance power reliability and support the transition to clean energy.
Urgent need to recruit 180,000 workers to complete federal- and state-funded broadband networks, study finds
The study suggests that 28,000 more broadband construction workers and 30,000 more broadband technician workers are needed to execute the planned federal and state broadband funding. Moreover, the research predicts that an additional 119,200 workers will be needed over the next 10 years to compensate for retirement.
Eversource begins upgrade of outdated electric transmission infrastructure in central Connecticut
The series of upgrades will replace aging transmission infrastructure within the utility right of way with stronger steel structures, making the electric grid more resilient to increasing extreme weather caused by climate change.
Report: Fiber broadband is “paramount” to achieving zero carbon footprint
With fiber’s ability to scale to nearly unlimited bandwidth speeds, transitioning networks from HFC to fiber provides a far more sustainable option now and for decades to come. CSPs consider many factors when overbuilding an existing network with fiber, and the reduction in electricity consumption and overall carbon footprint are additional considerations.
Lumen, Corning partner to tackle data center AI workloads with “substantial” fiber optic deal
The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence requires at least 10 times more fiber connections within data centers, as well as a robust fiber network to transmit information between these data hubs. With this agreement, Lumen reserves 10% of Corning’s global fiber capacity for each of the next two years.
NV5 awarded $7 million contract for Northern California electrical transmission undergrounding
NV5 Global Inc. has been awarded a one-year, $7 million contract to provide project oversight, testing, and inspection during the construction of a new 230 kilovolt underground transmission line in Northern California.
CenterPoint Energy to improve Houston’s electric distribution system resiliency in wake of Hurricane Beryl
By accelerating adoption of the latest construction standards, retrofitting existing assets on an accelerated basis, and using predictive modeling, AI and other advanced technologies, CenterPoint will harden its distribution system and speed restoration.
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.
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- The EPA announces $6.2 billion in funding for Iowa and Kansas water infrastructure