The construction process is broken down into approximately 5 stages.
The first is when construction crews are ready. At this time you'll receive a door tag on your door explaining they will be working in that area. They are responsible for calling in locates which are markings highlighting any utilities in their construction path - this helps prevent any damage to other utilities. Each company is responsible for marking their own lines. Also note that if you have sprinkler systems, invisible fences, or other underground items to please mark those or let us know immediately.
Next you will see construction crews out placing handholes on top of the ground above where they will be placed underground. The crews will dig down by hand, usually to the depth of 42". They then line up their directional drills at one end of a conduit path and begin to drill to the exact depth and path according to the maps created by our engineering consultants. Construction crews then track the head of the drill to make sure it's following the intended path, while continuously monitoring the depth and distance within the right of way. If an underground utility is in the path of our pipe, then our construction crews will expose the utility and measure its depth to make sure the drill will not intercept that utility. Once the drill has reached the end of the path, crews will attach the conduit to the drill head and pull back on the directional drill which then installs the conduit into the ground. Once all the conduit is in place the crew installs the hand holes in the previously dug holes, pack down the crushed gravel for a firm base and drainage, level and complete the restoration around it. This is typically done in your front yard easement. Depending on the size of the area this could take 1-2 days.
After the conduit crews are down, the next step is to pull the fiber through the conduit. The fiber is installed in one piece without cutting to minimize the signal loss and points of failure. The fiber is laid on the ground to prevent twist in the cable as it's being blown through the conduit.
The next step is splicing. This is the process of joining two or more fiber optic cables together to create a continuous path for data transmission. In this case they're splicing the fiber to go to each home.
The final step is yard restoration. This could be several days from the time you saw construction crews, but rest assured our crews will make sure everything is put back into place, the hand holes will be bolted down, and you'll be good to go! This means you're that much closer to getting notified that services are ready, and you can sign up to get fast, reliable, affordable fiber internet! Go to www.waterloofiber.com to make sure you're pre-signed up and get automatic updates for your specific area.