Zero-dig telecoms: smart upgrades that don’t cost the Earth
Author
Phil Scott
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Telecom operators have been caught in a cycle for decades: disrupting the same communities to dig up the same streets every time a new technology comes along. Generating roadworks, traffic, emissions, delays, and frustration, civil works are expensive and resource-intensive. Furthermore, third-party dependencies and multi-stakeholder coordination move at the lowest throughput.
Ofcom research suggests that reusing existing network assets not only significantly reduces – if not entirely eliminates – disruption; it also accelerates works completion times. The need for full infrastructural replacement is a misguided assumption, with many operators not realizing it is often unnecessary.
The zero-dig method is an alternative approach that maximizes what’s already in the ground. Reusing existing equipment in pits, ducts, and street furniture swerves the high-input rip-out-and-replace approach while still unlocking the performance gains of new technology.
Digs are costly
Civil works are the single biggest driver of fiber deployment costs. Digging, reinstating pavements, and securing permits account for a major portion of FTTH rollout budgets. But expense doesn’t stop at the balance sheets: the waste-heavy nature of large scale works in combination with the draw on new hardware and resource comes at high environmental costs too.
Added value? Eliminating the dig, operators can dramatically cut costs and redirect spend towards extending coverage or boosting service quality.
Faster to market, easier on communities
Speed is everything in telecoms. Incorporating existing assets and infrastructure not only reduces wait times on clearing permits or contractor engagements; it reduces disruption for the public and speeds up the delivery of new services.
Added value? Fewer road closures, less noise outside homes and workplaces, and smaller environmental impacts. This isn’t just better for the communities operators serve, it strengthens provider reputation, and cultivates improved customer trust and loyalty.
Easier last-mile connections
For backhaul and middle mile systems, zero-dig speaks well for itself. But what about the last-mile conundrum? Delivering high-performance connections into homes and businesses without fresh excavation is challenging, and in some instances, precludes some addresses entirely. Zero-dig includes installations of practical access hardware such as Toby boxes and cabinet interfaces. These solutions can be tailored to work within last-mile constraints.
Added value? Minimal disruption extends beyond municipal areas to the edge of public boundaries into privately owned buildings. Access hardware can overcome complexities, such as running new connections to listed buildings; gaining entry to property; and owner reluctance (digging up driveways or gardens is immensely intrusive).
Future-proofing the network
One smart upgrade today can create a platform for the next generation, and the one after that. Zero-dig isn’t just about today’s upgrade, it’s also about tomorrow’s service provision. Opting for modular, scalable infrastructure that adapts to evolving standards avoids excavating the same roads and locations every few years.
Added value? Keeping up with ongoing customer demand minimizes customer churn. This can be enhanced further by keeping upgrades customer- and streetscape-friendly.
Zero-dig not only presents a robust answer to improving cost, speed-to-market, and sustainability efforts; it can actually enhance end user experiences. As pressures on operators mount to deliver faster speeds at lower costs, vendors like us are responsible for educating our partners. Offering consultancy and developing solutions to support zero-dig options help the industry prove that innovation doesn’t always require starting from scratch. Sometimes, the smartest move is to reuse what’s already there.
Author – Phil Scott, Chief Sales Officer, Europe
Phil lives in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons. When he’s not busy driving the company’s European footprint, he’s a Leicester City enthusiast and pretty exceptional cook.
