[RTC List] The fiber-optic cable frenzy

Sun Oct 14 10:24:24 PDT 2007

Thank you for this info, this is the kind of factual info that can be  
used for what is truely needed - accountability!

Jonathan Speaker ---
iPhone

On Oct 14, 2007, at 12:43 AM, "William Van Hefner" <vantek at sonic.net>  
wrote:

> Dwight,
>
> Unfortunately, state law already legally prohibits both contractors  
> and
> individuals from doing ANY digging on public or private lands without
> first giving two days notice to a regional clearinghouse for the  
> state's
> various utility companies. All utility companies must by law respond
> within 48 hours to the location of the dig site and visibly "mark  
> off" the
> EXACT location of their underground lines.
>
> There is a very well established contact point for this service that  
> even
> the most feeble-minded contractor should be able to remember. It's  
> 8-1-1.
> The Federal Communications Commission established this service in  
> 2005. By
> law, all telephone companies in the United States must allow free  
> access
> to the 8-1-1 service from all telephones, even payphones. You should  
> be
> able to dial 8-1-1 from anywhere in the country to be connected to the
> nearest regional Underground Service Alert (USA) call center. It is  
> open
> 24/7.
>
> This brings-up an interesting point. There are exactly three  
> possibilities
> in the scenario that happened earlier this week. The first, is that  
> the
> contractor broke the law and never bothered dialing 8-1-1 as it was
> required to. Second, the contractor did make the call, but AT&T never
> bothered to show-up and mark off the cable; or 3, The contractor  
> called
> and AT&T showed-up. The AT&T employee responsible for marking off the
> location of the fiberoptic cable was "off". Oops.
>
> The only reason that I mention this is because there have been a  
> number of
> cases across the country where the utility company actually marked- 
> off the
> location incorrectly, endangering the lives of contractors (some cases
> have involved underground electrical cables or natural gas lines) and
> causing extensive damage to underground utilities. In the case here,  
> I am
> pretty sure that the contractors themselves are the ones legally
> responsible for calling USA, not Cal-Trans. If they did not call 2  
> days
> before digging, the contractor is undoubtedly liable for civil  
> damages and
> state fines. If AT&T marked-off the location incorrectly, the  
> contractor
> is off the hook (no pun intended).
>
> If anyone in the local media is reading this, I suggest that it  
> would be a
> good idea to see if public records are available (FOIA?), showing  
> whether
> or not the contractor did indeed make such a call and give appropriate
> notice. You can find more info on 8-1-1 service at the below  
> websites. Of
> course, you can always call 8-1-1 yourself as well, assuming that some
> idiot hasn't accidentally dug-up your only connection to the outside  
> world
> beforehand.
>
> http://www.call811.com - The Common Ground Alliance. Helps promote  
> 8-1-1 use.
> http://www.811.org - Includes a list of regional call centers
> http://www.answers.com/topic/utility-location - How to identify USA  
> markings.
>
> I would also suggest that if it does not already exist, the Humboldt
> County Board of Supervisors draft legislation in this County that  
> provides
> for SERIOUS FINANCIAL PENALTIES for any contractor who fails to give
> appropriate notice to USA and (illegally) digs, resulting in loss of  
> vital
> utility services. Heck, why not even make it a criminal offense,
> punishable with actual jail time? Personally, I think that the persons
> responsible for our latest catastrophe deserve at least a thorough  
> cavity
> search. Perhaps this would actually make contractors "think twice,  
> before
> you dig".
>
> -- 
>
> William Van Hefner
> President
>
> Vantek Communications, Inc.
> 3144 Broadway, Ste 3
> Eureka, CA 95501-3838
> 707.476.0833 ph
> 800.331.4638 fx
> e-mail: vantek at sonic.net
>
>> Hello Folks.
>>
>> There were a few things I almost said, while glimpsing the comments
>> the past few days, but like many of you, I was cramming for time.
>> Having now travelled south to Silicon Valley where I'll be at a
>> training session here for this next week, I drove by the problematic
>> area of US 101.  Greg, you stated 4 times, if one was in Arcata, or
>> north of Eureka, I have counted 5 times.
>>
>> What I have observed several times going south, and now taken even
>> more exceptional notice of, is hillside slippage, and signed "buried
>> cable" with what appears to be survey markings both before and after
>> the work area.  Seeing just where the red painted darts are, it would
>> appear that variation from the signage is as much as 10 feet
>> difference.  My thought on observing all of this, and the obvious
>> propensity for blue goo and sandstone slides-slipouts in our region
>> would be creating some new rules for the contractor(s).
>>
>> If this sort of thing happened in any of our metropolitan areas of
>> the state the contractors would be slapped some heavy fines by
>> Caltrans; - enough to be an incentive to be proactive.  You would
>> think after the first cut in this same area somebody would have
>> learned something.  So I would further propose not only penalties but
>> a proactive idea go with that.  What I have in mind is that the
>> contractor be recommended if not "required" to post bypass routing
>> and switching, with help from fiber-optic consultants.  While that
>> might also sound expensive, the fines imposed for the negligence
>> (especially after it happening the first time) should be equitably
>> considered in conjunction with the economic setback to the region
>> from such an occurrence.  Additionally, since a bypass routing of
>> cabling and switching would only be for the duration of the project,
>> those assets could also be taken down and carried to other such
>> projects.
>>
>> While that's not a substitute for a redundant fiber project, and
>> slides or slip-outs are a reality of the regions geology, this should
>> be something to consider.   Also one other comment about the
>> redundancy...   It's my understanding that one of the reasons to not
>> run "north" along the coast was because of the time, expense and red-
>> tape of such things as the Coastal Commission.  However, one should
>> note, if they have not yet heard, - Charter Cable will expand its
>> fiber optic line from the north beyond Crescent City, now planned for
>> Klamath.  Why not reconsider a redundant "coastal link" with Oregon
>> via the ridge line (e.g. Bald Hills Road) to Klamath rather than
>> strictly thinking US 101 (north of Trinidad)?
>>
>> Meanwhile, there is a great YouTube parody online of "The Day the
>> Internet Goes Down!"   As Jay Leno would have said "Tuesday the
>> Internet went out in Eureka, uh, well, we have footage, let's take a
>> look..."
>>>  The internet is out! The office goes crazy!
>>> When you work as a broadband producer, you have to be ready for
>>> this...
>>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIxvpjREwyI
>>
>> This RTC List should enjoy this one after the threads posted here the
>> last few days ;-)
>>
>> Regards,
>> Dwight
>>
>>
>> ------------------------
>> "Think Different; Work Creative"
>> Angels Knoll Enterprises
>> Dwight Winegar, ACN, AABA, ACHDS
>> Apple Consulting for SOHO, Consumers, Seniors, and Education
>> Arcata, CA to Brookings, OR
>> dwightw at mac.com  | 707-496-6324 Mobile
>> ------------------------
>
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