Lake Stevens, Washington Mayor Brett Gary has clearly heard voters want more choice when it comes to internet service providers in the city. And what they ideally wanted was fiber optic internet.
Still, the U-shaped city surrounding a lake at the foot of the Cascade Mountains was the quintessential “hard-to-service” neighborhood, with few utility poles. That’s why Lake Stevens, only 36 miles from Seattle, didn’t even make it to number one. Top 100 most connected cities in the state.
The solution for Mayor Gary and the residents of Lake Stevens was a partnership with Ziply Fiber, which will create a lightning-fast, 100% fiber optic network that will bring fiber optic internet to over 12,000 homes and businesses through innovative construction techniques. Known as micro-trenching…about 80% faster than conventional construction.
Microtrenching has evolved dramatically over the years. Operations that previously required extensive equipment and extensive cleaning have been improved, allowing the crew to pass through his one house within 15 minutes of his, leaving no construction debris behind, The road surface was able to withstand the weather in the northwest. Additionally, micro-trenching results in fewer resident complaints.
So why isn’t everyone using microtrenching to lay fiber lines? The answer lies in individual city regulations and permits, which are often more complex than the actual microtrenching process.
But Mayor Gary and the people of Lake Stevens were happy to give it a try. By keeping the permitting process easy and unhindered, they may have created the blueprint for hundreds of cities in the Northwest.
We were all in a typical construction zone. wait a long time. The STOP/SLOW indicator flips back and forth. big equipment. huge hole. Torn up the road for weeks at a time. If this were the only option for a fiber build, it would take several a day for much wider and deeper excavations, stabilization, and additional repair and cleanup procedures that are all part of its type. Only 100 feet of fiber can be laid. construction effort. Sometimes it is unavoidable.
However, with the microtrench, the entire process can be done within a weekday with minimal impact on traffic and daily life. With microtrenching, 2,000 to 3,000 feet of fiber can be installed per day, connecting entire neighborhoods in days.
How is this possible? Micro-trenching is efficient and quick, in part because of how the crew is arranged. Equipment is set up like train cars, streamlining construction. This is not possible with conventional structures.
Construction technology also helps with efficiency. In a micro-trench, Ziply Fiber’s construction partners make a 1-2 inch wide (thus “micro”) cut into the roadway to a depth of about 12-16 inches. This minimizes impact on roads and municipal infrastructure, avoids most underground obstructions and existing utilities, and is deep enough not to compete with future roadworks. Cuts are typically made 18 to 24 inches from the curb so that vehicles parked along the road do not park directly on top of the resealed area, further extending the life of the road. The surface disturbance is so small that it can be walked or driven across before construction is complete.
However, a small cut does not limit fiber lines. Micro-trenching has given way to micro-ducting, which bundles together multiple ultra-fine fiber lines, leaving plenty of room for increased connectivity in the future as community use grows.
Where microtrenching is not viable, Ziply Fiber can work with cities to do aerial installations or overlashings where new fiber is wrapped over existing telephone lines. However, if trench excavation is required, micro-trench excavation should be considered as an alternative to conventional boring and excavation to increase speed and reduce deterioration. City leaders who have been serious about how they can bridge the digital divide and increase the economic returns to their communities are following Lake Stevens’ example, scrutinizing micro-trenches and discovering that they are what they are. You may check whether it is suitable for your business or business. residents.
