Construction Update May 2019
3:19PM May 17, 2019
We understand that everyone has been eagerly awaiting construction updates, and we will begin providing more consistent updates now that the weather is allowing us to install facilities on a regular basis and our contractor resources are in place.
Please understand that the size and scope of this project make it extremely difficult to provide precise timelines—and many factors can change the schedule. Providing the drop to the home is the largest hurdle that we are running into. Most notably, the weather significantly impacts how many drops we are able to complete. To minimize lawn damage, we often are not able to install the drops when the ground is saturated.
Additionally, when private facilities are not located by the property owner—our progress is markedly delayed. Examples of private facilities that the property owner must locate to avoid damage include the following: Septic systems, private electric lines, dog fences, sprinkler systems, private gas lines, etc. Please mark your private facilities to avoid damage and to speed up the project! If needed, SCI Fiber has flags available in the main office to help homeowners when marking facilities.
Public utility facilities will be located through 811 and called in by SCI Fiber contractors.
Construction Updates by Zone
Drop Zone 1: The distribution fiber network construction is complete. Fiber drops to the home are being installed at a very fast pace. Approximately 120 members currently have service or are in the process of being scheduled for their in-home installations. The remaining drops are in the construction process. We expect to be completed with this zone by the end of June for everyone that is currently registered. Time is running out to get your free installation in this zone! If you haven’t registered yet please do so as soon as possible. Once our contractors leave a zone, a remobilization fee may apply.
Cope 104: The distribution fiber network construction is complete. Fiber drops to the home are ramping up. Approximately 40 members currently have service or are in the process of being scheduled for their in-home installations. The remaining drops are in various stages of the construction process. We expect to be completed with this zone by early August for everyone that is currently registered. Time is running out to get your free installation in this zone! If you haven’t registered yet please do so as soon as possible. Once our contractors leave a zone, a remobilization fee may apply.
Park Ave 101: The distribution fiber network construction is complete. Fiber drops to the home are ramping up. Over 40 members currently have service or are in the process of being scheduled for their in-home installations. The remaining drops are in various stages of the construction process. We expect to be completed with this zone by mid-August for everyone that is currently registered. Time is running out to get your free installation in this zone! If you haven’t registered yet please do so as soon as possible. Once our contractors leave a zone, a remobilization fee may apply.
Cope 102: The distribution fiber network construction is complete. Fiber drops to the home are expected to start in mid-June. We expect to be completed with this zone by early October for everyone that is currently registered. PLEASE register ASAP if you have not already. The scheduling and construction process is accelerated greatly if members are registered prior to the drop contractors starting in a zone.
Martinsville SE 101: The distribution fiber network construction is complete. Fiber drops to the home are expected to start in late June. We expect to be completed with this zone by the end of October for everyone that is currently registered. PLEASE register ASAP if you have not already. The scheduling and construction process is accelerated greatly if members are registered prior to the drop contractors starting in a zone.
Needmore 102, Needmore 103, Needmore 104: The distribution fiber network construction is approximately 50% complete. Fiber drops to the home are expected to start in September. We expect to be completed with this zone by the end of December for everyone that is currently registered. PLEASE register ASAP if you have not already. The scheduling and construction process is accelerated greatly if members are registered prior to the drop contractors starting in a zone.
Bean Blossom 101, 102: These zones cover a very large and rural area. The distribution fiber network construction is expected to start in August 2019. Fiber drops to the home are expected to start in December 2019. We expect to be completed with these zones by the end of April 2020.
Park Ave 104: The distribution fiber network construction is approximately 50% completed. Fiber drops to the home are expected to start in September. We expect to be completed with this zone by the end of December for everyone that is currently registered. PLEASE register ASAP if you have not already. The scheduling and construction process is accelerated greatly if members are registered prior to the drop contractors starting in a zone.
Backbone: We continue to construct backbone fiber throughout our system ahead of the distribution fiber. The backbone is used to interconnect our substations and to provide the path from the residences back to our headend. Construction is currently focusing on building backbone along the southern and northern portions of our system to create “rings”. These rings provide redundant paths from the substations back to our headend. This means that if one path, for some reason, gets cut, the system will automatically redirect traffic to the backup path and prevent a service outage.