Fiber optic line clearance-storm damage

[Ghillie]

I got a call from a cable/internet carrier here in central Ohio today to see if I could go help out clearing a couple of 24"+ Oak trees off there lines so their subs could rehang them. Lines were not broken, they just needed to get them out from under the trees.

I was available and went to look at it. Talked to the contact at the office in Columbus a couple of times. 2 Hours after his initial call, the lines were free and the subs were hanging them back up.

In one of our conversations he asked what area I cover. What would be the ins and outs of committing to doing this type of work for them?

 

[frostedunit]

Depends on who the carrier is. I'm a cable sub down here in Cincy, and we do a lot of the light tree work for Time Warner. The only time they use a tree service that I've seen is if the tree is over 12" or so and power is not involved. Most of the time, we take care of it when we go out for the attachment.

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[Ghillie]

What are the rates for this type of work? Do you do 30 days net? Are they good at timely payment? PM me if you don't want to post in public.

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[imagineero]

You'd want to get a damage waiver, or have good insurance. Fibre optics aren't anything like power lines or old copper phone lines. Each optic can only be spliced by the hand of a heavenly angel virgin descended by a gourd suspended from the seventh level of heaven, using a lock of her hair, which is itself spun from gold. The cost for such a service is suitably mind boggling.

I don't know about the states, but here in aus the standard for attachment of communications cables is basically non existant. Power lines are coated here (at least service drops are) which is relatively safe, and the standard for attaching them is pretty good. Most can hang a branch. By comparison, communications cables can often be pulled out of their tether by sneezing on them.

Shaun

 

[Ghillie]

I did not think about the damage insurance or waiver. I specifically asked my carrier contact if there was anything special I had to be concerned with for fiber optic line and described what I planned to do to make sure I wasn't going to make things worse.

The subs told me it was $88 a splice (per strand), and I was cutting around two lines with 66 strands per line.

I was ultra careful and we'll aware of what was at risk.

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[imagineero]

So you're looking somewhere around $6k+ if a branch goes the wrong way? Do they have extra penalties for causing network downtime? I'd want a damage waiver or a very good rate to cover my insurance, especially in those storm damage type situations where branches are already resting on the wires. Here in aus some of those bundles have hundreds or even thousands of strands.... a lot of it is underground in most areas though. Makes you pretty antsy about using your stump grinder on public land. Hit one of those main lines and you're pretty much out of business. My insurance company wont cover damage to underground public services.

Shaun

 

[frostedunit]

What are the rates for this type of work? Do you do 30 days net? Are they good at timely payment? PM me if you don't want to post in public.

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We bill completely different than how you guys would based on the work we do. They're pretty good about paying on time because if they don't, we put their big projects on hold. We mostly just cut the tree off the line and let the HO worry about cleanup when they get the rest of the tree dealt with.

I might be moving to Columbus now. We only charge $36 a burn, and the splicer only gets about 7.

And be ready for some very inconvenient phone calls. Those trees only fall between the hours of 11 PM and 5 AM and there ain't no "I'll get it first thing in the morning" dealing with fiber.

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[frostedunit]

You'd want to get a damage waiver, or have good insurance. Fibre optics aren't anything like power lines or old copper phone lines. Each optic can only be spliced by the hand of a heavenly angel virgin descended by a gourd suspended from the seventh level of heaven, using a lock of her hair, which is itself spun from gold. The cost for such a service is suitably mind boggling.

I don't know about the states, but here in aus the standard for attachment of communications cables is basically non existant. Power lines are coated here (at least service drops are) which is relatively safe, and the standard for attaching them is pretty good. Most can hang a branch. By comparison, communications cables can often be pulled out of their tether by sneezing on them.

Shaun

Permission to post the first part of this in my office.

And I can't speak for everywhere, but the companies we work for have pretty high standards. I was out till about 5 this morning because a garbage truck caught a line and ripped 7 poles out of the ground yesterday. All of our attachments were still on the poles too.

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[ATH]

we do a lot of the light tree work for Time Warner.

....but the companies we work for have pretty high standards....

Wow...whoda thunk? That almost sounds funny. I used to be a TWC customer, and never thought they had high standards. Not that I am doubting you...just saying those high standards do not carry too deep into the business (like, for example, leaving cable runs on the ground for 8 months and saying they will bury it when the ground is not forzen (that was at client's house when I was trimming their trees) - or burying the line less than 6" deep (that was our house...).

 

[imagineero]

Permission to post the first part of this in my office.

Knock yourself out ;-)

Shaun

 

[frostedunit]

Wow...whoda thunk? That almost sounds funny. I used to be a TWC customer, and never thought they had high standards. Not that I am doubting you...just saying those high standards do not carry too deep into the business (like, for example, leaving cable runs on the ground for 8 months and saying they will bury it when the ground is not forzen (that was at client's house when I was trimming their trees) - or burying the line less than 6" deep (that was our house...).

Aerial construction and drop bury are 2 totally different animals. The local Bell here is a PITA when we build stuff, but give permission to their own installers to lay drops on bare dirt if a yard's going to be sodded.

It depends on the construction manager as well. Some are real particular, some aren't.

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