Bringing FTTH Broadband to Remote and Rugged Areas

Years of working on deployments with varying geographic issues and operational challenges have imparted valuable lessons about timely project execution despite uncontrollable variables. Here are seven best practices and the stories behind them:

1. Careful planning and network design – flexibility overcomes issues. Though planning and design are critical, unanticipated factors often come into play. Understanding a community’s geography, influencers and eccentricities can facilitate smooth network deployment. 
2. Weather challenges – working with/around Mother Nature. In the Northeast, challenging terrain and extreme weather conditions can mean complex installations. 
3. Transporting supplies and equipment – using advanced logistics eliminates delays. Though most construction projects take transportation for granted, sometimes getting it isn’t so easy.  
4. Natural barriers, environmental challenges, and permitting. Building around natural barriers and complying with environmental regulations is always tricky. Sometimes rerouting is the answer. At other times, creative thinking solves problems and satisfies permitting authorities. 
5. Working through delays by scheduling alternative tasks. Many project delays are outside the control of the network builder, but there’s almost always something to do to move a project forward. 
6. Communications in remote areas. Critical to successful deployments, communication is sometimes elusive and must be MacGyvered. 
7. Housing crews far from home and maintaining morale on the road. Crews in remote locations live where they work for days and weeks. Deployment teams are challenged to secure housing, recruit and retain employees willing to sacrifice their personal time and incentivize model behavior.

[Michael Solitro is the CEO of Sertex Broadband Solutions.]