FTTP-CS050406Fiber project raises
concern with CFB
gas-related calls result from
Fire officials say almost half of
Verizon work
BY STACY WRIGHT leak is stopped and the area is
STAFF~/RIT~R -- deemed safe then the emer-
CARROLLTON -- Almost
half of the gas-related calls the
Carrollton Fire Department
responded to last month
appears to be attributed to the
Verizon Fiber to the Premises
project deployed in Carrollton,
according to fire officials.
About 19 crews have been
working around the city to
install fiber to enhance net-
work capabilities.
It will provide voice, data
and video at faster speeds than
the current copper-cable sys-
tems.
Last month, 18 gas lines
were hit in Carrollton due to
the Verizon project. Four calls
received last month were relat-
ed to gas odors of those lines
hit.
"It puts an extra load on our
emergency response team,"
assistant fire chief Gary
Nesbitt said. He said the aver-
age time waiting on the gas
company's construction crew
to arrive is more than an houn
"We send units out there
until the gas company stops
the leak," he said. Once the
gency team leaves.
Verizon Communications
spokesperson Bill Kula said
the crews, which are contract-
ed, are working as safely as
possible to minimize disrup-
tion.
"We've made great progress
in improving the overall safety
in our fiber deployment," Kula
said.
He said they have enacted
enhanced guidelines for
drilling, boring and hand
trenching over and above the
routine procedures typically
associated with underground
digging.
On Tuesday, Kula said all of
the fiber placement to-date has
been underground.
Kula said they are worki'ng
with the city and Atmos
Energy, the gas company, on a
service assurance process
designed to significantly
reduce avoidable damage.
"Our contractor is conduct-
ing weekly meetings with all of
its subcontractors to discuss
ways to safely place fiber
throughout the city," Kula said.
They've also taken some
preventive steps prior to bor-
ing to physically inspect where
underground utilities are.
"We take the safety of our
customers very seriously,"
Kula said.
with Savings
,0-45%
J Garlae, d Ft. Worth
27~0 Meet# 9300 $o4~th Freeway
086 972.27 .2441
I
A one-day suspension is
given to a boring operator if an
error is conducted.
By the end of March,
650,000 feet (123 miles) of
fiber had been placed through-
out the city, according to Kula.
Upon completion 4.9 million
feet (928 mi]es) of fiber will be
placed throughout Carrollton.
Carrollton is the fourth
largest fiber project in North
Texas according to Kula.
Verizon has requested to
have more crews in the city,
but city officials say they are
comfortable with the 19 crews
out working on the project.
Construction of the fiber-
optic network has been com-
pleted in area cities like Keller
and Rowlett.
Construction in Southlake,
Piano, Lewisville, Flower
Mound and Grapevine is also
underway.
Kula said it will take more
than a year to complete the
project in Carrollton.
He said initially Verizon will
offer voice and high speed data
lines, later they will offer riOs
TV, an alternative to residents
existing cable television
provider. The earliest wave of
riOs availability will begin
later this year. It will be avail-
able to most of Carrollton resi-
dents next year.
Last year, the company
spent $1 billion building out
the network in nine states.
This year, the network is in
14 states.
"From time to time we
know there is going to be some
temporary shortages but we
will attempt to build out our
fiber network as safely and as
quickly as possible," Kula said.
To get more information on
the new network and to find
out if it's available in your area
visit www. verizon.net/fios.
Contact staff writer
Stacy Wright at 972-538-
2118 or
wrights@scntx.com.