Make Ready Design Process

Make-ready design is the process of preparing a utility pole to receive a new fiber attachment. This process must be completed when a service provider is expanding fiber offerings to a new geographical area, but is more complicated and takes more time than many companies realize. What does make-ready design entail, and how does it can affect DQE customers? TechServ offers a turnkey solution to all of your make-ready design needs.

TechServ has the expertise to help negotiate pole licensing agreements and new make-ready designs with governing entities. In most communities, utility poles are owned by the local government, such as an electric company or a telephone company, and sometimes a messy combination of entities. Cooperation with the owner of the poles is necessary for DQE or any other service providers to add anything new to any pole structure, such as fiber-optic cable.

Regulations governing fiber make ready

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has developed regulations designed to streamline the process and ensure fair access to poles, as fiber networks are expanding rapidly to meet increased demand. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are among the 30 states that defer to the FCC’s authority on the make-ready process (the others have their own regulations).

The regulations, which were issued in 2011, state that the timeline for new pole attachments is limited to 148 days from the time the request is received, when fewer than 300 poles are involved. If the expansion involves more than 300 poles, additional time is allowed. It’s important to note that these timeframes are just guidelines, and there are no penalties to the owners for not meeting them. In fact, more often than not the timeframes take much longer.