Google Fiber Turns to 'Microtrenching' to Speed up Fiber Build Google Fiber has been experimenting with "microtrenching" in order to speed up deployment of the company's ultra-fast fiber service. The concept itself isn't new, and Google has been experimenting with it for six years or so; but it allows companies to use a machine to dig just 12-inches deep under the edge of the road, avoiding digging on local homeowners' property. Google Fiber tells local Austin media outlets the approach lets them lay lines to more than 50 homes in one day instead of taking up to a month to do the same work.

With microtrenching, one machine comes through and digs the hole, lays the fiber, and vacuums up debris. Another machine comes in close behind and fills in the hole with cement. Google Fiber hopes the approach will reduce the types of complaints about broken gas or water lines (or trampled azaleas) that are pretty common with large-scale fiber builds. Verizon saw many of the same resident complaints when it was busy conducting its FiOS deployment a decade ago. "The goal here is to make it an experience that folks find to be a day or two out of their life and we’re gone, and the next conversation they have with us is that the service is available and you can sign up,” a Google Fiber spokesman says. "This enables us to move much faster through the neighborhood and also to have a much lower impact to the residents in the area that we are building." Google is of course looking to speed up its deployments in any way possible after some executives at the company began to grow weary of the slow pace of fiber installation. The company has made it clear one of its approaches will be to avoid fiber entirely and instead focus its attention on next-generation wireless. »www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· e6WGa84I







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Most recommended from 34 comments

jorcmg

join:2002-10-24

USA 10 recommendations jorcmg Member Microbending Most places you are going to want fiber buried below the frost line. Austin you are going to be ok but a foot isn't going to cut it in most cities north of texas. jkeelsnc

join:2008-08-22

Greensboro, NC 2 recommendations jkeelsnc Member Good idea What I don't understand is why did they not look at the micro trenching technology from the very beginning? This technology has actually been around now for a number of years including well before they even started running fiber in their first city (Kansas City).

Takuro

join:2016-10-17

Chapel Hill, NC 1 edit 2 recommendations Takuro Member What Made It Suddenly Feasible? Granted the video is from 2010 and the main article says Google has been testing this method for 6 years, I am assuming something must have recently changed with regard to the process. As people have pointed out, it sounds like the traditional microtrenching methods don't work well in the majority of areas. There are a lot of questions left unanswered, like what changed that makes it feasible, is this now their preferred method for deployments, and in what areas do they plan to roll this out?



It sounds like great news, but there's a potential for a lot of catches here.



EDIT: The source article hints this is only for Austin, TX so far. I don't see any commitment to use this in other areas.