AIRESPRING CONSTRUCTION FAQs

BACKGROUND

Increasing worldwide demand for rapid, low-latency, high-volume communication of information has made economical distribution and delivery of that information increasingly vital, both for homes and businesses. As demand escalates, fueled by widespread adoption of the internet, the need for economical high-speed access by end-users at millions of locations has ballooned as well. Across the U.S., thousands of new communications orders and contracts are facing construction requirements in order to be delivered. Fortunately, most of the construction costs for new installations are funded by the Last Mile Local Exchanges.

A Note about Terms

The term “last mile” refers to the portion of the telecommunications network chain that physically reaches the end-user’s premises. The last mile link can, in reality, be slightly more or less than a mile. The last mile of a network into the end user premises is sometimes referred to as the first mile from the user’s premises to the outside world when the user is sending data (such as an email).

Service Delivery

AireSpring is here to assure you that if your order is involved in construction, a highly trained team focuses on the delivery of your service. Construction orders can have a significant impact on the installation process and cause a short delay in the delivery of your circuit. Such a delay may cause frustration or service issues. If your situation is serious and a delay cannot be tolerated, it is important to make sure you have a discussion with your account manager or project coordinator to determine any possible interim or alternate solution.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long is the construction going to take?
Construction may involve detailed drawings and require extensive engineering reviews and designs followed by bids from construction companies. This process can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 or more months.

Are permits needed for all construction jobs?
The majority of construction jobs require permits. Generally, the fiber or copper facility has to cross public streets and rights-of-way, and it may also involve digging paths where other utilities are located. All of this needs to be approved, generally by the city or, depending on the area, a county might get involved. It is not uncommon in business areas to require a freeway or highway shutdown, and rarely, even a railroad shutdown.

How long does it take to get a permit?
On average it takes 2-3 months to secure a permit, depending on the city. A smaller city can take several weeks to grant the permit and larger cities can often take many months. In addition, the engineering or plans presented to the city by the carrier can be rejected by the city planner and often the telecommunications entity will have to revise those plans. Occasionally, telephone poles may have to be placed and this type of permit is exhaustive and tedious.

Do construction and permit approval work in parallel?

Work cannot take place until permits are granted. It might be possible to perform work in parallel when getting bids from contractors to do the work. Keep in mind that if the original engineering plan is rejected and a new plan is needed, a second bid may also be needed. All of this adds time to the order delivery.

Are dates firm once provided to me by AireSpring?
Dates are close but not firm. There are no SLAs (Service Level Agreements) on construction. Dates given are generally an estimate of how long construction may take. Dates are often system driven, and systems estimate dates based on experience and commonly repeated types of construction. For example, dates for a shorter distance of fiber to be placed, such as 100 ft. vs. 1,000 ft., can be different. Dates provided to customers are a “best estimate.” Conditions such as weather, workload and construction company availability can impact dates. If a date slips, rest assured it is not because your order is being overlooked. A slipped date can occur if the city or county take an unusually long time to issue permits, or the permit application submission is delayed.

Can construction be escalated or pulled in?
Construction dates cannot be “pulled in.” Teams have been organized, schedules set, equipment ordered and shipped, all items are on the calendar and all are scheduled. Construction cannot be escalated nor expedited. Local Exchange Carriers will not take any amount of money to bring in construction dates sooner.

What is AireSpring’s role in construction?
AireSpring is aggressive in following up with the Carrier regarding construction. Our primary business is to serve you by bringing you the highest quality and best bandwidth available for your needs. We will monitor progress of the construction and keep you informed if there is a change from the anticipated dates. Once the construction job is completed, we will let you know the final steps to expect for completion of your order.

Why didn’t the site survey mention construction?
The site survey’s primary function is to check for readiness. Backboards and power strips are among the primary elements inspected. If fiber is at the street level, that will also be noted. However, infrastructure is not checked on most site surveys. Infrastructure can include the central office, capacity on the carrier’s edge network or equipment additions at the Central office level. A last mile Local Exchange company may not know the wholesale carrier network and construction can be determined once the site survey is completed.

My building is fiber lit. How can I have my order held for construction?
A fiber lit building does not necessarily protect your order from a need for construction. Infrastructure is the main reason for initiating construction. While we do have far fewer orders that require construction on a fiber lit building, it is not impossible. In some fiber lit buildings, there may be a fiber shortage.

What is an EFO – or Entrance Facility Offer?
An EFO, or Entrance Facility Offer, is an offer for the carrier to prepare the entrance facility for receipt of the carrier equipment. Entrance Facility Offers are very time sensitive. The customer or building manager has a limited time to sign the offer, generally 10 days. If it is not signed by a specified date, the offer is rescinded. EFOs can provide a customer up to $10,000 dollars of entrance preparation and up to 1,000 ft. of fiber path from the street to the building. These offers can be complicated by a landlord’s objection to the work, perhaps because they are concerned about possible damage or landscaping issues. AT&T is the predominant carrier in many states that offers this type of program in an effort to speed up the delivery of service.

AireSpring is working hand-in-hand with you every step of the way to ensure that your construction process moves forward and is completed in a timely manner.