By ANA RISANO
Insider Staff Writer
Broadband has been expanding quickly across parts of Moore County as utility works have been spotted threading lines underground and along utility poles.
But as is possible when digging into ground laced with existing infrastructure, municipalities and other utility providers are experiencing signal noise.
Towns, power companies and other telecommunication providers have reported issues of existing water lines, pipes and existing cabling sliced through by contractors during the installation of new, high speed internet networks.
Southern Pines Town Engineer James Michel summarized what several towns have seen: failure to follow utility location procedures, poor communication and damage to water lines.
Before digging, contractors are supposed to call 811, a resource that dispatches information to all utility providers in an area where work is planned so each can mark, with flags or spraypaint, existing lines. That way, the contractors know where to avoid or where to dig gently.
The two companies predominantly working in southern Moore County and up through Carthage are Ripple Fiber and Brightspeed. They have worked with various contractors to do the installations.
Despite the problems, Michel said the telecommunication companies have been relatively easy to work with when issues arise with broadband installation.
“When we reach out directly to the telecom companies, Brightspeed and Ripple Fiber, they are generally receptive,” Michel said. “They’re not combative. They say, ‘We understand. We’ll talk to our contractors.’ It doesn’t always result in a major change on the contractor-side, but they seem to care.”
One issue Michel outlined was contractors expanding in areas not yet marked by a utility locator. Sometimes that’s because the town’s utility locator doesn’t get to an area within the allotted timeframe or because the contractor didn’t follow the proper procedure.
But if so, Michel said there are visual cues, like a fire hydrant and meter boxes, that would let a worker know something is going on below ground. In such cases, they can call for an emergency locate, which is a three-hour ticket for an area to get marked. If not marked in those hours, state law lets contractors start digging.
With just one person locating Southern Pines’ lines, Michel said the town’s locator is “already stretched thin just with normal development work and home building going on.” He said the contractors laying fiber optic cable often require marking 2,000 to 3,000 feet of lines each day.
“They’ve essentially put too much in for any reasonable person to be able to locate in time,” Michel said.
Moore County has also felt the pains of broadband expansion. Director of Public Works Brian Patnode said the county has two locators on staff because they went from having less than 100 tickets in a week to double or triple the amount.
“I’ve heard some people say it’s almost quicker for them to plow the line in and get it in the ground than to wait for the locates or wait for repairs,” Patnode said.
Most of the repairs the public works departments have dealt with have been for water lines. Patnode said a line was cut in Seven Lakes near the end of November, impacting about 50 customers.
Michel said Southern Pines has had over a dozen water lines damaged with the work to install new fiber optic lines. In some cases, it has been a contractor’s fault for not digging safely. But, if the paint line is slightly off, it’s the town’s fault. Either way, public works staff need to repair the line.
Carthage Town Manager Emily Yopp said in an email the town has also encountered several water line breaks since the start of the fiber optic internet installation.
“While some damage to water lines is expected due to the difficulty of locating them underground, the frequency of these incidents has understandably frustrated many in our community,” Yopp said.
Yopp said utility contractors have started using “ground-penetrating radar and water jetting systems to more accurately and gently dig around water lines.
“These methods have significantly reduced the frequency of water line breaks. However, it’s important to remember that, given the complexity of the work — digging in areas where multiple utility lines are located — there may still be occasional disruptions until the project is completed.”
Ripple Communications Director Emily (Adams) Francois said in an email that the company is aware of incidents with installation and is working to prevent future damage.
“Ripple Fiber is aware of incidents with cut lines, and we take any damage to existing utilities very seriously,” Francois said. “Our construction teams continue to work with our vendors, utility owners, and those utility owners’ marking services to minimize damages and limit the impact on residents.”
The company has service available to over 6,500 homes across the county, recently completing installations in Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Whispering Pines. It has started work in Carthage and the north and south Seven Lakes communities, with plans to expand in Aberdeen as well.
“Ripple Fiber’s construction team and vendors receive thorough education through a combination of online courses and hands-on training sessions,” she said. “These trainings cover all aspects of safe digging procedures as outlined by NC 811 guidelines. To reinforce these protocols, Ripple Fiber management conducts weekly meetings with our vendors, providing a platform to discuss ongoing projects, review safety practices, and address any concerns.”
Brightspeed Public Relations Director Gene Rodriguez Miller said in an email the company’s crews also follow standard locating procedures set by local municipalities.
“We submit utility locate requests and wait until those lines are marked before we perform any digging,” Miller said. “Unfortunately, sometimes, the utility lines are not marked accurately.”
Brightspeed has installed fiber internet in Robbins and is working its way through West End and Southern Pines. It also plans to expand in Carthage, Whispering Pines, Vass and Pinehurst. She anticipates construction wrapping up in 2025.
Contact Ana Risano at (910) 585-6396 or ana@thepilot.com.
