- Verizon is using a combo of AI, propensity modeling and geospatial analysis to sort through 811 dig requests across its fiber network
- The size of the fiber cable and type of excavator also comes into play when Verizon determines if a dig is high-risk
- Construction work is a frequent cause of accidental fiber cable damage
Unearthing damaged fiber doesn't have to be a pain. Verizon claims it can use artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce up to several hundred fiber cuts across its network.
Michael Raj, Verizon’s VP of Network Enablement, likened fiber as “the nerve of the telecom industry.” If it breaks, it could spell out a major service disruption.
“Let’s say it’s a fiber connected to a cell site, if that fiber gets damaged as a result of someone digging…obviously you can imagine the customers around that cell site will have a reduced performance,” he told Fierce.
To mitigate potential outages, Raj explained Verizon is using a mix of propensity modeling and geospatial analysis to evaluate the risk of an excavation. The company integrates that information to its 811 system, the national call-before-you-dig number.
“We get data for every dig across our footprint,” he said, noting Verizon needs to be “very selective” with how it communicates to excavators.
The AI angle
Here’s where the AI component comes in: It’s a way to more efficiently parse through the 811 dig requests.
“Imagine if you are an excavator doing 100 projects, you should not be receiving 98 responses from Verizon saying, ‘high risk,’” Raj said. With propensity, Verizon can assign a score from 0 to 1, for instance, to gauge if digs are low or high risk.
The company is also gathering data on the fiber itself, including the size of the fiber cable in a particular location; whether the fiber has a history of damages; the time of year the excavations are taking place; and the excavator’s name, as some excavators may have “some precautions that they could take which avoids the damage they could cause," noted Raj.
Assessing the damage also depends on whether a fiber cut occurs in a rural or urban area. It’s easier for Verizon to “pinpoint an exact location in urban markets,” said Raj, but the impact on customers can be higher than in a rural, low-density market. Fiber cuts are also more likely to occur during the summer, which isn’t too surprising as that’s when a lot of construction work takes place.
Verizon’s not the only operator trying to address the fiber cut dilemma. Comcast for instance developed a system that uses older-generation spectrum analyzers to observe and report on the conditions of individual fibers. The technology allowed the company to reduce the time it takes to detect fiber cuts.
Fiber cables can be cut intentionally and unintentionally. Accidental damage can often happen during construction work, says Commercial Electronics, when workers dig their way to a burst public water supply pipe or when homeowners install a fence around their property.
Making sure underground installation is clearly mapped, a task typically done by utility locators, is another way to prevent fiber damage. Utility locate requests are expected to ramp up as a result of BEAD, according to USIC, so states should ensure existing underground infrastructure is protected and can pave the way for new deployments.