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Home My WebLink About2025-01-09; Installation of Fiber Network Update (Districts - All); Gomez, PazTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Dat0,'\l2~ CA J" CC ✓ CM __ ACM V(}CM (3) V January 9, 2025 Council Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council From: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works Via: Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager~ Re: Installation of Fiber Network Update (Districts -All) {city of Carlsbad Memo ID# 2025001 This memorandum provides an update to a previous Council Memorandum dated May 18, 2023, Attachment A, on a construction effort by Ubiquity SoCal, LLC (Ubiquity), the owner, operator and installer of a fiber infrastructure network being constructed within the city. Background Attachment A, which is the Council Memorandum dated May 18, 2023, provides background information on the fiber infrastructure network constructed by Ubiquity. Ubiquity is a privately- owned investor and developer of digital communications infrastructure. Through its installations, Ubiquity contracts with Internet Service Providers, wireless carriers, utilities and municipalities to deliver broadband services to residents, businesses and community institutions. Discussion The activities associated with Ubiquity's installation of fiber optic lines in the public right-of-way (ROW) often involves a large crew of workers, traffic control and equipment that can produce a significant amount of noise. The city issued 21 ROW permits in District 4 to Ubiquity and its contractors. All but six of the 21 permits have been completed in Ubiquity's service area 1, including restoration. Ubiquity's service area 1 in District 4 is shown on Attachment B. The city continues to receive inquiries about the project, and below are answers to frequently asked questions: -Who is leading this project and why? Ubiquity is installing a fiber infrastructure network within city limits. Ubiquity has partnered with internet service provider Ting Internet (Ting) to deliver broadband internet services to residents and businesses within the city using Ubiquity's newly installed fiber network. What is the contractor doing? Ubiquity is installing a fiber infrastructure network within the public ROW. The process involves locating existing utilities along the proposed alignment, digging a narrow trench near the edge of the roadway ("microtrenching") Public Works Branch Construction Management & Inspection Department 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2780 t Council Memo -Installation of Fiber Network Update (Districts -All) January 9, 2025 Page 2 and/or boring under sections of the road, placing conduit in the trench and then backfilling. Once the conduit is installed, the fiber network is placed in the conduits. Why does the city permit this work? Federal law preempts local regulation of telecommunication services within the public ROW. However, the city may regulate the time, place and manner of access to the ROW. Will I get notice of construction in my neighborhood? Ubiquity has not provided the city with a comprehensive schedule; however, residents who are scheduled to receive an underground utility enclosure (hand hole) in front of their home will receive a door hanger notifying them of planned work at least 2 weeks prior to starting the work, as required by the city. As a courtesy, Ubiquity provided general notification in the form of a letter to residents prior to their work. How long will it take? Construction activities are generally expected to last five to six weeks per street, depending on the length of each installation. Each permit can take between three to five months depending on the number of streets included in the permit, weather and resolving unexpected conflicts with other utilities in the alignment. What is the status of current permits? As of the date of this memo, Ubiquity has six active permits. Two permits have minimal restoration and should be closed within a month. One permit is delayed due to San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) issues/conflicts. The remaining three permits will extend into spring 2025. What type of impact does the Ubiquity work have on the city's 2023 Slurry Seal project? The city has been discussing the slurry seal project with Ubiquity, so Ubiquity's work does not interfere with the city's project. The 2023 Slurry Seal project overlaps with many of the streets where Ubiquity has already completed their work. Those streets will either have an overlay or slurry seal to restore the street surface. Any newly resurfaced street will have a three-year moratorium on trenching. What are Ubiquity's future plans? Ubiquity shared that they plan to apply for additional permits in new service areas next year. Each of the additional 10 service areas throughout the city will have numerous permits associated with the individual service areas. Installation of extensive fiber network will continue throughout the city over the next five years. Ubiquity plans to use their annual permit to install fiber in the new conduits in service area 1 and prioritize establishing customers. Any new service areas will need to go through the individual permitting process. Next Steps Staff will continue to process permit applications for future installations and ensure that Ubiquity's contractors are meeting the requirements of the city ROW permits while identifying and mitigating potential safety hazards related to Ubiquity's work. Attachments: A. Council Memorandum dated May 18, 2023 B. Service Area Ubiquity Map, prepared by Ubiquity Council Memo -Installation of Fiber Network Update (Districts -All) January 9, 2025 Page 3 cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager Cindie McMahon, City Attorney Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Christie Calderwood, Police Chief Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Gina Herrera, Assistant City Attorney Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director Hossein Ajideh, Engineering Manager Jason Geldert, Engineering Manager Emily Hasegawa, Engineering Manager Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager Tiffany Fisher, Engineering Technician II To the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Da~~l~l23 CAL CC✓ CM ACM ✓ocM (3) ..}.L, ATTACHMENT A Council Memorandum May 18, 2023 To: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council From: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public_Works Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager{Gf) Re: Installation of Fiber Network (District~ All) {city of Carlsbad Memo ID# 2023045 This memorandum provides information on a construction effort by Ubiquity SoCal, LLC (Ubiquity), the owner, operator and installer of a fiber infrastructure network being constructed within the city. Background Ubiquity is a privately-owned investor and developer of digital communications infrastructure. Through its installations, Ubiquity contracts with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), wireless carriers, utilities, and municipalities to deliver broadband services to residents, businesses and community institutions. In December 2022, Ubiquity began installation of its fiber network within the city. Discussion The activities associated with Ubiquity's installation of fiber optic lines in the public right-of-way often involves a large crew of workers, traffic control and equipment that can produce a significant amount of noise. As a result, the work has generated interest and many inquiries from the residents. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the project: -Who is leading this project and why? Ubiquity is installing a fiber infrastructure network within city limits. Ubiquity has partnered with internet service provider Ting Internet (Ting) to deliver broadband internet services to residents and businesses within the city using Ubiquity's newly installed fiber network. Is this a city project? No, this is not a city project. However, the city retains regulatory authority1 over the project for the issuance of right-of-way permits. 1 Although federal law gives telecommunication providers, such as Ubiquity and Ting, a legal right to access the public rights-of-way, the city may regulate the use of public rights-of-way so long as the city's authority is exercised in a way that does not erect barriers to entry and is competitively neutral. (See Telecommunications Act of 1996; 47 U.S.C. § 253.) Public Works Branch Construction Management & Inspection Department 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2780 t Council Memo -Installation of Fiber Network (Districts -All) May 18, 2023 Page 2 What is the contractor doing? Ubiquity is installing a fiber infrastructure network within the public right-of-way. The process involves locating existing utilities along the proposed alignment using potholing and surveying methods. Once the alignment has been deemed clear of potential conflicts, a narrow trench is installed near the edge of the roadway. Conduit is placed in the trench and then backfilled. A junction box, commonly referred to as a handhole, is installed in the dirt or landscaped area behind the curb at a frequency of approximately every other home. Once all conduit and hand holes have been installed in a neighborhood, the contractor will restore the impacted roadway with an asphalt patch as well as any damage to the curb, gutter and sidewalks consistent with the permit requirements. -Why is there a handhole in my yard? The location of handholes is identified during the design and planning process and is largely dictated by the location of service cabinets and the interval/spacing requirements needed to connect to individual residences and businesses. While the primary fiber network runs under the roadway, lateral branches known as a "service connections" are installed perpendicular to the mainline within a handhole in the dirt or landscaped area behind the curb. While some homeowners identify the area behind tlie curb as their property, the public right-of-way typically extends 10 feet from the face of the curb. Can I opt out? Homeowners may not opt out. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates privately owned utilities in the State of California, including electric power, natural gas, telecommunications, water and transportation companies. Ubiquity's fiber infrastructure network falls within the regulatory authority of the CPUC. It is also subject to the Telecommunications Act of 1996; as such, the city has limited authority to restrict and/or regulate how Ubiquity installs its fiber infrastructure network. -When will I see construction in my neighborhood? Ubiquity has not provided the city with a comprehensive schedule; however, residents and businesses will receive advanced notice prior to work starting in their neighborhood. Residents who are scheduled to receive a handhole in front of their home will receive a door hanger notifying them of planned work at least 14 days prior to starting the work. How long will it take? Construction activities are generally expected to last five to six weeks per neighborhood, depending on the size of each installation. Ubiquity has communicated that it plans to install an extensive fiber network throughout the city over the next two to three years. Next Steps Staff will continue to process qualifying permit applications for future installations and ensure that Ubiquity's contractors are meeting the requirements of the city permits while identifying and mitigating potential safety hazards related to Ubiquity's work. Council Memo -Installation of Fiber Network (Districts -All) May 18, 2023 Page 3 cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Cindie McMahon, City Attorney Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Mickey Williams, Police Chief David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director Babaq Taj, Engineering Manager Hossein Ajideh, Engineering Manager Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager "' ,·s · r" - ·- i . _ .., , - , , ; . : , ,, . r j . . ,. , , , , .. ,,.. , , j H1 ' '- - ¥ ) ·;u1 • :1 ~. '1 ·· , ' I 01( ' ,,/ /- ' ~ 1 (~; ,) , ·- , \ ./ . > ~ M ,. •' -~ Il l -. ~ :, : n. l ,i