Quantity and quality of fibre-optic cable installations a hot topic in Espoo
The City of Espoo has received a record number of applications for fibre-optic cable installations this year and last year. A lot of installations have been carried out around the city. However, the finishing work on the installations has in some cases lasted months, which has, understandably, annoyed local residents.
The installation of fibre-optic cables has been discussed widely, and the streets being constantly torn open around the city is tiresome for the residents. Shortcomings in temporary traffic arrangements may have even caused dangerous situations, but fortunately any larger accidents have been avoided.
In particular, finishing work phases such as asphalting and lawn repairs seem to be carried out very slowly in some places. The customer service of Espoo Public Works has received an influx of questions and feedback on the matter.
Eight telecommunications companies are currently active in installing fibre-optic cables in the Espoo region.
Right to install comes with responsibility for implementation
Telecommunications companies have a legal right to place cables and minor equipment in land not owned by them. Placement permits must be granted to all telecommunications companies that apply for them, because according to, for example, EU directives, competition in telecommunications networks is not restricted. It is then the responsibility of the municipality to check through the initial and final inspections that the implementation is in line with its requirements.
The responsibility for the implementation of the construction sites lies with the company that took on the project. The city does not have the resources to check the safety and smooth running of traffic at numerous construction sites on a daily basis. Questions and feedback regarding the sites should be directed primarily to the entity responsible for the site, the contact details of which can be found on the site’s construction site board. In addition to this, feedback can be submitted to the customer service of the Espoo Public Works Department.
The feedback on fibre-optic network construction work mainly concerns the finishing of the excavation work, i.e. the restoration of street and green areas. The work will be accepted by the City of Espoo when the sites have been implemented in accordance with the permit conditions. Final inspections have had to be held several times due to finishing work and other shortcomings.
Rate adjustment and guidance of operators as means to improve implementation
In Espoo, as in other municipalities, there is an ongoing debate on how the municipality could improve the implementation of the operations of optical fibre companies. The general opinion is that the main objective is ensuring that the finalisation work of cable installation is completed faster and more carefully than it currently is. Based on the feedback given by the residents, the installation itself is completed quickly, but the completion of the finalisation work can take unreasonably long.
In Espoo, the fees and rates for the use of public areas have been updated, and they entered into force on 1 June 2024. Operators performing excavation work are guided to use passive infrastructure, i.e. preliminary pipes, joint excavation implementations by several operators, and faster restoration of street areas. The rate adjustment was approved by the Espoo Technical Services Committee on 24 April 2024.
This autumn will show how effective the adjusted rate is and whether new means are still needed. The hope now is that fibre-optic builders will invest in high-quality work that complies with the permit conditions, because this acts as a calling card for other services.
The City Board will discuss the answer to the council question related to the topic at its meeting on 28 October.