Safe Digging Practices: Avoid Damaging Fiber Optic Cables Buried Underground

With more Illinoisans working from home than ever before…and remote learning remaining an option during inclement weather…uninterrupted access to the Internet and other forms of communications is critical. Fiber optic cable has become a preferred source for transmitting these services to households and business because it provides the fastest online speeds and largest bandwidth while offering the best security and reliability.

Damaging fiber optic cables can interfere with business operations, school systems and remote learning, telehealth, and even emergency services. Severing a single fiber optic line can disrupt Internet connections for an entire neighborhood and take out cell phone service, too. The results can be devastating.

Never make a risky assumption about identifying fiber optic cable locations. Did you know that by the end of this year, more fiber optic cables than ever will be buried throughout Illinois? That’s because Governor J.B. Pritzker launched the Connect Illinois broadband grant program a few years ago in an effort to provide affordable Internet to underserved areas of the state and extend fiber connectivity in rural communities. The goal of this historic $420 million initiative is for homes, businesses and community anchor institutions throughout the state to have access to high-speed Internet service by 2024.

To avoid damaging fiber optic cables, everyone—whether you’re a home or land owner or a professional excavator—should follow safe digging practices including contacting JULIE before you dig. Planting trees, bushes or flowers? Building a deck? Adding a fence? Fixing a mailbox post? All these activities are potentially dangerous if you don’t know what lies below ground. Communications lines can be buried shallow, sometimes only a few inches below the surface, making them vulnerable to being struck or severed when digging. That’s why every excavation endeavor, regardless of size and depth, warrants you contacting JULIE before you dig.

If you’re the cause of damaging fiber optic cables when working on a project, you could be held responsible for the cost of repairs, which is greater than other communications lines such as cable or phone. That’s because a fiber optic cable cannot be spliced back together like a coaxial cable. Instead, the owner of the infrastructure must replace the entire length of fiber from the nearest vault to the building. This process is considerably more time-consuming and expensive compared to repairing coaxial cable. If you’re professional and did not take the steps necessary for identifying fiber optic cable locations and you or your crew strike a line, it can cause delays to your project’s timeline, as well.

Following safe digging practices, specifically contacting JULIE before you dig, is the easiest way to avoid damaging fiber optic cables. And, in fact, it’s the law. At least two business days prior to starting any project that requires you disturb the earth, you are required to contact JULIE to have underground utility lines marked. The service is free. The non-profit association will notify utility companies who then will send representatives to your property or job site to indicate where their utility lines are buried.

Homeowners can submit a locate request online 24/7/365. Professional excavators have the option of submitting multiple locate requests at once using JULIE’s convenient Remote Ticket Entry system or individually.

After submitting a locate request, always wait until you have received confirmation from all utility companies of where it may be safe to dig and be sure to begin your project with 14 days. Click here for additional information on what to do after you submit your locate request.

Remember, broadband Internet service has become an essential part of everyday life and an outage can impact more than just personal use—it can impact businesses, schools, healthcare, emergency services, and more. So do your part to keep your family, neighbors, community, and yourself safe by contacting JULIE before you dig, every project, every time.

Safe Digging Tip:Always contact JULIE before you dig to have utility lines on your job site located for free by our members. Valuable utility lines may be buried just beneath the surface and hitting one could disrupt critical services, cause serious harm to you or your crew, and result in costly repairs and fines.