Drilling & boring
Fiber optic drilling contractors
Most of the fiber being built in American neighborhoods today goes in by directional bore. Here is how the drilling side of a fiber build works and what to ask the contractor.
What fiber drilling actually installs
Fiber itself is rarely pulled through a bore. The contractor installs duct: 1.25-inch or 2-inch HDPE conduit, bundles of several ducts in one pull, or microduct packages that carry many small tubes in a single sheath. The fiber cable is blown or pulled into the duct afterward, which keeps the glass away from the bore and lets the owner add fiber later without digging again. Vaults and handholes are set at splice points and the ducts are bored between them.
Why fiber builds use HDD
A fiber-to-the-home build runs along existing streets where every yard has water, sewer, gas and power services crossing the path. Trenching through that is slow, destructive and unpopular. A directional bore passes under all of it from a pit every few hundred feet, the surface stays intact, and the crew can keep moving at hundreds of feet a day in good ground. Long-haul routes along highways use larger rigs and longer bores for the same reason.
Planning a fiber bore
Depth is set by the right-of-way owner and by what must be cleared, commonly 30 to 48 inches of cover on a city street and deeper under state roads. The crew pre-locates through 811, potholes crossings where records are uncertain, and tracks the bore head rod by rod. Multiple ducts are pulled with a bundle swivel so they do not twist. Where an easement is tight or the rig cannot be set in line, a shorter bore and an extra pit beat a forced curve.
Production and schedule
In sand, clay and mixed soil a mid-size crew installs 400 to 1,000 feet of duct a day including pits. Rock, cobbles, caliche and dense utilities cut that sharply. A realistic schedule from a contractor who has worked the ground in your area is worth more than an optimistic footage rate.
Contractors by area
Fiber optic drilling contractors are listed here by state and city. Across the Southeast the listed contractor is Davis Underground Solutions, which has run fiber and conduit builds for carriers and developers across the region. Elsewhere, the national line routes your project to a drilling contractor working your area. Estimates are free.
Estimates are free. Call now: (855) 804-1434 — or pick your state below to reach the contractor covering your area.
Find a fiber optic drilling contractor by state
Other drilling and boring services
Directional Drilling
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for new underground utilities: steered bores under roads, driveways, parking lots, creeks and landscaping with no open trench.
Horizontal Boring
Horizontal boring for conduit, casing and carrier pipe where digging across a surface is not an option.
Auger Boring
Steel-cased auger bores for road, rail and railroad crossings that need a straight, on-grade casing.
Pipe Boring
Boring and pulling in HDPE or steel product pipe from a few inches up to large-diameter casings.
Electrical Conduit Drilling
Bores for primary and secondary power conduit, lighting circuits and site electrical feeds.
Utility Drilling
Multi-utility installs for developers and utilities: power, gas, water, sewer and telecom on one site plan.
Sewer Line Drilling
Directional drilling and boring for new gravity-adjusted force mains, laterals and sewer crossings.
Water Main Drilling
HDD installation of new water mains and service lines, including creek and road crossings.
Gas Line Drilling
Bores for new natural gas mains and services, coordinated with the utility and its operator-qualification rules.
Questions about fiber optic drilling
How deep is fiber duct buried by directional drilling?+
Typically 30 to 48 inches of cover on municipal streets and private property, deeper under state highways and railroads where the permit sets a minimum. Depth is also chosen to clear the existing services the bore crosses.
Can several ducts be installed in one bore?+
Yes. Bundles of two to six ducts, or a microduct package, are pulled in one pass using a bundle swivel. The reamed hole is sized to the bundle, not to one duct.
What happens at the splice points?+
Handholes or vaults are installed at the design spacing and the bore enters and exits in them. The fiber is later pulled or blown between vaults inside the duct.
How fast does a fiber drilling crew move?+
Several hundred feet to about a thousand feet a day in favorable soil, including pits and restoration. Rock, cobbles and dense utility corridors slow it, which is why local ground experience matters in the quote.
Who files the permits and locates for a fiber bore?+
The contractor files the 811 locate tickets and usually prepares the right-of-way permits with the carrier or developer as applicant. Make sure the quote says who does what.