Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch (R-IN) and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced more Hoosiers will gain access to high-speed broadband as a result of $842,865 awarded in the fifth round of the Indiana Connectivity Program (ICP). The ICP helps Hoosier residents and business owners, often in rural areas, obtain access to reliable broadband by assisting internet providers with the expense of extending its services to underserved locations of Indiana. Of the 216 addresses funded in ICP’s round five, 206 are households and 10 are businesses. Internet providers carrying out the projects are matching over $1.4 million for a total investment of more than $2.2 million. To find a list of providers granted funding, visit in.gov/ocra/broadband/icp.

When ased for an estimate of the cost of building aerial fiber, I always say that the cost is dependent upon the amount of required make-ready needed. Make-ready is well-named—it’s any work that must be done on poles to be ready to string the new fiber. Broadband providers complain when saddled with the full cost of pole replacement. Many of the issues described above should more rightfully be borne by the pole owner. But the federal and most state make-ready rules put the entire cost burden of a pole replacement on the new attacher. Poles don’t last forever. The average wooden utility pole has an expected life of 45 to 50 years. Poles need to be replaced before adding a new fiber line for several reasons:

• The original pole is too short, and there is not space to add another wire without upgrading to a taller pole. National electric standards require specific distances between different wires for technician safety when working on a pole.
• It’s possible that the new wire will add enough expected wind resistance during storms that the existing pole is not strong enough to take on an additional wire.
• One of the most common reasons for replacing poles is that the poles are worn out and won’t last much longer. That’s what the rest of the blog discusses.