”Dig once” policies are the most powerful, cost-effective...

NATOA said digging up streets to put fiber underground or installing new utility poles is one of the biggest costs for private companies building fiber networks. But under a “dig once” policy, cities can install fiber conduits or fiber bundles every time they have to tear up a street for road or utility work, wrote Hovis. They can then make the conduits or bundles available to companies and nonprofits which want to build networks, she wrote. “Not only is this an attractive option to providers who save the time and expense of digging, but it has the added benefit of reducing future disruption for local citizens (who probably don’t want to deal with a future road closure if it can be avoided).” Hovis recommended surveying where existing utilizes are, so network providers don’t have to do the work themselves. She said cities and counties could create a streamlined standard permitting process for network providers.