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Allo Fiber

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1. Why is Allo allowed to install fiber lines in Erie?

The Town of Erie Board of Trustees approved a Franchise Agreement with Allo Communications which gives them the right to complete this work. Complete details of this granting of rights is available in the Franchise Agreement in section 2.1.

2. Why is new service beginning near Flatiron Meadow and Rex Ranch?

All fiber internet service has to begin at a "fiber hut" where the lines begin and where emergency back-up systems are housed to maintain service in the case of outages. The fiber hut for Allo Communications is housed near the Thomas Reservoir on land that Allo is leasing from the Town of Erie. Service will be spread through the Town - and specifically to neighborhoods with few connectivity options - as quickly as possible once service lines are running out from the fiber hut.

3. What is a "fiber hut"?

Just like battery back-up systems for homes, the fiber huts are locations built and maintained by internet providers to prepare for power failures with extensive back-up systems and emergency generators to ensure that our customers maintain Internet and phone service. A fiber hut is simply a small, cement building (like the one pictured below) that houses back-up systems and the beginning point of a fiber network in that location.

The space where Allo will be building their fiber hut is on leased space that the company has contracted with the Town to utilize. The space is near Thomas Reservoir which is why service for Allo is beginning in neighborhood in this general area. 

4. Why does the Erie community need another internet, TV, and phone provider?

The Board of Trustees and Town staff believe that facilitating another internet provider option (Allo Communications) for residents and businesses will increase competition among all providers, and that should reduce costs for residents and businesses and improve customer service. With a continually growing residential and business population, extra options for coverage should help supply keep up with demand in our community.

5. What is an “easement” or “right-of-way”?

Answer from Allo: 

The city owns small but specific portions of your property to access and maintain city utilities. We work with the city to access these areas as we build our fiber network.

A utility easement allows a utility the right to use and access a specific area of your property for constructing, operating and maintaining gas, electric, water, and sewer lines. The easement is often a permanent restriction on the property so that it transfers ownership with the home or property when sold. Having an easement gives the utility the right to use the land, but the utility does not own it.

A “right-of-way” is the surface and space above and below any real property in the city in which the city has an interest as an owner or trustee for the public for public travel including public streets, highways, avenues, roads, alleys, easements, sidewalks, tunnels, viaducts, or bridges.

6. How do I find the easement in my yard?

Answer from Allo: 

There are a few ways to determine the easement area of your property.

1. Review the deed to the property which can be obtained from the county clerk or recorder. The easements will be explained in the legal description of the property.
2. Contact the zoning or mapping department for your county or city. These departments are in charge of keeping records of surveys and plot maps and can help provide information about an easement on your property.
3. Reach out to the utility company — or any entity with easement rights — to request the easement information regarding a certain property.
4. Contact a title insurance company, or private title searcher, they can be hired to perform a search for easements. They are often able to provide a comprehensive report for a fee.

7. How will I be contacted regarding the start of construction?

Answer from Allo: ALLO will reach out to you regarding construction in a variety of ways including direct mail notices, emails, door tags, and in-person visits from our quality assurance construction team.

8. How long does construction take?

Answer from Allo: This depends on the layout and design of your neighborhood. Some areas are built with easier access to utilities and easements, others have more complex designs and natural obstructions which can cause delays. Planning, design, and engineering are months in the making before you ever see a sub-contractor or ALLO team member make an appearance. City planning is unique in every area and in our 10+ years building GIG communities we’ve found that no two neighborhoods are alike. For these reasons and the ones that are far outside of our control, like weather and unexpected natural obstacles, we recommend checking our interactive website map for the most up to date information on your neighborhood.

9. Will I receive notice before locate flags or markings are placed?

Answer from Allo: We do our best to inform ALLO communities of the entire construction process by mail prior to the arrival of our construction team. However, the town and contractors will access the utility easement area of you property to mark existing utilities and communications lines before our construction can begin and they are not required to provide notice of their flags or markings ahead of time.

10. There are flags and people in my yard, what are they doing?

Answer from Allo: 

The flags or marking in your area were placed by the local utilities companies and help our team identify where the lines are underground. When ALLO begins fiber construction, we use these markings to protect against damage to your property or utilities. Please see the list below for an explanation of utility color associations.

• White: proposed excavation.
• Pink: temporary survey markings.
• Red: electric power lines, cable, conduit, and lighting cables
• Yellow: gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
• Orange: communication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit
• Blue: potable water
• Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines
• Green: sewer and drain lines

11. How long will the flags or markings be in place?

Answer from Allo: Utility locate flags or markings are good for 10-14 business days. If construction has not been completed in that time frame, the area will need to be re-marked.

12. How deep will you have to dig to bury the fiber line?

Answer from Allo: The main line in the easements and right of ways are buried between two and four feet deep and the fiber drop to the house or to the pedestal may vary between 12 to 18 inches in depth.

13. There’s a cable in my yard or draped over my fence, what is it?

Answer from Allo: This is a temporary fiber drop. Our team will return soon to establish a permanent and less intrusive location for the cable. Weather can sometimes play a role in this process and if delays occur ALLO will notify you with an updated timeframe for permanent drop construction. If your fiber is installed during winter months when the ground is frozen, you may have a temporary drop until the spring. If your existing utilities are underground, ALLO will follow the same path.

14. How large is the conduit that contains the fiber optic cable?

Answer from Allo: The conduit ranges in size from ¾ inch to 2 inch, but our standard is ¾ inch.

15. There is a hole in my yard with a fence around it – what is that?

Answer from Allo: We are placing pedestals in the easement in your yard. The pedestal, with weather permitting, is installed shortly after the ground is prepared so there is a fence placed around the hole for safety. The pedestal that is eventually placed here houses the equipment to provide service to several homes and businesses in your area. Our intent is to leave your property the way we found it.

16. Why is there a pedestal in my yard and not my neighbor's yard?

Answer from Allo: 

During the design phase, the engineering team determines the most efficient way to provide service. They select the least intrusive intersecting rear property point as the general location for a pedestal which is often in the center of four property corners. From that point, the pedestal location is thoughtfully identified based on the following factors:

• Existing underground utilities.
• Location of the underground conduit that will feed the pedestal.
• Proximity to other pedestals.
• Landscape features and/or obstructions.
• Ease of accessibility for crews to construct and maintain the network.

17. Do I need to mark my sprinklers to avoid damage?

Answer from Allo: Marking sprinklers in advance of construction is certainly helpful but not mandatory.