Fibre optic construction process

2025-05-19

Fibre optic internet requires a new underground utility cable to be installed and there is some construction activity in your neighbourhood associated with that. There are a few steps and in some cases it may be weeks or months between each step. Here’s a quick look into the fibre optic construction process.

Step 1: Utility line locating

Shadow Internet will complete the line locating request with clickbeforeyoudig.com, a service where utilities register their underground assets. Any utilities with assets buried in the work area will be notified, and will mark their lines with temporary spray paint and flags. Locators for the gas, power, telephone, and cable companies may enter your yard to mark their underground lines even if you are not signed up for fibre. Make sure they are able to access your yard and the fence is not locked.

Telephone (orange) and natural gas (yellow) lines under an alley. The curved lines are error bars, showing the range of where the buried utility could be.
Telephone (orange), power (red) lines transitioning from overhead to underground at the utility pole. Natural gas (yellow) runs perpendicular to the telephone and power.
Natural gas and communication lines (cable TV, telephone) cross under a road.
A hydrovac exposes the buried natural gas line to verify location and depth before digging near the line. A hydrovac digs with pressurized water and a vacuum to prevent damaging the buried utility.

Step 2: Placing underground conduits

A conduit is installed to each house that is signed up, and then that conduit is aggregated in underground boxes in the back alley and utility right of ways. We will use a horizontal directional drilling machine to install the conduit to your home. The machine has a steerable bit that tunnels under your yard 1m deep, and then exits in a small pit dug at the house. The machine does not damage grass, and can go underneath sprinkler lines, sidewalks, etc. Typically we will install the conduit to the existing Shadow Internet cable entry, or the utility room.

Horizontal directional drill (HDD) drills under a fence and gravel yard to install a conduit for fibre optics.
A small exit pit is dug beside existing utilities where the drill bit will tunnel into. The exit pit is typically 18 inches deep. Orange conduit is then connected to the drill bit, and pulled back under the yard to the alley.
Landscaping is restored after the conduit has been pulled back. A grey PVC conduit is sleeved over top of the orange conduit for protection, and to match existing utilities.
Fibre optic splice box is installed on top of the PVC conduit.

Heavy equipment will be used in the installation process and may be loud or pose other hazards to bystanders. Keep back minimum 15 metres from operating equipment. Equipment may temporarily block access to some areas, if you need immediate access get the attention of someone onsite or call 780-753-0234 and they will assist.

If you are not signed up for fibre a conduit will not be buried to your home or business. The conduit will be installed to a "flower pot" in the back alley outside your property or in the utility right of way. Fibre optic internet service will still be available in the future. After you sign up the flower pot will be removed and the conduit will be extended to your home or business.

Underground box/vault/handhole installed in an alley. The handhole contains cable slack and cable splice enclosures.
'Flower pot' contains a stubbed conduit at an address that is not currently signed up for fibre optic.

Step 3: Installing fibre optic cables into new conduits

Once the conduits are installed the fibre optic cable will be fed through and spliced on each end.

Fibre optic cable being installed in conduits using the figure 8 method to prevent tangling.
Fibre optic cable installed, and spliced into an enclosure. Customer fibre lines are then connected into this splice enclosure with quick attach connectors.

Step 4: Inside installation/upgrade

After the fibre cables are installed in the conduits an installation scheduling email will be sent where the final installation can be scheduled online. After you book an installation a fibre optic utility box will be installed outside with a fibre optic cable installed from the box to a fibre optic modem inside. A new wifi router will be installed in a central location to provide the best WiFi signal throughout the building.

Inside installations typically take 1.5 to 3 hours depending on how difficult it is to run the cable inside the building. Access to the basement, attic, or other areas may be required to run the cable. If you have existing CAT5e, or CAT6 cabling, we may be able to re-use those wires. Additional WiFi nodes are available to seemlessly extend coverage if a single router is not enough.