The colder months are a great time for construction progress. Additional supplies have been delivered, and Sertex has moved multiple underground crews onto the island to install mainline conduit, build hub locations, and continue residential drop installations.

In December, the Ditch Witch RT55 trencher arrived on-island. This specialized equipment enables Sertex crews to begin preparing the underground path that mainline fiber cable will take along Block Island’s roadways.

Mainline conduit is a larger-scale installation than drop conduit to individual properties. Larger in diameter and covering longer spans, this conduit will protect and house the mainline fiber cable that will eventually feed the drops to individual premises. Similar to drop conduit installation, the mainline construction process leaves virtually no sign of the dig and preserves and protects the beauty of the island’s pastoral setting. Watch our short video of Sertex crews in action!

To date, Sertex has completed more than 550 drop conduit installations to individual residences and continues to make progress on more premises drops every week. Environmental permitting also is progressing. The project has received Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management permits required for wetlands construction, and we expect to receive the Coastal Resources Management Council’s final permits in the near future.

The next deployment milestone is aerial fiber installation. Verizon construction crews are scheduled to work on-island in late January and February to relocate cabling and make room on utility poles for fiber cable. As areas are completed, Verizon will issue pole attachment licenses, and Sertex aerial construction can begin. Licensing for the North area is expected to be issued in February. For additional information, click here is the latest construction schedule for the project.

Contact Us for More Information

If you have additional questions about the Block Island Broadband network project or your installation, please email Sertex Customer Service.

Thank you for your support and patience throughout this complex, multi-phase construction project.