Fiber FAQs

Like any long-term capital investment the cooperative makes, the fiberoptic upgrades will incur maintenance costs over time that will be among the factors considered by the board of directors in determining any potential adjustment to SVEC’s rates.

Yes, while we have an easement currently, a new one may be necessary for the purpose of adding verbiage regarding communication services to the type of construction/improvements SVEC can make within this utility right of way. Some of the easements that we have already include the ‘telecommunications’ verbiage. We will research all existing easements, before requesting new/additional ones.

• As a public utility, SVEC is responsible for the safety and reliability of its electrical system.
  • The cooperative holds easements over properties it doesn’t own and where existing powerlines run.
  • This provides SVEC the necessary access for ongoing infrastructure improvements or maintenance.
• Easements are legal documents granting SVEC access to property for the purpose of constructing, operating and maintaining equipment and lines.
  • Easements also allow for right-of-way maintenance that includes clearing, trimming, and removal of vegetation.
  • Easements are required from each landowner.
• Easements are areas designated for overhead and underground utility access and are usually defined when a lot or neighborhood is first platted.
• Easements are implemented because it is more efficient and less expensive to run utility lines straight through neighborhoods than it is to run them around parcels of land.
• Having right-of-way means that utilities can access the area to fix a utility-related problem or to perform maintenance.
  • Easements outline general property rights by others while right-of-way (as its name implies) is a specific property right.

• SVEC is working with contractors who will assist with the make-ready design for the fiber network, as well as obtain the necessary easements from the property owners along the routes. The two contractors selected are Timmons Group and Pike Engineering (Bowman Consulting Group is a subcontractor for Pike).
  • Contractors can be identified by an “SVEC Contractor” magnet on their work vehicle as well as an SVEC badge.
• Roll out of this project will occur in segments over the next three to four years. Contractor fieldwork began in Page County and Augusta County in September 2021 in which they are within SVEC’s right-of-way, as well as making door-to-door visits to obtain updated, signed easements from the landowners, where necessary.
• Property owners along the routes will be contacted by mail as the project progresses.
  • Impacted landowners will receive a post card in the mail from SVEC with additional information.
• The project timeline for each locality varies based on the amount of “make-ready” work necessary.
  • Make-ready work includes SVEC’s engineers assessing the availability of poles for attachments. In many cases, there are non-electric cables and wires on co-op poles. Engineers must evaluate the structure of the poles to know whether additional attachments can be made without changes.

• The fiber cable project was first approved by the cooperative’s Board of Directors to connect substations, communications towers and other facilities to offer a more reliable, long-term technology for the co-op and its members.
• The idea of leasing space to ISPs while installing fiber makes strategic and economic sense to meet the needs of members.
  • Strategic: The co-op recognizes the need for broadband deployment in rural areas, and that providing the installation of fiber further incentivizes ISPs to come to the Valley. This is an additional service to our members.
  • Financial: The initial estimated cost to install the fiber network is $40 million while the cost to extend to homes would have started at $250 million.
• SVEC serves a large, diverse territory with a range of member needs as it pertains to better internet service.
• Available resources currently allow for the co-op to make the planned fiber investment, while maintaining our core service of safe, reliable electricity at the best possible value.

The cable that we are installing consists of multiple fibers. SVEC will only need a portion of those fibers to serve our electric needs. The “extra” fibers can be leased to ISPs. ISPs would use these fibers to bring internet service to points along the cable in areas that are not served. From those points, the ISP could run fiber to the premises to provide broadband service.

The cooperative will act as a “middle mile provider” and does not intend on being an internet service provider (ISP). An ISP would lease fiber space from SVEC to run to a member’s home to provide broadband service.

Fiber is the fiberoptic cable backbone that will connect substations, communication sites, offices, and other SVEC facilities.

Broadband is “high speed” internet connection. Fiberoptic cable is one possible media type to deliver broadband service.