Minnesota Public Radio talked to Jake Schwitzer, the executive director of North Star, an organization that released a brief last week that looks at damage caused when during broadband installation. Specifically, the report found…

Underground telecommunications installation is a leading cause of damage to buried infrastructure in the state.

Underground telecommunications installation is damaging essential lines with potentially dangerous consequences. The lines most frequently hit by telecommunications installation include natural gas and electric infrastructure, along with existing telecommunications lines.

Telecommunications installation accounts for the lion’s share of damage attributable to directional drilling. When focusing on directional drilling work alone, the share of damage caused by the telecommunications industry grows even larger.

The full scope of damage caused by underground telecommunications installation is unclear. While the data reported here are worrisome, it is unlikely that this data is comprehensive, meaning that the true extent of damage caused by telecommunications installation in Minnesota is not known.

Investment in broadband deployment will grow significantly over the next five years, creating greater risk to underground infrastructure. With a large influx of federal assistance, the pace of broadband installation is about to accelerate in Minnesota. In order to reduce the damage caused by broadband installation, actions need to be taken now.

During the interview, Schwitzer noted…

What’s the takeaway regarding damage caused by telecommunication lines or the construction of those lines?

Our research found really troubling amounts of damage being caused by broadband installers. What we found was the telecom industry accounted for 60 percent of all damage from directional drilling over the last three years. So, over 1,300 instances of damage caused by the telecom industry [and] they’re averaging 1.27 strikes per day to underground infrastructure.

Has any of this caused any explosions or property damage?

One of the most high-profile instances was back in 1998. A crew installing broadband cable for high-speed internet in downtown St. Cloud struck a gas line and the resulting explosion killed four people and destroyed six buildings.

And then in the last month, broadband drilling performed just blocks away from that same accident caused damage to an underground phone line. So, this problem is just repeating itself.

What’s not being done here?

Unlike other industries, these workers do not receive a high level of training, there aren’t high safety standards. Other industries like gas and electrical installation, where they’re doing the same type of work, they’re not having as many accidents. The accident rate is lower. And it’s because they’re much better trained.

And that’s the type of thing that we’re asking the state Legislature. They need to be better trained to make sure that they’re not causing these accidents and there needs to be higher safety standards for these workers.

You actually were at the capitol [testifying] on that very issue — an omnibus bill that contains proposals related to this. What’s being considered and what would you like to see come out of that?

Yeah, so it’s pretty simple training standards, safety standards. Similar things that are required of workers in similar industries.

We think that broadband installers should be held to the same standards as other workers working in these underground spaces, which are getting increasingly congested. And as a result, it’s more and more dangerous for folks working in those spaces.

As, the discussion alludes, the Legislature has been looking at this issue, in a bill originally introduces as HF4742: Broadband installer industry standards.