UPC HFC NETWORK UPGRADE

ICL have been involved in many rebuild projects / HFC Upgrades since 2006. These rebuild projects involved upgrading existing UPC networks to deliver high speed broadband, VOIP and TV services.

The new network was built using overhead fibre blown solutions to feed the node which was new technology at the time. New types of equipment e.g. amplifiers and taps were used to make this a two-way network.

On average ICL previously completed between 2,000 – 2,500 homes per month. A complete rebuild was carried out to include wayleaving, civils, overhead and underground cabling, fibre blowing, splicing, testing and commissioning and a certified network was delivered back to the client.

The biggest challenge that faced us was to change out all the old cable components to install overhead fibre tubing to allow us to blow fibre in lengths of up to 2,000m without the need to splice. All homes had to be wayleaved to seek permission for the new cable to be installed. Due to the size of the project this was an essential element from the outset.

The solution was to use the latest fibre blown technology to blow fibre. We also used a team of wayleavers to contact and consent all home owners. Our in-house team of commissioners, using their knowledge and experience of the network, were able to redesign and change routes to overcome any build issues encountered.

The result was a sustainable network which could deliver high speed broadband, VOIP and TV services with the nodes having a diverse fibre feed for back up.

The successful running of this project resulted in ICL being awarded similar type projects e.g. Network Enhancement Project which ran from 2013 – 2016.