FiOS Installs Put Safety First

As many in our industry no doubt know, Verizon-New York is working with the New York Public Service Commission staff to clarify grounding requirements associated with multiple types of FiOS installations.

The focus of the discussions is the FiOS optical network terminal (ONT) and the grounding of these units during particular installations.

Without more information, it’s easy for some outside observers to conclude – as Kermit Ross did in his commentary here -- that Verizon is putting the job of installing FiOS ahead of safety and quality.

Of course, that’s not the case. Let’s put this issue in context:

In the four-plus years that Verizon has installed FiOS services and the associated ONTs in customer locations, there is not a single verified incident of electrical shock or fire because of the way in which the equipment was installed.

Furthermore, Verizon has been installing fiber-optic equipment in customer locations for many years before the FiOS initiative began. Safety has always been a top concern and our record is extraordinarily good.

FiOS is inherently safer than earlier technologies. FiOS relies on fiber optics to deliver TV, Internet and phone signals, so there is no copper or coax wire to attract lightning or conduct electricity as in conventional systems.

As even the New York commission has stated, and we agree, there is minimal risk associated with FiOS installations.

So what’s going on here?

Much of the PSC staff’s complaint is based on its interpretation of the requirements of the National Electric Code, but there are other interpretations from nationally known experts such as Dr. Michael Stringfellow, who filed a supporting document stating that our grounding approach for inside ONT installations is safe. In fact, there are no stipulations in the NEC that address our leading-edge technology, which relies on glass, not copper cables such as TV companies use, to deliver communication signals. The question raised by the commission staff is what is the appropriate means of grounding when our FiOS equipment has no conductive material coming into the home. Our own inspections of our FiOS ONT installations in New York state have found that in some instances FiOS ONTs weren’t grounded as required by our installation practices. We suspect any other provider subject to similar checks would have similar issues. However, no company has done more than Verizon to address the instances where mistakes were made.

We have agreed to inspect previous and new installations and fix any problems we find. We have also emphasized proper procedures with our technicians. And we have assembled a team of quality inspectors to review our work.

We are confident that our FiOS installation procedures are in compliance with prescribed standards.

The bottom line is that FiOS is a fantastic service that beats the competition. We provide it with a commitment to safety first.

Eric Rabe is Senior VP – Verizon Media Relations for Verizon.