CityNet Telecommunications Inc. is pioneering a new method of installing fiber optic connections to buildings by using robots to string cable through sewers. The system allows cities to connect to the fiber optic networks surrounding metropolitan areas and to deploy advanced voice and data services without digging up streets or disrupting traffic. The company plans to begin deployment in Indianapolis in April. The conduit that encases the fiber is made of the same stainless steel alloy that protects the fiber from corrosion and cuts. They have already been deployed successfully in Hamburg and Regensberg, Germany.
Workers lower SAM down a manhole and into the sewer where it is remotely controlled by a technician.
Rolling on four small wheels, the robot installs steel rings around the inside of the pipe every few feet. I've been thinking about this problem for a long time. It's a simple idea, but revolutionary. CityNet installs the fiber and then leases it to telecommunications companies, Internet and network service providers and others, large or small, that offer high-speed service. Cities share in the revenue.