The common practice of a utility allowing another entity, such as an ISP or a cable company, to hang fiver on the utility’s above-ground pole. To legally co-locate the cabling, a permit must be requested from the owner of the pole which shares pertinent data indicating the pole location, current attachments, etc. There are also NERC specifications on safety requirements that must be met. All this information must be compiled to initiate the permit request and have it approved. The process can be arduous and time-consuming.

MapSight has proven to be a solution to help expedite this process by capturing accurate data and digitizing the information for upload into a permit form.

Term used to describe a map confirming how a site was constructed. Details can include locations for any buried utility lines, storm systems, landscapes, buildings and more. They may also include materials testing, such as subgrade compaction and asphalt mix. They are required by jurisdictions to ensure that all utility builds meet the approved specifications within a particular jurisdiction. Often they are stamped and signed by an engineer to validate the data. Jurisdictions can vary from city to state level and often include Federal requirements.

MapSight data can be used to capture the information to complete an As Built map. The embedded measurements within the digital photo are verifiable evidence that the poles meet the specifications required.

Often a pole-owner will do advance work in preparation for co-location of lines by a permitted third party. Make Ready consist of incidental construction activities that can include; pole loading analysis to ensure the pole(s) can handle extra weight, movement of existing lines to allow for co-location and to meet any safety requirements and replacement of any poles that won’t meet the required standards. Sometimes the pole-owner, will use a 3rd party contractor to manage the Make Ready process.

MapSight can be used to digitally capture the data required to load into a pole-loading analysis software. The sub-meter GPS will accurately calculate within 1 meter under the right conditions and the TrueSize photo will have annotated embedded measurements of the pole that provide verification of the data.

Different states are regulated by agencies or utility commissions that set standards and regulations for pole assets. These organizations are also the “gate-keeper” for Federal regulations under FERC. To ensure compliance and avoid steep fines, utilities must inspect their poles, document and submit their findings within designated time intervals. The time schedules can vary from state-to-state, but include validation that no unapproved co-location of equipment exist and that the asset meets all regulatory safety requirements and doesn’t need any maintenance.

MapSight helps to streamline the inspection process by enabling crews to be scaled back to a team of 2 and in many cases the data can be captured more efficiently and accurately. Also should any compliance questions be raised at a later date, the calibrated photo with the embedded data can validate that the asset in question, met all compliance requirements and limit liability issues.

Different industries have found unique uses for MapSight in field data collection. These include:

• Public Safety
• Energy
• Civil Engineering
• Transportation
• Intelligence Agencies
• Federal/State/Local Governments

Don’t be afraid to “think outside the box”.