Access to support structures

At a glance

Bell is Canada's largest communications company and is proud of its leadership role in the deployment of high-speed Internet service.

Bell is taking action to accelerate access to our support structures while ensuring that standards are met to protect the health and safety of workers and the public.

Meeting applicable standards and regulations requires that we and other service providers apply the following to all projects:

Compliance with engineering, construction, electrical, telecommunications and occupational health and safety standards and regulations (For more details on standards and regulations, see Standards and regulations for access to support infrastructure)
Inspections of support structures to verify the absence of anomalies and the ability of the support structure to accommodate a service provider’s equipment (There are more than 200 types of anomalies that require “make-ready” work; for more details, see Typical structure and make-ready work)

These compliance, inspection and verification requirements are applied for all projects, including our own, and Bell must also obtain authorizations from other service providers when using their support structures.

In 2019, on more than 100,000 requests we received for access to support structures in Québec:

90 % were approved
4% were approved on condition that make-ready work would be completed
6% of requests were rejected due to non-compliance

Typical structure and make-ready work

Any request for access to Bell support structures automatically generates field inspections and Bell does not make any compromises that would put the health and safety of workers and the public at risk.

In 4% of all requests, inspections reveal that make-ready work is required. The main reasons for make-ready work are:

Type and/or condition of pole(s) does not allow for additional weight (e.g., due to width, type, angle)
Anchoring of the pole(s) does not meet requirements
There is insufficient clear space between the reserved areas or there must be increased clearance between equipment and the ground on-site equipment must be brought up to current standards

For a list of most frequent issues, see Most common anomalies requiring make-ready work.

In Québec, most wireline networks are deployed using overhead structures. However, a pole can also serve as an intermediary between overhead and underground networks belonging to Bell or other communications service providers.

When using a “dip pole” to transition from overhead to underground network distribution equipment, other variables – including the existence of other below ground services near the specific location – must also be taken into account, adding further complexity to a project.

As is the case for all work carried out in public areas, preparatory modifications must be coordinated with all relevant public utilities.

Typical pole structure

1

Poles come in different sizes and in less populated rural areas are often smaller and thinner than those in high-density urban areas, making them less capable of supporting additional equipment.
2

Strands serve multiple purposes, supporting cable and fibre lines attached using special lashing equipment as well as overall pole stability.
2

Strands serve multiple purposes, supporting cable and fibre lines attached using special lashing equipment as well as overall pole stability.
3

A guy wire is a stainless steel cable that connects a strand to a ground anchor. On end poles, calculations are used to set multiple guys and anchors to provide pole stability.
4

Anchors secure guy wires to the ground and must be set properly to withstand stress.
5

The telecommunications space accommodates strands based on required neutral space above and below.
6

The neutral space is an area where no equipment is allowed, ensuring minimal clearances between wires and equipment, and enabling work to be performed safely.
6

The neutral space is an area where no equipment is allowed, ensuring minimal clearances between wires and equipment, and enabling work to be performed safely.
7

On a pole shared with a Hydro Company, the electrical space is set from the lowest electrical wires to the top of the pole. Working in this space requires specialized training and is typically performed by the Hydro Company.
8

Pole-mounted equipment can include terminals that connect a line to a customer’s premise or a power supply for a strand-mounted signal amplifier.
9

Strand-mounted equipment includes signal amplifiers, splice closures or other equipment.

Definition of poles components

Pole
Poles come in various sizes, with smaller (and thinner) poles typically in use in rural (and underserved) areas given that those poles serve less people than urban poles and accordingly have historically been required to support less infrastructure than in urban areas. Poles must be of sufficient height and diameter to secure and support the various facilities attached to them (high, medium and low voltage electrical equipment, telecommunication cables and equipment). In addition, since they are generally made of wood, a natural material, it is important to ensure that they are straight and free of any breakage, insect infestation or other defects which could weaken them.
Strand
Strands on poles serve multiple purposes. They support the cables and fibre wires which are "lashed" onto the strand with fine steel wire. Lashing is done with fairly sizable cable lashing equipment, pictured above, which wraps around cable that is to be installed and ties the cable with the steel wire as it is pulled by the technician. The technician must remove and reinstall the lashing equipment at each pole as well as when the lashing equipment reaches any strand-mounted equipment that obstructs its path.

Moreover, in order to ensure that a pole line remains upright through wind, snow, ice build up and forces applied by technicians as they are working on a pole line, a combination of forces is exerted on the pole line through appropriate tension forces on the strands that are mounted on the poles. That tension is applied through guy wires (#3 in the figure above) that are attached to anchors (typically on an end-run pole at the end of a pole line or every few poles).
Guy wires
A guy is a thick stainless steel wire rope which connects a strand to an anchor on the ground. Without them, the end or corner poles would end up leaning or even falling. Tension is applied to a guy (and strand) through a guy tensioner at a tension based on a formula derived from the breaking strength of the strand and the outside temperature at the time of installation. On end poles, multiple guys and anchors may be used at different side angles to provide the pole, based on engineering calculations, with stability.
Anchor
Anchors are used to secure the guy wires to the ground. Due to the high stress they are under, they must be properly fixed to the ground and be sufficiently robust.
Telecommunications space
The telecommunications space is the area on a pole that can accommodate strands for telecommunications equipment. It is defined by the “neutral space” found above and below the telecommunications space.
Neutral space
The neutral space is an area on the pole that cannot accommodate equipment in order to ensure minimal clearance between the top wire and any electrical wiring that may be above it, or the power supply, or any other equipment that is mounted on the pole below the telecommunications space. Sufficient space must be maintained above and below the telecommunications space to allow a technician to climb and work on the pole safely.
Electrical space
On a joint-use pole (a pole which is shared with a Hydro Company), the electrical space is delineated from the lowest electrical wires mounted on a pole all the way to the top of the pole. Working within the electrical space requires specialized training which typically falls outside of the expertise of telecommunications line technicians and sufficient clearance from the electrical space must be maintained at all times by technicians. Any work required in this space, or on guys/anchors used by the Hydro Company, typically requires the Hydro Company to conduct the work itself.
Pole-mounted equipment
Equipment is sometimes affixed to a pole below the telecommunications space. Pole-mounted equipment include terminals that connect drops serving customer premise or power equipment which powers a signal amplifier that is mounted on strand (typically for coax equipment).
Strand-mounted equipment
Finally, there is the strand-mounted equipment which includes signal amplifiers, splice closures or other equipment that can be mounted directly on the strand.

Most common anomalies requiring preparatory work

1

Inadequate vertical clearance from electrical space.
2

Inadequate clearance between strands.
3

Inadequate clearance from ground.
4

Width/type of pole is insufficient to support proposed additions.
5

Strand equipment does not respect size/weight/other restrictions.
6

Pre-existing power supply or box on pole does not meet standards or prevents addition of additional equipment.
7

Inadequate tension on guy line.
8

Angle of the pole.
9

Anchor clearance from ground.
10

Depth and Strength of the anchor.

Accelerating access to support infrastructure

Across Canada, the need to bring faster high-speed Internet to certain rural and underserved areas is becoming even more pressing.

Bell is ready and committed to support broadband deployments in rural areas and is moving forward with initiatives to speed up safe access by other service providers to our support structures.

These initiatives include:

Co-creating a Coordination Table with Hydro-Québec, Telus and the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation (French only)
Adopting new measures to simplify the process for access to poles by recipients of the Québec Branché and Régions Branchées grant programs and other service providers
Creation of a third party Centre of Excellence to facilitate the status of projects and provide technical advice to licensees in order to speed up the granting of permits
Offers to service provider to carry out their statements and work in compliance with standards and inspection by Bell professionals
Actively participating in consultations on the subject with the CRTC

Standards and regulations for accessing support infrastructures

Specific requirements have been developed by engineering committees to ensure the safety of workers and the public, including the following standards:

Canadian Electrical Code
Applicable provincial regulations, such as those for provincially-regulated electrical distribution companies and electrical space
Canadian Standards Association requirements, in particular Standard C22.3 No. 1 “Overhead Systems”; Standard C22.3 No. 3 “Electrical Coordination”; Standard C22.3 No. 5 “Electrical Contact between Overhead Systems and Communication Lines”
Bell construction requirements and the “Common Standard” developed and co-signed (P.Eng) with Hydro-Québec and Telus in Québec, which provides advice on how to meet these various standards
Employment and Social Development Canada jobs program standards
CNESST regulations (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail - Quebec Occupational equity, health and safety standards commission)