By Ned McRae
Australia’s National Broadband Network has replaced the old ADSL network, providing households and offices access to high-speed internet connections via optical fibre and other technologies. While the NBN network uses optical fibre to deliver reliable and high-capacity internet, most of the connections are done underground through pipes running from a central point within the neighborhood to the office or household. Award-winning SpinTel and other Internet Service Providers rely on underground NBN conduit installation to deliver reliable, high-speed internet. Nevertheless, the NBN pit and pipes must adhere to strict guidelines.
NBN pit and pipe constructions involve the installation of conduits and pipes from a property to a shared local network pit. The pits manage the connections between the conduits best suited for multiple standalone dwellings and adjoined dwellings. The pits also come in handy when dealing with super and empty lays and newly constructed private and public roads.
The NBN conduit installation involves installing a lead-in conduit in the underground running from the property to the boundary to the external telecommunications point. The telecommunication point is where all the lead-in conduits from different buildings converge to carry the NBN network. Its primary the goal is to connect the premises to NBN broadband access.
The underground pipes house the optical fibre that directly connects the local shared network to the house or office and is used to carry high-speed internet from SpinTel and other providers. The underground pipes also offer protection to the fibre optic cables from water and other things that might destroy them.
NBN pits and pipes safely ensure the laying of conduits and help hide them from the general public. Unlike overhead cables that can be struck by anything, laying conduits and cables underground provide a continuous connection that is hard to damage or interrupt. Therefore, consumers can enjoy continuous high-speed internet connection from SpinTel and other providers.
NBN requires pits for
NBN requires pits to manage connections between conduits that carry the fibre optics. The pits also carry the Housing Small Footprint Multiport. The pits are usually the same, with the major difference being the pit lid and their purpose.
Various pits are constructed to house the conduits used to carry them for optics in the NBN pit and pipe network. The pits vary depending on the access they are used to provide.
Service Drop: It provides access location between the Local Network conduit and the service drop conduit. Therefore, the pit cannot be used for any local network fibre cabling.
LN Pit: Located inside the Local network duct and provides access between LN conduit and local lateral conduit
LN Connection Pit: It is located inside the duct network and houses the fibre splice closure.
Manhole Pit: Located inside the Distribution Network Conduit and can house P100 and P50 conduit combinations that are over and above the standard pit conduit configuration.
Prior to excavation to lay down the NBN pit and pipe, all existing underground services within the work zone shall be identified. In addition, rail services, gas supplies, water, utilities, sewage, and the main road network should be identified.
Once the identification is done, all the NBN assets from the premises to the local shared network must be installed within the designated telecommunications alignment as established by the state, the federal government, and the local councils.
In addition, the NBN pits come with different lids. However, the lids must not weigh more than 38KG with the weight clearly labeled. The Pit lids must also come with a pit lid lifting tool at each end.
Additionally, the pit lids must be designed to prevent any insertion of materials, including needle sharps, that might damage the fibre optics thus interfering with high-speed internet as beamed by SpinTel and other providers.
A certificate of compliance is issued on all tested pits lids, thus averting the risk of NBN pit damage in the future.
NBN assets and other infrastructure may be altered, relocated, or removed from time to time. The relocation may be inevitable if it interferes with critical installations such as a road, sewerage, or water pathways. By law, only NBNco or authorised contractors may work on NBN pit relocation of assets or infrastructure. During relocation, a notice would be issued to affected parties.
The expansion of NBN coverage to almost every premise in Australia and the growth of private networks continue to fuel demand for workers with skills to install underground NBN pits and pipes. The workers are also relied upon to complete the fibre cable installation inside the underground conduits.
The NBN Pit and pipe Course has enabled most people to accrue the required skill and experience for completing the installation of the pit and pipes and the accompanying cables. The course covers all the theories and skills behind multiple cabling types, from copper to fibre and coaxial hauling techniques.
Given that the course is an approved skill set for the NBN project, successful participants can upload their statement to the enAble system for workforce accreditation. Successful students can also provide the statement of attainment to the cabling registrar to have their endorsement added to the Open Cabler Registration.
Once accredited, successful candidates join the extensive list of NBN Pit Suppliers. The list contains the names of people who have completed the training modules concerning the area of skills listed. However, NBN does not take responsibility and excludes liability for the work carried out by the accredited personnel under the NBN pit suppliers list.
NBN pit and pipe are vital in enabling reliable and high-speed internet from SpinTel and other service providers. Underground NBN conduit installation enables the fitting of fibre optics used to carry internet from the central distribution point to homes and offices.
