Broadband fiber optic easements: 5 lessons for planning long-haul systems
July 10, 2025
Establishing the network behind the high-speed internet we know and love lies in the broadband fiber network design
We all love high-speed internet.
Without it, our favorite spy thrillers don¡¯t stream on TV, our online meetings are choppy, and our digital life slows to a crawl. In particular, we¡ªthe authors here¡ªlove speedy, broadband fiber-optic networks for an important and personal reason, too. It allows us to live and work in the communities of our choice. We can connect with a greater community without the barrier of geography and thrive in ways we would not otherwise be able to if we were bound by place. Our teams are closer than ever, despite being farther away, all thanks to high-speed, fiber-optic networks.
Our team not only gets the privilege of the direct benefit of these networks, but we also have a unique perspective on fiber network design. We help solve the puzzle of planning and constructing them as well. Our team supports companies that install these ¡°long-haul¡± networks across the US and Canada. These networks create the backbone infrastructure that allows local providers to connect this value-creating utility to many residents throughout the nation. Before the first trench is dug, our team does the early work to plan and get approvals for fiber optic easements and rights-of-way.
The work involves answering many questions. What is the best route? What is our schedule? What permits are needed? Who are the regulators and communities we need to work with? What infrastructure and natural and cultural resources lie in the project¡¯s path? How do we track these complex processes?
Installation of fiber optic cables for high-speed internet.
Finding the answers to these questions is the behind-the-scenes work for fiber optic easements¡ªthat is, getting fiber-optic networks in the ground. It¡¯s one step closer to more homes, more people, and more communities creating greater connections. Breaking barriers of geography. And ultimately (we hope), helping create more resilient and thriving communities.
Here are the key lessons we¡¯ve learned while supporting companies with fiber optic easements and network designs. Could we make our ideas into the next Netflix thriller? Maybe not. But we know these strategies help deliver speedy networks to communities that need them.
First, let¡¯s look at some definitions and the scope of these projects.
Navigating the checkerboard of fiber-optic projects
What is broadband fiber optic? And why are these projects sometimes called ¡°long-haul¡±?
Broadband fiber-optic networks are becoming the foundation of our digital lives. Fiber optic is the fastest broadband technology available. These cables use light pulses to achieve far higher speeds than copper cables. Fiber-optic cables are usually buried and can travel long distances, even hundreds of miles. That is why they are called ¡°long-haul¡± systems.
Think of them as linear, underground data highways. They traverse a checkerboard of land ownership and landscapes. They can cross private, state, federal, and tribal lands. They can cross or follow highways. They can traverse private and public forests, a variety of wildlife habitats, and cross water bodies. As a part of a main line or backbone system, they very often cross multiple states in a single project.?
Long-haul fiber requires detailed planning with a variety of stakeholders. Getting fiber optic easements can be a long process.
When it comes to planning fiber optic easements and rights-of-way over long distances, navigating all the land ownerships, habitats, and landscapes poses unique challenges. It requires an intimate understanding of the federal, state, and local regulations across a wide range of topics. We not only need to understand which laws apply to a particular project but how to avoid triggering those requirements. Our goal? To ?avoid impacting the human and natural environments in these projects. We often need to provide our clients many alternative methods of installation, not only as far as location of placement but also the construction methodology and timing of the installation.
Often, these decisions are difficult. And they cannot be known until preliminary studies are completed along the route. This creates uncertainty for our clients that must be endured sometimes for several months before we know the full suite of requirements.
Here are the five key lessons we¡¯ve learned to tackle these challenges.
1.?Multidisciplinary teams are necessary
Multiple land ownerships require us to secure permits for fiber optic easements from many agencies and conduct studies. Projects crossing federal lands or funded with federal grants need to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Federal and state environmental concerns might include impacts to threatened or endangered plants or animals. Cultural concerns can involve disrupting historic sites or fossil beds. A project may need to travel along a highway right-of-way, and that requires a permit from transportation agencies.
Some agencies involved in fiber optic rights-of-way include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service.
Who do you need to manage a complex project with multiple agencies crossing many landscapes? We¡¯ve learned it¡¯s a team with many skillsets. Let¡¯s say your project runs from Oregon to Nevada. Someone with deep NEPA experience is necessary for federal permits. What about wildlife and historical research? The team will need biologists, archaeologists, paleontologists, and architectural historians. When it comes to mapping, the team needs geographic information system specialists.
It is often not enough to have pros in these fields. It is important that our specialists have experience with long-haul projects and know the nuances of permitting fiber optic easements.?
The fastest way from Point A to Point B is a straight line, right? That is not always the case with broadband fiber-optic projects.
2.?Design for avoiding sensitive areas
The fastest way from Point A to Point B is a straight line, right? That is not always the case with fiber networks. When our team plots a route, we look for landscape features and habitats that may pose permitting obstacles. An Oregon project had several challenging features¡ªprotected wetlands, narrow coastal roads, and two river crossings. After our routing and siting analysis, our client picked a route that avoided protected waters, making the permitting for fiber optic easements easier.
We also worked on another Oregon project in the Mount Hood National Forest. There, our team conducted biological studies looking at fish and wildlife species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Based on those studies, our construction plan placed sizable portions of the project within an existing road corridor. This helped to avoid sensitive areas and species.
3.?Scheduling is an important art and science
Scheduling a broadband fiber-optic project is art and science. Why? Consider a bird survey that might be needed to collect data along a route. The science shows that some species might be present only during migration or nesting season. It might require you to collect bird data over several years.
If your project crosses deserts or mountains, archaeologists could be limited to doing their work in spring and fall. And construction seasons can vary depending on location.
Being artful means taking an approach that is flexible and adaptable, with the ability to pivot when permit processes change. For any project, it¡¯s never too soon to begin the planning process¡ªeven two or more years before construction.
4.?Relationships smooth the process
Having relationships with stakeholders is incredibly helpful for planning these projects. Consider one of our projects that spanned 434 miles through Oregon, California, and Nevada. Who was involved? How about this list: Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and many tribes.
Knowing the right people who work in those agencies and organizations, rather than calling them cold, was important to the project¡¯s success. Relationships help the process for getting the fiber optic easements go faster and smoother.
Construction crews running fiber optic cable along a hillside road. Sometimes, using an existing road corridor can help the easement process.
5.?Tracking your tasks is essential
How do you track hundreds of complicated tasks and touch points with regulators? We created a tool called Compliance Navigator that does that. Compliance Navigator can manage and track the entire process for a fiber optic easement, from routing and siting to engineering and environmental compliance.
The tool tracks the complicated processes that we follow with regulators. Imagine your project has multiple tasks with several federal agencies. Compliance Navigator allows us to track regulator interactions and adapt to shifting timelines. The web-based tool has an easy-to-understand dashboard, which allows clients to follow tasks in real time.
A good plot with curves
When it comes to accessing the internet, all communities need affordable, quality broadband services¡ªand that means reliable fiber-optic networks. Designing and planning them doesn¡¯t need to be complicated or time-consuming. But getting from Point A to Point B isn¡¯t always a straight line.
Like a spy thriller streaming on TV, getting fiber optic easements can throw us a lot of curveballs and plot twists. These projects require many skillsets, agency savvy, trusted relationships, and innovative project tracking software. Those are the keys to a successful fiber optic ending.
