CASE STUDY:
THE READING BUILD
(READING, PA)
Project:
MCG was hired by PPL Telcom (Pennsylvania Power &
Light – Telcom Division) to design, engineer, construct
and splice a 24-mile fiber optic cable ring around the
city of Reading, PA.
Challenge(s):
PPL Telcom’s initial estimate of the time required
for this ring was nine months, but MCG was asked to complete
it in just six months. PPL also asked MCG to perform a
cost analysis and timeline for the purchase of a concrete
shelter to house a fiber optic terminator to be used by
the ring. MCG’s first task was to locate a suitable
aerial route for the fiber optic cable. This wasn’t
easy, because many poles already had existing make-ready
installed and used by various telecommunications companies
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Implementation:
Once a suitable route was found, MCG immediately began
applying for permits from these companies and the municipalities
in which the poles were located. At the same time, MCG
began supervising purchase and installation of the concrete
shelter so that it would be ready in time for the completion
of the cable run.
By carefully tracking the multiple permit
applications throughout the approval process, and by
leveraging its extensive relationships with local municipalities
and utility companies, MCG was able to reduce the standard
permit approval time from six to just three weeks. As
each approval was granted, MCG’s crews speedily
spliced and ran the cable, completing thirty days of
splicing in just two weeks.
Result:
MCG finished the 24-mile ring in five
months, with the shelter installed a month ahead of
time and 20 percent under budget. Control of the ring
was passed to PPL two weeks ahead of schedule.
PPL Telcom was so pleased with the work
done on this project that it chose MCG to serve as PPL’s
primary project management firm.
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