The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has issued a notice of violation against Stamford-based Frontier Communications for allegedly jeopardizing public safety through “reckless and inappropriate underground installations” of fiber optic cable.
“When Frontier and its contractors were not using improper trenchless excavation, they were evidently deploying an equally unsafe practice of breaking into existing electrical conduits to cross roadways,” according to the notice.
The authority accuses Frontier and its contractors of laying fiber optic cables in the public right-of-way using inappropriate design and construction standards, causing damage to underground natural gas and electric distribution facilities.
“These actions put at risk the health and safety of both the public at large and the workers involved,” the violation states.
PURA has ordered Frontier to pay a $5 million fine. In addition, it must cease and desist from all underground installations until it demonstrates that it “can and will” comply with regulations.
PURA’s examination found numerous instances in which Frontier used unsafe trenchless excavation practices, along with improperly using existing electrical conduits for road crossings and failing to notify utilities after damaging their underground facilities.
“Not only are Frontier and its contractors knowingly and willfully violating the law, the contractors appear to be fraudulently concealing the violations in some instances by using fake conduit,” according to the notice.
PURA says that Frontier failed to expose facilities being crossed in Ansonia, Enfield, Middletown, Wallingford, Meriden, Waterford and Stratford.
On July 14, 2022, PURA found that Frontier inserted fiber optic cable through two sections of PVC conduit at each side of an excavation site in Wethersfield to make it look like there was conduit under the full length of the road.
PURA also cited Frontier for breaking into a conduit containing live electric utilities to insert electric conduit in Meriden This damaged the cable leading it to fail, according to the notice. The authority believes this installation method may have been used in hundreds of crossings.
Frontier may request a hearing within 30 days from receipt of the notice of violation, which is dated July 27.
“Frontier shall immediately cease all underground installation of fiber optic cables, except for emergency repairs (which must be performed in compliance with applicable law),” the violation states.
Frontier will be required to submit an oversight plan to PURA for approval before it may resume work.
Frontier said in a statement Thursday that it appreciated PURA bringing the issue to its attention and had taken immediate steps to remedy the situation.
“We hold ourselves and our contractors to the highest standards,” the statement said. “We are working constructively with PURA and our contractors to fix any issues so we can continue our build to provide the state with this critical service. We are proud to have a large fiber build in the state of Connecticut, bringing fiber to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the state so that customers can have the fastest, most reliable connection available.”
PURA has levied civil penalties ranging from thousands of dollars to as much as $30 million against Eversource — the maximum allowed by the state — in a decision last year.
As of November, PURA’s Office of Education, Outreach and Enforcement had led enforcement of more than $1.73 million in electric supplier settlement payments and more than $52,000 in restitution credits to customers since it commenced operations in July 2020.
