International Interest in Smart Digital Surveying

Jalbert: “Our digital surveying solution, In Control, provides a wealth of information and makes smart digital surveying fast, accurate, and easy.” The application serves as a springboard for further digitization of construction processes and is now even expanding internationally. At the end of last year, the Belgian telecom operator Telenet received a tour of Allinq Labs, the place for developing innovations for telecom infrastructure. The company was presented with smart digital surveying, and their interest was piqued. Telenet was looking for an intelligent way to document which cables and pipes go into the ground and assess their quality. In the meantime, Telenet merged with the energy company Fluvius, and their network companies continued together under the name Wyre.

The Netherlands is well advanced in the rollout of fiber optic networks, while Belgium is just beginning. When the rollout begins in Belgium, Wyre rightly worries about a shortage of skilled personnel. To prevent this, Wyre started a pilot project with Allinq Digital. The goal of the pilot is to streamline the trenching process intelligently and efficiently. “The pilot lasts three months, and as we go along, we encounter various question marks and challenges,” Jalbert states.

“Wyre is testing our application in practice and experiencing how the information is processed. They have a list of questions. Is the tool easy to operate? How are data delivered to the right place? How stable is the software? We are getting more answers to all these questions and can put many pieces of the puzzle together. As a result, we can see which parts of the process can be automated and, therefore, accelerated.”

In Belgium, trenching is often surveyed using a GPS rod or by measuring the distance to a fixed object. A third party is then responsible for delivering the results. Jalbert: “With In Control, Wyre can significantly expedite a portion of the process. The excavation team records the fiber optic cables themselves when the trench is open. The digital surveying of the cable’s location is accurate and highly precise, significantly reducing the chances of errors and damage.

The excavation workers use the app to scan the location of the fiber optic cables and upload the recording to the platform. This gives them more insight into what they are doing, and they become independent of third parties. Everything is stored digitally, reducing the time Wyre will spend in the future searching for the right drawings or distribution points.”

“So far, we are satisfied with the progress of the pilot. The initial results are detailed and of high quality, making adjustments easy if necessary. Moreover, it saves a lot of time and the app is easy to use. The excavation workers have few questions about using the app and see various benefits and possibilities. We are currently researching how to streamline the output professionally and make it as suitable as possible for Wyre. We are also exploring whether we can provide real-time feedback to the excavation workers on whether the trench has been dug deep enough or not, which also saves a lot of time.”

For Allinq Digital, this cross-border pilot is highly valuable. Jalbert says, “We are learning a lot from this experience. The rules and processes are slightly different from those in the Netherlands, but we see a lot of potential for international customers. Especially because the Netherlands is advanced in the fiber optic rollout, we are ahead in terms of knowledge and experience. We provide support to customers with our digital surveying solution. This pilot with Wyre is just the beginning.”