NYC, Verizon launch micro-trenching pilot program for fiber network expansion

Verizon and New York City have reportedly agreed to test a method to more quickly install fiber-optic cables underneath the city's sidewalks, potentially allowing the company to offer faster connections in more neighborhoods.

"The pilot program allows Verizon to use 'micro-trenching' or 'saw cutting,' in which narrow, shallow grooves are carved out of the ground, opening space for cables," reports Bloomberg. "The trial will start with 12 sites across the five boroughs, after which the government and the company will assess whether it can be adopted citywide."

Related: NYC landlords bar Verizon from post-Sandy fiber-optic cabling retrofit

The pilot program is intended to help Verizon sell higher Internet speeds and television service in more parts of the city, competing with Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and RCN Corp. However, the program is also open to additional communications companies; the new micro-trenching would allow enough space for at least four other carriers to pass their cables through the same area, the report said.

Full Story:Verizon, New York City to Test Way to Spread Fiber Network (bloomberg.com)