Powering a Better Utility Attachment Permitting Process with Alden ONE

For utility pole owners and third parties wishing to attach equipment to those assets, the utility attachment permitting process can be time-consuming, costly, and plagued by avoidable delays. The ever-increasing volume of permit-to-attach requests and limited staffing resources add to the difficulty of meeting deadlines for broadband projects.  

Digital solutions like Alden ONE can streamline internal processes and increase efficiency, particularly when used in a non-siloed, collaborative fashion. Unfortunately, however, it can be all too easy for individual stakeholders to complete their work in the system and go on with their day without ever seeing how others use the software.    

To provide full visibility into the many ways Alden ONE can help improve attachment permitting, Adrian Torres, Product & Business Analyst for Alden Systems, presented an overview of key features and use cases at the 2024 Alden Conference. It’s all in support of more rapidly delivering services that will improve the lives of individuals in communities across the country. 

The Advantages of Automation for Resource-Strapped Teams 

Alden has long partnered with electric utilities, telecommunications companies, and broadband providers to learn their pain points, so the team understands not just what individuals require to do their jobs more effectively but also where opportunities exist to enhance overall operations and collaboration.  

With scalability vital as demand for fiber grows, all stakeholders need to use their time and resources wisely, particularly in the utility attachment permitting process. Alden ONE leverages automation to help at three key points along the way. 

Better Manage Attachment Permitting Application Requests 

When submitting permitting applications to multiple pole owners, asset attachers have historically had to complete numerous rounds of data entry. Alden ONE saves them time by only requiring that they fill out one application, which the system then intelligently routes to the right asset owner regardless of the number of pole owners in the application, any existing joint-use agreements, or whether the applicant’s and poles’ locations are on opposite sides of the country.  

Quickly Verify Eligibility of Third Parties  

Instead of manually checking permitting requirements like whether applicants have legitimate contract terms, up-to-date insurance policies, or valid bond policies, Alden ONE Pro users can rely on the platform to perform those checks for them. That information is reported and tracked in the platform, where any problems are flagged as error messages to be resolved before proceeding. Similarly, the software confirms that contractors are authorized to perform different types of work and are eligible to be included in a list of candidates for the job. This feature not only holds asset attachers accountable, but also reduces risk should any safety or regulatory issues arise. 

Complete Documentation in a Flash 

Due to the sheer breadth of applications being filed, utility attachment permitting is unduly hampered by traditional forms and vehicles of document creation and submission that impede the process.  

Rather than building a new file each time they need a document like a field survey, Alden ONE users can devote their time to more productive tasks while the software pulls in existing data to pre-created templates. Users can also e-sign documents, providing a legally binding “wet” signature. Final licenses are also templated, with information easily pulled in from the software. 

Optimizing Permitting Processes to Expedite Utility Pole Attachments 

There’s no sign that broadband buildouts will slow down in the foreseeable future, particularly as AI contributes to more demand for fiber, and pole owners will still face attachment permitting backlogs that hinder rollouts. It’s for this reason that another central focus of Alden ONE is optimizing the permitting process so asset attachers can install their equipment on poles swiftly and deploy service.  

Alden ONE allows asset owners to grant conditional access to poles even if other work needs to be completed. Its robust data stores enable this kind of critical decision-making, making it easy to share which poles third parties can attach to and then send notifications with that information so progress is not stopped in its tracks. The platform still monitors the additional work that must be done so licensing can be finalized when everything’s complete, but in the meantime, the data in the system can be used to show regulators the positive steps taken.  

Other ways in which Alden ONE is optimizing or will soon optimize the utility attachment permitting process include: 

• Enabling asset attachers to convert applications when conditions change, such as when a field survey shows that an initial assessment was inaccurate and a new type of application is required. This saves the applicant from having to resubmit. 

• Automating timeframes so stakeholders can choose to set up a typical static timeframe or adjust it to one that’s either dynamic – perhaps based on the number of poles – or negotiated between asset owner and attacher, to account for other factors that may determine what deadline is acceptable to all parties. This Alden ONE feature is expected to help stakeholders work on more reasonable and fair turnaround expectations.

The ONE Choice for More Effective Attachment Permitting

At a time when investments to modernize rural areas with broadband and make cities more attractive for big business are high, pole owners and pole attachers must operate at the top of their intelligence. 

Leveraging Alden ONE's business process automation tools for joint use asset management to enhance and streamline work processes including attachment permitting, can save stakeholders valuable time that is better spent on critical responsibilities, eliminating hurdles on the path to faster project completion.

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