ADSS vs Strand and Lash:A Cooperative FTTH EvaluationPresentation Number: BO9C

• Founded in 1937

• Serves 26 counties in western/northern Michigan

• ~123,000 members

• ~14,000 miles of distribution lines

• ~9 members per mile

• 513 members per employee

• 9 service areas

• ~240 full time employees

Great Lakes Energy Overview

2

Enjoy Michigan!!!

Strategic Planning

• Strategic Planning session at the Board and Executive level identified fiber to the home as important to GLE’s future

• Synergies with electric grid

• Communications systems are vitally important to future technologies

• Economic Development and Retention/Growth of membership base

• Membership need for broadband

CONFIDENTIAL 4

• Petoskey Service Area• 15,553 metered locations

• 376 small businesses

• 54 large commercial

• ~17,000 Poles

• 1,173 primary miles• 380 underground

• 10 substations

Petoskey Service Area

Strand & Lash

Cons:

•Lower position on the pole and inherently more exposed risk

•Increased Maintenance – Post Installation

•Additional exposure to ice loading and wind effect, due to greater surface area of combined strand and fiber cable.

•MUST be grounded or bonded

•Make Ready impacts cost, schedule,

•Cannot be installed in a single pass operation and

therefore more time/costs associated

Pros:

•Not located in the power space - less worker

qualifications requires at install

•Cost - Black Jacket Fiber from a material

standpoint is cheaper than ADSS

•Can be 'over-lashed’ with a second Fiber

ADSS

Cons:

•Located in the power space which requires 'line qualified' workers to install

•Cost – ADSS, generally more costly than regular black jacket Fiber Cable from a material standpoint

•Engineering Development of ADSS Cable characteristics

Pros:

•Significantly less Make Ready requirements

•Limited Long Term Maintenance

•Faster to install, only single pass attachment needed

•ADSS can be installed in both the power space and the ‘Comm space’

•ADSS Fiber has less surface area and smaller dia. profile, which is more aerodynamic (less wind effect) and is less susceptible to ice loading

•Reduced complexity during “customer connection” with pre-spliced drops

Construction StepsWork process and materials involved for each method varies greatly, note the required steps for each approach. ADSS from both a work steps (Labor) requirement and material utilized, has less steps and parts.

In General, although the cost of the (Black Jacket) Fiber is less expensive in the non-ADSS approach, the involved work steps and material in the Strand and Lash approach increase the over all work effort by a factor as high as 25%.

Make Ready Comparison

• Strand & Lash Make Ready cost projection of $2.31M, which includes working on, and/or complete replacement of over 1650 poles when utilizing Strand & Lash approach

• Assumptions based on existing pole attachments, GIS data and constructability review

Ruling Span 250’Anchor/Down Guys 30% Grounding Installed per codeNESC Code Vertical Clearances over vehicle travel pathwaysPole Replacement 9.7%

• ADSS Make Ready costs, verified by design fielding and engineering review - less than 50 pole replacements when utilizing an ADSS approach…$70,175.

DESIGN PARAMETERS – PETOSKEY SERVICE AREAFTTH Network Architecture Passive Optical Network (PON)Topology of Splitter Configuration Primarily Distributed Split w/ Hybrid optionFiber Service Areas (FSA’s) 10 FSA’s within the Petoskey SAFiber Shelter Huts – Substation locations 9 Huts + Central Office in HQ FacilityDistribution Areas (DA’s) 23 DA’s aligned with CircuitsFiber Optic Cable Type: Loose Tube Fiber SMF-28e+, Single mode, meets ITU-T G.65X

Fiber Cable – Core Trunk Enabled Route 288F ADSS cable

Fiber Cable Size – Feeder Distribution 144F & 96F cableFiber Optic Cable Type – Underground routes Combination of ADSS & Black jacket

Core Trunk Route distance – running miles 92.76 miles (combination of OH & UG)Backhaul path to Boyne City Facility 15.48 miles (combination of OH & UG)Petoskey Service Area fiber route miles Approximately 750 miles of fiber cableMembers Passed Approximately 15,553 metered locationsOptical Loss Budget for B+ Optics -22.50dB to RTD -22.75db NID; -2.25dB NID to ONT

Optical Loss Budget for C+ Optics -25.50dB to RTD -25.75db NID; -2.25dB NID to ONT

GLE - FTTX Network Design Parameters

GLE - FTTX Network Development Steps

Design Guidelines:

Follow the PowerADSS in Power SpaceCore Route connects SubsDistributed SplitsSplice Location RulesFeilding Data CollectionIFC Package – No PaperPrelim analysis for BOM

GLE - FTTX Network Deployment

Aerial & UG Fiber Follows the Power

Deployment Alignment:

Follow the PowerADSS in Power SpaceCore Route connects SubsDistributed SplitsSplice Location RulesFeilding Data CollectionIFC Package – No PaperPrelim analysis for BOM

Field Implementation aligns with design