Office of Operations
21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies

Rural Interstate Corridor Communications Study
Report to States
Appendix A

4.0 ITS and Related Telecommunications Facilities within the Interstate Highway ROW

The level of telecommunications development along the I-20, I-90, and I-91 Corridors varies from state to state. The telecommunications infrastructure in support of ITS devices that exists in these Corridors or is planned includes both wireline and wireless technologies. Deployments are a combination of agency-owned, public/private partnerships and public/public (State/Municipality) partnerships. The degree of partnerships is often determined by State law and Departments of Transportation policies and procedures. This section summarizes the ITS facilities and related telecommunications infrastructure specific to each Corridor.

4.1 I-20 Corridor

Deployments along I-20 are a combination of agency-owned, public/private and public/public partnerships. Data exchanged across these networks usually support traffic management. However, in some cases data not related to transportation are carried by the network, primarily for agency administrative purposes. Of the three States in the I-20 Corridor, Louisiana is the only one that has engaged in a public-private partnership to install fiber optic infrastructure.

The State of Louisiana, through the Louisiana Telecommunications Act of 1996, has an extensive private sector telecommunications infrastructure as a result of the State's laws permitting the private sector to install long-haul telecommunications infrastructure within the State's Interstate highway rights-of-way. In return, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) can negotiate for use of the fiber along the Corridor and equipment necessary to support the DOTD's ITS network. The Act also allows private providers to negotiate access and services on the State's microwave network by installing microwave equipment on the State's towers. Today, several private telecommunications providers have deployed long-haul telecommunications along I-20. A detailed map identifying the private provider fiber installation locations can be found in Appendix A.

The State of Louisiana continues to negotiate with private sector telecommunications providers in order to expand their ITS infrastructure. The LADOTD has modified the terms and conditions of standard agreements based upon previously negotiated permits. These modifications include:

  • Hardware and software upgrades when negotiating multi-year permits;
  • The ability for the DOTD to access the fiber plant in case the provider is not available to accommodate the DOTD needs (in one case the private provider went bankrupt and the State had no method of accessing the installed fiber); and
  • The ability to write permits with flexibility to accommodate the DOTD's needs when installation occurs – most permits are requested well in advance of actual construction.

Existing ITS deployments vary along the Corridor, and commonly are concentrated in or near the urban areas. The LADOTD's I-20 Corridor ITS device deployments are concentrated within the Shreveport and Monroe urban areas. According to the LADOTD, on I-20 between I-220 west of Shreveport and US 165 in Monroe, the State has access to eight dedicated fibers. Four fibers are dedicated to traffic management functions. The other four fibers are part of a local area network project connecting various universities in Louisiana and Mississippi. The State of Louisiana has four access points to tap into this network.

The Cities of Monroe and Shreveport have extensive fiber networks to interconnect their traffic signal systems. The LADOTD has deployed ITS devices on some bridges crossing the Mississippi River using solar power and cellular telecommunications technologies. The State of Louisiana also has a robust statewide radio system that includes radio and microwave towers along I-20. The State's radio system is primarily used for State Police communications and emergency operations. A detailed map identifying LADOTD fiber and microwave network can be found in Appendix A.

The States of Mississippi and Alabama currently do not allow private telecommunications providers to place telecommunications infrastructure within the State's Interstate highway rights-of-way. The States of Mississippi and Alabama would need to enact legislation that would allow private-sector shared resource projects before these States could capitalize on private sector participation in telecommunications within the Corridor. Until State law allows for this, the ability of Mississippi and Alabama to partner with the private sector telecommunications providers is limited and the DOTs must independently fund the ITS infrastructure.

All fiber optic telecommunications cable owned by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is within the State-owned right-of-way. Currently MDOT has fiber on several Jackson, MS area freeways, including I-20. MDOT has partnered with the City of Jackson to share fiber and create a communications ring around the City of Jackson.

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Information Systems Division handles all telecommunications for the State government. The primary ALDOT-owned fiber telecommunications network is in the Birmingham area. ALDOT is installing telecommunications conduit on eligible roadway reconstruction projects as a way to expand the traffic management network. Both Mississippi and Alabama utilize State-owned fiber to communicate with their ITS field devices.

Future deployments include expansion of each State's telecommunications network and field devices along I-20 to enhance telecommunications on the Corridor. I-20 Corridor States should focus on information sharing between States, through center-to-center communications, to facilitate traffic information sharing at critical facilities crossing the state lines. Most future ITS field infrastructure expansion projects along I-20 are designated to be part of larger roadway reconstruction projects. Funding availability will determine when these projects are deployed.

4.2 I-90 Corridor

The communications infrastructure along the I-90 Corridor consists of wireline and wireless facilities including underground fiber optic cable, fiber signal regeneration huts, communication hubs, communication towers, and ITS infrastructure. Some examples of ITS infrastructure deployed on the I-90 Corridor are closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras; dynamic message signs (DMS); traffic detectors; road weather information systems (RWIS) stations; and traveler information kiosks.

Underground fiber optic cable has been installed within (State-owned) or outside (privately-owned) of the highway right-of-way. Most of the fiber optic cable installations on the I-90 Corridor are outside of the right-of-way because they were installed by the private sector.

In 1989 the State of Iowa passed legislation providing for the construction of a shared, statewide telecommunications network. In 1994, the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) became a State agency and the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission (ITTC) was established by the Legislature as the ICN's governing body. The ICN constructed a comprehensive fiber optic communication system that included six fiber rings (known as the Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Des Moines, and East Central rings). This network was constructed between 1990 and 2004 and encompasses the entire State. There are 767 customer nodes that include K-12 schools, colleges/universities, State and federal agencies, National Guard, hospitals, and public libraries. Parts of the communication system are leased from private networks. The ICN exclusively leases its services to public agencies and medical facilities. The Iowa Department of Transportation began use of the ICN network in 2002 (in Des Moines) along with installing its own fiber as part of ongoing ITS projects in Iowa. More recent Iowa DOT fiber installations are in Iowa City and the Quad Cities (The "Quad Cities" is a bi-state region straddling the Mississippi River consisting of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline/East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois) as part of roadway reconstruction projects. While the ICN does not include installations along I-90, this statewide program is an excellent example of inter-agency cooperation in meeting the State's telecommunications needs.

There are no public fiber optic telecommunication deployments on the I-90 Corridor in the States of Minnesota and South Dakota. The State of South Dakota leases all of their communication services from private telecommunication companies. Private telecommunication companies have fiber optic networks located along the Corridor, and these installations are primarily located outside of the I-90 highway right-of-way on frontage roads, railroad ROW, and other available ROW. There are two known locations where private fiber optic facilities are located in the I-90 highway right-of-way, from the City of Spearfish to the City of Wall (100 miles) and in Sioux Falls (3 miles). Detailed maps identifying South Dakota's telecommunications providers and current ITS deployments are found in Appendix A.

In Wisconsin, fiber optic cable is installed in the I-90 Corridor highway right-of-way where I-90 and I-94 are co-incident from the City of Madison to the City of Tomah. The State of Wisconsin owns one conduit with 36 fibers, and AT&T owns one conduit with 288 fibers. AT&T (known as Touch America at the time) constructed the facilities, providing a dedicated conduit and fiber to the DOT in lieu of paying permit fees for use of the right-of-way to install longitudinal fiber along the I-94 Corridor. A detailed map identifying Wisconsin's fiber optic cable installations is found in Appendix A. This is an example of a successful public/private installation of high speed telecommunications.

All States along the Corridor own wireless communications networks. Microwave towers are located throughout the individual States including towers near the I-90 Corridor. Wireless communication towers along the I-90 Corridor are typically built outside of the highway right-of-way to avoid moving the tower in the future. The trunked microwave radio communications systems are primarily used by the State patrol and emergency services. The States of Minnesota and South Dakota lease tower space to private industry, if space is available. The State of Wisconsin does not allow private industry to use their towers. A detailed map identifying Minnesota's microwave system is found in Appendix A.

ITS communications along I-90 by the State Departments of Transportation is limited. The State of Iowa ICN currently does not have any communications facilities that connect to the I-90 Corridor in Minnesota. The States of Minnesota and South Dakota do not have any fiber optic cable installed along the Corridor. The State of Wisconsin has plans for ITS devices to be installed along sections of I-90. However, no viable communications links exist between the ITS devices and the State's fiber system. States along the I-90 Corridor have neither near-term nor long-term plans to build out State-owned fiber optic telecommunications along the Corridor.

4.3 I-91 Corridor

The level of communications systems development within the I-91 Corridor varies. Massachusetts is nearing the end of the procurement process for the I-91 Communications/ITS Design Build Project. The private sector partner chosen will install empty conduit along the entire Corridor within Massachusetts. The private sector partner could then potentially deploy fiber and provide high speed internet service to the underserved area of the state. Vermont is beginning ITS planning and deployment for the I-91 Corridor through an advanced cartography mapping of the Corridor with high resolution photographs. Vermont's major initiative is the "Vermont Statewide Rural Advanced Traveler System and Fiber Construction" initiative. Through this initiative, Vermont will wire the State's highways for broadband service. A major component of this effort is a rural advanced traveler information system that provides weather and road condition information to motorists, and which ties into the overall marketing of Vermont's travel and tourism. New Hampshire has built out some fiber associated with specific roadway projects and is planning an expansion of their State-owned network.

To date, the private sector has adequately served urban areas along this Corridor with high speed wireline internet connections. The more rural areas tend to be under-served or unserved with wireline high speed telecommunications service. Various broadband providers serve the I-91 Corridor. These providers have installed and operate their own private communications networks. These include national, regional, and local providers from the traditional telephone and cable television sectors. The national providers tend to concentrate in the more populous areas such as Springfield, Massachusetts, and Brattleboro, Vermont, where the return on their investment is greater. These areas also tend to have a competitive market for broadband services where choice between two and sometimes three providers is available. Rural areas tend to be served by smaller local or regional providers. These areas tend to have less competition and quite often are served by a single provider.

Within the Massachusetts portion of the I-91 Corridor study area, private broadband communications networks are located almost entirely outside the I-91 right-of-way. The exception to this is long-haul fiber provided by Level 3 Communications. This fiber is contained within the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority's (MTA's) duct banks along the I-90 right-of-way, which crosses the I-91 right-of-way to the west of the Connecticut River. No other fiber duct banks are currently installed.

Within the Vermont portion of the I-91 Corridor, the telecommunications network capability is entirely provided by private communications networks. However, no fiber duct banks are currently installed within the I-91 right-of-way. Detailed maps identifying the broadband availability and telecommunications providers in Vermont are located in Appendix A.

MassHighway has released a request for proposals (RFP) to install optical fiber along I-91 through Massachusetts, including I-291 in Springfield. The project will include six conduits, where four have been designated for future use and may be leased out. The private sector partner chosen will install empty conduit and the private partner may install fiber on their own.

In Vermont, the Agency of Transportation has a funding source of $10 million to support a fiber optic installation project traversing the State along I-91. The State is using this funding source to complete the environmental and permitting process. Once this work is complete, the agency will issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a public/private partnership to build out the communications network.