Fiber Optic GIS Database Development for Electric Utilities

Documenting 6,000+ Miles of Utility Fiber to Improve Reliability and Operations

SUMMARY

When fiber construction moves faster than documentation, utilities feel it everywhere—from provisioning delays to longer outages and frustrated crews. That’s exactly where KAMO Power and Tacoma Public Utilities found themselves until Tamazari came aboard.

We led the development and long-term maintenance of comprehensive fiber optic GIS databases for both utilities. Together, these efforts captured more than 6,000 miles of fiber and 650+ sites, documenting not just what was built, but how it actually works. By mapping both Layer I physical infrastructure and Layer II logical provisioning, the databases became day-to-day operational tools—supporting construction, operations, troubleshooting, and long-term asset planning.

CLIENT BACKGROUND

KAMO Power is a generation and transmission cooperative serving 17 member distribution cooperatives across northeast Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. In 2009, KAMO launched a large-scale fiber build to support internal utility communications and expand broadband services for its members. The scope was massive and geographically dispersed, touching substations, member co-ops, and communication towers across two states.

Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) is a municipal utility serving the Tacoma, Washington region. In addition to its electric and water operations, TPU operates five hydroelectric dams and an extensive distribution network. Its fiber infrastructure plays a critical role in keeping utility operations running safely and reliably across generation and distribution facilities.

CHALLENGE

Both utilities ran into the same core issue: fiber was being built faster than it could be documented. Without accurate, centralized records of both physical plant and logical connectivity, they faced real operational risks:

• Slow and inefficient service provisioning

• Crews working without visibility into existing infrastructure

• No reliable way to understand available capacity

• Gaps in asset documentation and compliance

• Institutional knowledge locked in paper records or individual employees

  
  

At KAMO, the challenge was amplified by scale. The utility built more than 6,000 miles of fiber across 650+ sites, with as-built documentation coming from nine different engineering firms—each using different formats and levels of detail.

At TPU, the complexity came from environment. Much of the fiber supports critical systems at hydroelectric dams, where accurate documentation directly impacts safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

From the start, success was defined by usability—not just completeness:

• Capture 100% of constructed fiber in GIS within one week of completion

• Document both Layer I physical assets and Layer II logical provisioning

• Validate data accuracy through field verification

• Support provisioning, maintenance, and capacity planning—not just recordkeeping

• Standardize data across multiple engineering contractors

• Keep documentation aligned with construction, with no backlog

SOLUTION

Tamazari implemented fiber optic GIS databases using CrescentLink and Enghouse, designed to document the full lifecycle of fiber infrastructure. Layer I documentation captured the physical reality in the field, including conduit systems, cable routes and specifications, splice enclosures and assignments, handholes, vaults, access points, and building entrances. Layer II documentation showed how the network actually functions—capturing circuit paths, capacity assignments, equipment shelves and ports, and end-to-end service provisioning. For both utilities, the result was a single, trusted source of truth that teams could rely on for construction coordination, outage response, provisioning, and long-term planning.

IMPLEMENTATION

KAMO Power (2009–2016)

Tamazari led GIS documentation throughout a seven-year fiber build spanning 6,000 miles and more than 650 sites.

• Contractor Coordination - With nine engineering firms producing as-builts, consistency was a real risk. Tamazari established clear data standards and submission requirements, reviewed incoming documentation for accuracy, and managed the workflow from construction completion through GIS capture. This ensured reliable, consistent data despite multiple contractors working simultaneously.

• Field Verification - As-builts alone weren’t enough. Field verification uncovered discrepancies, undocumented changes, and missing details—especially where construction conditions forced deviations from original designs. This ground-truthing was critical to building a database teams could actually trust.

• Ongoing Operations - GIS documentation ran in parallel with construction, not after it. As new fiber was placed, it was captured in GIS within one week, keeping the system current and operationally useful.

Tacoma Public Utilities (2016–2018)

Tamazari led a team of 30 supporting TPU’s fiber GIS and related functions across five hydroelectric dams and more than 50 additional sites.

• Critical Infrastructure Focus - TPU’s fiber network supports SCADA, protective relaying, and dam safety systems. Accurate documentation is essential for safe operations and regulatory compliance. The GIS database gives engineering and operations teams confidence when planning maintenance, analyzing capacity, or responding to emergencies.

• Sustained Program - The TPU project highlights the value of embedded, long-term GIS expertise. The team is now able to document new construction, maintain data accuracy, and adapt the system as utility needs evolve.

RESULTS

• More than 6,000 miles of fiber documented with full Layer I and Layer II detail

• 650+ sites captured across substations, dams, cooperatives, and communication facilities

• 99% data accuracy achieved through field verification

• Provisioning research reduced from days to minutes

• Fiber breaks identified in seconds, enabling faster outage response and restoration

LONG-TERM VALUE

Accurate fiber GIS documentation doesn’t just solve today’s problems—it keeps paying dividends over time. With a trusted, up-to-date system in place, both utilities can provision services faster and with fewer errors, clearly see available capacity when planning expansions, and rely on institutional knowledge that’s captured in systems rather than walking out the door with individuals. The documentation also strengthens regulatory compliance and asset valuation efforts, while creating a foundation for integrating future network management and operational systems.

KEY LEARNINGS

• GIS documentation must keep pace with construction—backlogs destroy trust

• Standardized data requirements are essential when multiple contractors are involved

• Field verification is non-negotiable; as-builts alone aren’t enough

• Layer II logical documentation is just as critical as physical records

• Long-term, embedded teams consistently outperform short-term project approaches

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