Project Falcon

First Rate Surveys provided both fibre surveying and network planning across Project Falcon, taking areas from the initial field survey through to completed planning within Orion.

Our surveying included existing poles, underground chambers and proposed network routes, capturing the infrastructure information required to develop an accurate network plan. This included assessing existing infrastructure, recording route conditions, identifying suitable locations for fibre equipment and determining the most practical route through each area.

Following the field survey, the information collected on site was used to plan the network within Orion, creating clear and buildable routes for the delivery teams.

Person taking a photo with a smartphone on a residential street with parked cars, houses, and an electrical pole with wires against a blue sky with clouds.
A person in an orange and gray jacket standing on the sidewalk, holding a tablet and working on a utility pole on a residential street.
A person wearing a high-visibility jacket and black pants stands near a utility pole, interacting with equipment attached to the pole. The background shows residential houses and a parked silver car, with a clear blue sky and sunlight overhead.
A worker wearing a bright orange safety vest and khaki work boots kneels next to an open manhole on the sidewalk. A red safety barrier surrounds the opening, and the worker is using a tablet or device. Parked cars line the street behind him, including a silver car and a blue car, with a residential brick building visible in the background.

A key part of both the surveying and planning process was civils avoidance. Wherever possible, we identified clear existing duct routes or suitable alternative overhead routes to reduce unnecessary excavation and additional civils works. TRR packs and A55 documentation were also completed where required, including identifying locations where traffic management would be necessary.

Throughout the programme, we maintained communication with the relevant teams, providing progress updates and resolving survey or planning issues as they arose to help keep each area moving towards build.

Project Challenges

One of the main challenges across Project Falcon was civils avoidance. Wherever possible, existing clear duct routes or alternative overhead routes were identified to minimise the need for new civils works.

Where civils could not be avoided, routes had to be carefully planned to ensure new duct and pole installations met the required distance, positioning and height requirements, while remaining practical for the proposed network build.

A man wearing an orange safety vest kneels next to an open utility box in the sidewalk, operating equipment inside. Two cars are parked on the street behind him, and orange safety barriers are around the open utility hole.
A pathway in a residential area with a missing manhole cover or access panel in the foreground, marked with a red outline and dashed lines, leading toward a street with parked cars and brick houses.

A further challenge was presented by DIG properties, where a Toby box had to be planned for each individual property. This became particularly demanding on full-DIG estates, where large numbers of individual Toby box locations and associated duct routes needed to be planned accurately while maintaining an efficient and buildable network route.

Project Summary

A person wearing an orange safety vest and beige boots is standing on a street, holding a mobile phone and taking a photo or video. The street is lined with parked cars and houses. A utility pole with multiple wires is visible against a blue sky with some scattered clouds.

CLIENT
Circet / Openreach

LOCATIONS
London: Balham, Uxbridge
Surrey: Chertsey, Walton, Weybridge, Byfleet, Esher

PERIOD
2020–2024

PROJECT SCALE
83,945 Homes Surveyed
7 Network Build Areas

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