The North American Telecommunications Damage Prevention Council (NTDPC) is a non-competitive industry forum focused on preventing damage to the telecommunications infrastructure of the United States and Canada.

And why does all of this matter? Because underground damages cost our industry AND service providers money when times are tight. Since its inception, the NTDPC has promoted the use of the One-Call notification system by anyone planning to dig and has sought to improve the services provided by the One-Call industry.

How do we do this? First, we understand that partnerships are valuable means to achieving common objectives. Therefore, the NTDPC has benefited from its associate memberships by the Class 1 railroad companies and One-Call Systems International (OCSI). These working relationships with other stakeholders have proven invaluable as the telecom industry has constructed and maintains thousands of miles of fiber optic cable routes across the continent, many of which are located within railroad corridors.

How It Works
The NTDPC has a sharply focused goal to prevent damage to the outside plant, which is the backbone of all telecommunications networks, regardless of ownership. In order to achieve this goal, the NTDPC has established sub-committees to address specific aspects of damage prevention and include:

• The National Telecom Screening Center Forum (NTSCF) is comprised of Call Center personnel who receive, process, and dispatch locate requests from One-Call Centers across North America. The NTSCF maintains data on locate ticket characteristics, promotes automated “Positive Response” as an industry best practice, and seeks joint solutions to common One-Call Center concerns by analyzing the issue based on data and experience and by working closely with OCSI.

• The Railroad sub-committee continues the original mission of this organization by strengthening the interaction between railroad and telecommunications industry personnel to collectively work on issues of mutual interest, such as mapping, derailment notifications, access to rights-of-way, and safety, as well as preventing damage to the cables along those railroad rights-of-way.

• The Public Policy sub-committee monitors one-call, or damage prevention, laws and promotes the NTDPC Model State One-Call Law wherever legislative review is underway. Once the Model was established in 2002, the sub-committee developed the One-Call Law Summary (OCLS), which tracks essential provisions of each state’s damage prevention laws and/or administrative rules and compares them against the minimum guidelines of the Model. The summary is updated annually, also compares the Model to the CGA Best Practices, provides a quick reference guide to members, and identifies those states where legislative reform is needed.

In 2010, the NTDPC partnered with Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) to utilize the OCLS and expertise within the NTDPC to perform an even more comprehensive analysis of each state’s damage prevention laws. Results of the project can be found at: http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/DamagePreventionSummary.htm.

• The Trend Analysis sub-committee promotes the collection and analysis of damage data within the telecommunications industry, specifically by participation in CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) program. These actions benefit telecom by identifying the top root causes of damages, as well as other useful information, enabling telecommunications providers to direct our shared resources in the most efficient manner, thereby improving network reliability for our customers.

In order to facilitate telecom data analysis, the NTDPC has established a Virtual Private DIRT (VPD) application for use by all telecommunications companies. By utilizing the NTDPC VPD, users achieve another layer of anonymity and confidentiality when submitting data and are able to compare their own data against that of the telecom industry as well as against data from all submitters across North America. The NTDPC VPD can be accessed via the Trend Analysis sub-committee page of the NTDPC website.

• The Technology sub-committee seeks to stay abreast of new ideas, developments and issues with regard to mapping, locating, horizontal directional boring and other damage prevention technologies. Originally established in the late 90’s as the HDD Taskforce, this group has expanded to other areas where advances in technology can assist in preventing damage.

• The Education and Marketing sub-committee coordinates the NTDPC education and awareness efforts. NTDPC personnel, along with local personnel from member companies, participate in national and regional tradeshows, present exhibits and conduct seminars across the country. This team also collaborates with other industry associations and organizations to promote damage prevention by co-sponsoring excavation awareness dinners, providing scholarships to future engineers, and serving as leaders wherever needed.

Where You Come From Leads You to the Future
Originally established in 1989 as the California Common Carrier Steering Committee (CCCSC) in order to address common issues facing those long-distance telecom providers who jointly occupied the SP (Southern Pacific Railroad) right-of-way, the NTDPC has evolved into what is today recognized as "the voice" of the telecom industry with regard to underground facility damage prevention.

In 1990, the name was changed to National Common Carrier Cable Hazard Prevention Committee (NCCCHPC), and work began to address the leading causes of cable cuts at the time -- one of which being No-Notification by supporting contractors and excavators in obtaining more accessible One-Call services and promoting its use.

By 1994, as fiber optic cable deployment progressed and with the prospect of entering the long distance market, Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) joined the Interexchange Carriers (IXCs), and the name was again changed to National Telecommunications Damage Prevention Council (NTDPC).

NTDPC members were enlisted for participation in the Common Ground Study in 1998. In fact, there has been an NTDPC member serving as co-chair to a CGA committee each year since the CGA was formed in 2000, and NTDPC members have been recognized with CGA's Ron Olitsky Award in 2005 and Jim Barron Award in 2006.

The last name change took place in 2006 to recognize the value brought to the NTDPC by its Canadian members.

And, the NTDPC played a vital role as 811, the easily recognizable 3-digit number established by the FCC for One-Call notification, was implemented in 2007. Although the NTDPC nominated 344 (or "DIG" -- since #344 was already being implemented among wireless carriers), the NTDPC supported 811, and facilitated discussions between the carriers and the One-Call industry as implementation plans for 811 were developed.

Have a Voice in Change
Value and benefits continue to be realized with membership in the NTDPC. Member companies have a voice, and an equal vote, on all damage prevention related issues affecting the Telecom industry. And, the shared resources of the combined member companies spread the NTDPC message all across the continent, allowing members to reap benefits from other members' activities. Benefits are mutual!

The NTDPC also speaks with a single, united voice on issues affecting Telecom. Since the council is non-competitive and not-for-profit, each member company strives to obtain benefits for all, including the customers served by its telecommunications networks.

Quarterly meetings are hosted by NTDPC member and associate-member companies where vendors present damage prevention related products or training, guests provide education on different topics, sub-committee meetings are held and council business is conducted. Along with brainstorming and problem resolution, best practices are shared and much networking takes place.

Throughout its 21-year history, the NTDPC has demonstrated a commitment and leadership to the philosophy of damage prevention. Whether through its original partnerships, with railroad and One-Call stakeholders, or its innovative ideas and actions such as mapping railroad mileposts at One-Call Centers, tracking ticket quality and One-Call legislation, leading other industry committees, or being the first trade association to establish a VPD, the NTDPC continues to serve its member companies, the customers they serve, and the public at large by aiding in the prevention of damage to the outside plant facilities that form the telecommunications infrastructure of the United States and Canada.

For more information about the NTDPC, please visit www.ntdpc.com.

Members of NTDPC include:
AT&T
AboveNet
Bell Canada
Level(3)
Qwest
Rogers
Sprint
tw telecom
Verizon

Associate Members include:
BNSF Railway
CSX Transportation
Canadian National
Canadian Pacific
Kansas City Southern
Norfolk Southern
Union Pacific
OCSI

At OSP EXPO 2011, Sept 12-14, the NTDPC is co-hosting an Excavator Awareness Dinner on Monday evening, Sept. 12. The NTDPC is also participating in a panel discussion at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, focusing on results from the CGA DIRT Report and other damage prevention issues facing Telecom.

Also at OSP EXPO 2011, stop by the NTDPC Fiber Restoration Exhibit where subject matter experts discuss what makes up an underground fiber optic cable network, demonstrate fusion splicing and what is required to repair it when damaged, and what best practices are to be followed when digging in the vicinity of fiber optic cable. Attendees will have an opportunity to splice fibers themselves!

Brian Tooley is responsible for OSP damage prevention and recovery for Verizon's long distance, fiber optic cable network. During his more than 23 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Brian has held a number of engineering, construction and management roles. He has been with the North American Telecommunications Damage Prevention Council (NTDPC) since 2001 and was awarded the CGA's inaugural Ron Olitsky Award in 2005 for his work with its Data Reporting & Evaluation Committee. Brian currently serves on the TX811 board of directors. For more information, visit www.ntdpc.com or email contactus@ntdpc.com.

Kevin Whitmore is the Director of Outside Plant for tw telecom. He has more than 20 years of experience in Outside Plant and has a solid background in Engineering, Network Infrastructure Acquisition Contracts, Business Development, and Management. He also serves as the North American Telecommunications Damage Prevention Council (NTDPC) education and marketing sub committee chairman. For more information about the NTDPC please visit www.ntdpc.com or contact Kevin at email kevin.whitmore@twtelecom.com.

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