The telephone companies have been able to resist the removal and relocation of existing above grade cabinets on the basis that there is no technology to replace the above grade cabinets and that relocation is cost prohibitive. Until very recently that has been true. The telephone companies have been working for the last 6 years to perfect a below grade cabinet with a “popup” panel feature. Unfortunately the “popup” vaults have a very limited capacity and until recently a cable flush1ex failure issue that could not be solved.
In November of 2002, Cross Connect System (CCS), envisioned a concept for a “Flush to Grade” telecommunications cabinet that would replace the existing above grade telecommunications cabinets that are standard throughout the world. Scott, in cooperation with other telecommunication experts, took his vision and translated it into a completed product. The flush to grade product has been completely tested and approved by AT&T (CCS is currently awaiting issuance of product identification numbers) and has met or exceeded their cost expectations.
This product is available today and can currently support up to 5,400 cable pair or typically 1,800 customers per cabinet.
The CCS design pictured here employs a raised floor above an internal splice chamber with the equipment array attached to the walls. The CCS design is a simple yet elegant solution to the capacity and cable flexing issues of the existing “popup” design for flush to grade cabinets. Once installed in the ground and marked with GPS coordinates, the CCS product is difficult if not impossible to find by terrorists. The product is totally removed from potential vehicle damage, is ADA compliant, and solves the esthetic issues facing our cities. Manufacturing and splicing is completed in a factory-controlled environment and delivered in modular form to the site spliced and ready for connection.
CCS has an exclusive contract with the manufacturer of the waterproof lids and vaults that were the choice of Verizon when that company field-tested the “popup” equipment vaults on the streets of New York. While Verizon and their equipment manufacturer that supplied the internal “popup” components were never able to resolve the capacity issues that plague the “popup” design, the vaults and lids performed and continue to perform flawlessly in that hostile urban environment. The product is poured in custom molds and cured to exacting specifications as illustrated in these manufacturing photos.
The vaults are constructed of high strength concrete with a water-resistant lid and hatch opening that renders the product virtually impervious to water. The vault has an external and internal grounding system, sealed cable entry ports, removable floor panels, internal splice chamber, re-entry compound capable and is made to order utilizing telephony approved products. The factory-assemble product meets or exceeds OSHA safety standards. The lid is constructed of one piece, shock assisted, fiberglass and tested to be water resistant with a replaceable hatch gasket. The lid has an “H-20” load rating, has been tested and approved for its slip resistant and abrasion characteristics and has been rain/ice tested for freezing. The shock-assisted lid has been cycle tested and approved for durability.
CCS’s exclusive manufacturer of waterproof vaults and lids has installed product in four (4) locations in Manhattan, New York. The locations, all pictured below, represent the ultimate test of the product in a hostile urban environment. To date, there have been no service issues with any vaults or lids and they continue to perform exceeding all expectations.
The big issue facing CCS, and the reason CCS has prepared this “Municipal Presentation” is to “spread the news!”
At CCS we feel we are uniquely positioned to provide customers with the products and services that will make our world safer and more efficient for both our future generations and ourselves. To do so both our customers and the cities they service need to understand the flush to grade alternative. Our goal is to assist the municipalities in understanding the advantages of this product; assist them in revising their building codes to encompass this product; and assist them in their dialogue with the telephone companies concerning the changes to their code requirements.
We appreciate the opportunity you have given us and the time you have taken to review this new product and we look forward to working with your engineering and planning departments to assist them in integrating this product into your future.