Antea Group and Glaspoort sign multi-year contract for soil testing at business parks

Glaspoort, a leading provider of an open network of fiber optic connections in the Netherlands, has entered into a long-term partnership with Antea Group. The engineering and consultancy firm will conduct soil surveys at all locations where Glaspoort operates on business parks.

1.2 million connections in five years 

Pension fund ABP and telecom provider KPN are the driving forces behind Glass Gate. Thus, Glaspoort was founded a year and a half ago with the goal of making fiber available to everyone. Over the next five years, Glaspoort will realize 1.2 million fiber optic connections in smaller municipalities, rural areas and business parks throughout the Netherlands. Glaspoort will roll out fiber optics in more than 1,400 locations in the Netherlands with various contractors laying the fiber optic networks. Installing these networks always requires a thorough soil investigation to ensure safe working in the subsurface according to the CROW 400.

Unicum

The collaboration is unique on many fronts. Antea Group will survey the soil for all business parks in the Netherlands where Glaspoort is rolling out fiberglass. Coert Ruseler, Business Line Director Environment, Safety & Health at Antea Group: "This is an excellent opportunity to further automate and digitize this process. Part of this process is the unique approach with Soil Digital On the Map (BDOK). Based on a unique national database, preliminary surveys are delivered quickly and completely, allowing our consultants to get straight to work on the locations where follow-up assessments are still needed. Based on project data already collected, the work process is continuously adjusted to benefit the turnaround times and quality of the surveys."

According to Martin Wanschers, Glaspoort's COO: "This cooperation ensures that the rollout of fiberglass will take place in a more efficient and predictable way. The contractor receives the soil survey at an early stage and can use it to create the most optimal design for where the network should be located. This is going to ensure that Glaspoort's mission of laying fiber for everyone is fulfilled."