As we look to the future, accurate utility mapping needs to be non-negotiable. When done well, it is the backbone of infrastructure planning and maintenance. In the telecommunications industry specifically, as fiber networks and 5G deployments continue to accelerate, proper utility mapping and damage prevention are becoming more important every year. Inaccurate mapping can result in mismarks or incorrect ticket clearing, and damages from these errors can disrupt entire networks, causing service outages, costly repairs, and widespread customer dissatisfaction.
According to the Common Ground Alliance, there were approximately 532,000 excavation-related damages to underground facilities in 2022 in the U.S., with a large portion attributed to inaccurate or incomplete mapping of utilities. Precise mapping isn’t just best practice; it’s an absolute necessity.
Why Mapping Accuracy Wasn’t Always a Priority
Historically, telecommunications providers didn’t always prioritize mapping accuracy in the same way they do today. Legacy copper networks, which dominated the industry for decades, were less sensitive, less expensive to replace, and easier to repair when damages occurred. As a result, accurate recordkeeping and mapping weren’t always treated as a critical investment.
However, the shift to modern fiber-optic infrastructure has changed that reality completely. Fiber networks are significantly more costly to repair and require far greater precision during installation, maintenance, and locate operations. Without accurate mapping, the risk of mismarks, damages, and costly service interruptions increases exponentially. For providers working to build and maintain the networks powering our connected world, accurate mapping has become fundamental to both operational success and customer satisfaction.
The Lingering Impact of Industry Consolidation
Adding to these challenges is the wave of consolidation that has swept through the telecommunications industry over the past decade. Mergers and acquisitions have created large, complex organizations that have inherited a patchwork of systems, processes, and, perhaps most crucially, maps. Many of these legacy records are outdated, incomplete, or inconsistent across regions and business units.
Integrating these fragmented data sources and reconciling conflicting records is time-consuming and costly, but it’s also essential. Incomplete or inaccurate mapping directly impacts an organization’s ability to screen excavation tickets effectively, prioritize critical assets, and reduce risk. Without reliable data, it’s difficult to make informed decisions about where to deploy locate resources or how to manage underground congestion efficiently.
The organizations that invest in correcting and modernizing these inherited records are setting themselves up for long-term success. Clean, accurate mapping data ensures that screening decisions can be trusted and that critical assets can be properly protected.
Complex Challenges in Underground Utility Mapping
Despite the industry’s growing focus on accuracy, mapping underground infrastructure remains complex. Legacy data continues to be one of the most significant obstacles. Historical records may have been created using inconsistent standards or stored in incompatible systems, creating serious hurdles when building a comprehensive and reliable picture of today’s utility landscape.
Even with modern tools, detecting underground utilities is never straightforward. Traditional detection methods such as electromagnetic locating or acoustic systems have limitations, and their accuracy can vary based on soil composition, moisture, and environmental interference. Newer technologies, including GPS-based mapping systems and ground-penetrating radar (GPR), deliver higher levels of accuracy but can still be affected by environmental conditions or data interpretation challenges.
Urbanization compounds these issues. In dense metropolitan environments where utilities overlap within limited space, the potential for interference and error increases. For telecommunications providers expanding their fiber networks into these congested areas, maintaining mapping accuracy becomes an especially complex task.
A Renewed Focus on Getting It Right the First Time
While technologies like GPR, GPS-based systems, and GIS integrations continue to play a role in identifying and recording buried assets, the most meaningful shift happening in the telecommunications space isn’t technological; it’s cultural. For years, accurate mapping wasn’t treated as a strategic priority. Now, with the influx of federal funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, there’s a stronger focus than ever on doing it right from the start.
Telecommunications providers building out new networks have an opportunity, and an obligation, to prioritize mapping accuracy during installation rather than trying to fix inaccuracies later. This shift represents a significant mindset change for an industry that historically viewed mapping as an afterthought. With higher stakes tied to funding oversight, regulatory compliance, and public accountability, accuracy is now being built into the process rather than applied retroactively.
This new level of scrutiny is driving improvements across project planning, recordkeeping, and asset management. By ensuring data integrity from the moment assets are installed, providers can prevent many of the issues that plagued legacy networks for decades. The result isn’t just better maps; it’s better decisions, safer excavations, and more resilient infrastructure.
Telecommunications-Specific Challenges
Telecommunications networks face unique challenges in mapping compared to other utility sectors. Fiber optic cables, for instance, are extremely sensitive and expensive to repair. Unlike metallic utilities, they cannot be easily detected with traditional locating methods and often require specialized equipment to identify accurately.
As global 5G infrastructure continues to expand, the scale of underground network deployment is only increasing. The global 5G infrastructure market is projected to reach $98 billion by 2027, and with over 60 percent of the world’s population expected to live in urban areas by 2030, demand for high-capacity, reliable communications will continue to grow. Accurate mapping ensures that as this demand increases, providers can expand safely without jeopardizing network integrity or customer trust.
Learning from Experience
These challenges are far from theoretical. One large, Midwest-based fiber-optic provider encountered many of these same issues during a period of rapid growth. After a series of acquisitions, the company realized its locate management practices, and the accuracy of its mapping data, were no longer sufficient. Records were inconsistent, visibility into field progress was limited, and administrative inefficiencies caused operational slowdowns.
By modernizing its locate management approach, the provider was able to regain control and reduce risk. Real-time visibility into locate requests gave field teams better access to critical information, improving responsiveness and reducing missed or delayed tickets. Automated workflows eliminated manual bottlenecks, freeing staff to focus on more strategic work. Most importantly, investment in consistent and accurate mapping significantly reduced the company’s damage risk while maintaining its growth trajectory.
This experience highlights how the combination of process modernization and mapping accuracy can drive both safety and efficiency. The organizations that invest in this kind of transformation are better equipped to handle rapid growth, regulatory scrutiny, and evolving customer expectations.
Best Practices for Damage Prevention
Technology can do a great deal, but foundational best practices remain critical. Keeping utility maps accurate and current must be treated as an ongoing operational priority. Regular inspections, disciplined recordkeeping, and standardized data validation processes ensure that maps remain a reliable resource for planning, screening, and excavation safety.
Collaboration among stakeholders is also key. Damage prevention depends on coordination between utility owners, contractors, and municipalities. Open communication and shared data improve decision-making, helping prevent conflicts and ensuring that projects stay on schedule.
Finally, ongoing training ensures that teams understand both the capabilities and limitations of modern tools. As technology continues to evolve, so too must the expertise of those using it in the field.
Looking Ahead
The telecommunications industry is at a pivotal point. The combination of evolving technology, industry consolidation, and the rapid expansion of underground infrastructure has elevated the importance of mapping accuracy like never before. Companies that continue to rely on outdated data and detection methods will face higher risks and greater costs. Those that embrace new tools and disciplined best practices will gain not just safer operations, but a competitive advantage.
As the expansion of 5G and smart city infrastructure accelerates, accurate utility mapping will remain one of the most critical elements of long-term success. By addressing legacy challenges, investing in modern technologies, and fostering collaboration across the industry, telecommunications providers can build networks that are as resilient and reliable as the services they deliver every day.