Submitted by Cherokee Cablevision
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Cherokee Cablevision (CCV) Board has made the decision to make every home and business in Phases 1 and 2 fiber-ready, regardless of current service interest.
This decision affects residents and businesses in the Yellow Hill, Big Cove, Wolf Town, Paint Town, and Big Y communities, where crews are actively working to extend fiber to every structure. While the strategy does increase the overall cost of the project by running lines to locations that may never request service, it also significantly reduces installation time when service is eventually requested.
“Installing these drops in bulk allows us to take advantage of cost savings through large-scale contracts, rather than handling each installation as a separate project,”, Ryan Sherby, CCV chief executive officer states. “That means faster turnaround for Tribal Members when they decide to connect.”
Construction impacts and resident concerns
As construction continues, residents may notice increased activity around their homes, including fiber lines being attached to exterior walls via a small box on outside of home (NID). Crews attempt to make contact by knocking on doors before beginning work. If no one answers, the drop is installed. All of this is done at no cost to the homeowner or business owner.
Some community members have expressed concerns about cracked pavement, diesel stains, and temporary driveway blockages during construction. We acknowledged these issues and are working to address them as they arise. If crews are blocking your driveway, you can approach them to request access.
“This is a large-scale infrastructure build, and while we aim to minimize the impact, some disruption is unfortunately unavoidable,” Sherby states. “We always try to repair any damage to the extent commercially feasible, but we also ask for residents’ understanding and patience. This is a massive technology infrastructure project that will equip the Tribe well into the future with world class connectivity”
Residents who encounter construction issues can reach out to the Customer Service Team at (828) 339-2900. From there, they will escalate to Vantage Point Solutions.
Fiber Network Construction Progress
As clean-up work continues in Phase 1, they are validating that the network is clean and tested, then scheduling installs. If you are in Phase 1 (Yellow Hill, Big Cove), we are ready to take your order. Phase 2 (Wolftown, Painttown and BigY) is coming online relatively quickly, with some locations already tested and active.
As of this week, the project has made substantial progress in Phase 2:
- 91.56 of 91.67 total miles of fiber have been placed
- 1,009 of 1,026 aerial service drops to homes and businesses completed
- 67 of 511 buried service drops to homes and businesses completed
- 366 addresses have been tested and confirmed serviceable
Looking Ahead: Birdtown and Whittier
With Phases 1 and 2 nearly complete, attention is turning to Phase 3 in BirdTown, which has already been engineered and the Duke poles prepared and replaced. Construction will begin once funding is secured by the Tribe. The Whittier/3200 Acre Tract is also nearing construction readiness. It is anticipated to secure funding as early as the first of the year.
Requesting Fiber Services
Are you interested in Fiber services? For more information, contact the Customer Service Team at (828) 339-2900 or visit www.cherokeecablevision.com.
