Key Challenges in Determining Address Serviceability for Telecommunications

I’ve been in the data business for nearly 30 years, and I’m still learning. Lately, I’ve been diving deep into the specific needs of telecommunication companies, particularly understanding the serviceability and “salability” of an address.

Much of my career has been spent building data to accurately locate addresses—for business intelligence (at GDT and Pitney Bowes) or navigation (at Tele Atlas and TomTom). Now, at Precisely, we’re building foundational data that connects and maintains the relationships between addresses, buildings, businesses, land parcels, and much more.

Because an address is generally the most effective and universal way for people to describe a property or building’s location, it’s how we typically communicate. However, an address is just the starting point for so many use cases. Let me explain some of the complexities and why choosing a data provider who understands these nuances is so important.

The Many Layers of the Serviceability Puzzle

For decades, Precisely has partnered with telecommunication companies, including the largest national providers and many regional providers. Precisely helps these companies with things like optimizing network rollout, acquiring and retaining customers, improving customer experience, and streamlining operations by providing accurate location data, property insights, and enhanced address information.

As I’ve said, determining serviceability for a telecommunications provider is surprisingly difficult, going far beyond simply checking if a building exists at a given address. It’s a multi-layered puzzle involving physical infrastructure, regulatory hurdles, technical limitations, and even logistical and legal considerations.

The Address Itself:

I could write a book on this, and I recommend checking out posts from my colleagues Amy Metz and Mike Ashmore for more insights. For context, here are some key aspects relevant to this discussion:

• Format Variations: Addresses can be written in countless ways (e.g., “123 Main St,” “123 Main Street,” “One 23 Main Street”). This makes it tough for systems to recognize they’re looking at the same address. It’s amazing how creative people can be with something so seemingly straightforward.
• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Street names, city names, and even state names are often abbreviated, leading to inconsistencies (e.g., “123 Main Street” vs. “123 Mn St”).
• Human Error: Data entry errors, typos, and omissions are common, resulting in inaccurate addresses (e.g., “123 Main Ave” vs. “123 Main Street”).

Add to the dynamic nature of addresses the fact that most companies confront data silos, multiple points of data creation that aren’t coordinated, varying priorities, and the sheer volume of data, and you start to understand the challenges.

But as I said, managing addressing is just the start of understanding serviceability and market opportunity. Other data must then be integrated to obtain a full understanding, these include:

Physical Infrastructure:

• The Last Mile: The biggest hurdle is often the “last mile”—the connection between the provider’s network and the individual addresses, using fiber optic drop cables or through fixed wireless assets. This can involve intricate networks of cables (copper, fiber, coax), poles, ducts, and underground infrastructure. Understanding the condition, capacity, and availability of this infrastructure is crucial. Questions such as: “Is there existing capacity?”, “How old are the cables?”, “Is this property a candidate for fixed wireless?”, and “How well is the infrastructure able to withstand the impact of future storms, floods, etc.?” are crucial to answer to understand the return on investment and costs of carrying those customers over time.
• Network Topology: Providers need a detailed understanding of their network topology, including the location of central offices, distribution points, switches, amplifiers, and other equipment. Serviceability depends on how close an address is to these network elements and the capacity of the connecting infrastructure. This network may have a very different layout than roads, and this specific information is essential.
• Building Access: For multi-dwelling units (MDUs) like office buildings, apartments, or condos, access to the building’s internal wiring and distribution points is essential. Providers need agreements with building owners or managers, and the internal wiring may be outdated or require upgrades.
• Right-of-Way: Laying new cable or accessing existing infrastructure often requires permits and easements (right-of-way) from local authorities, utility companies, or private landowners. This can be time-consuming and complex, involving legal and bureaucratic hurdles.

Technical Variables:

• Technology Constraints: Different technologies have different limitations. Fiber optic cable offers higher bandwidth and longer reach than copper, but it’s not universally available. A provider might offer DSL in an area but not fiber, and often are in the process of upgrading technology–making this dynamic as well. Rural areas without fiber infrastructure are good options for fixed wireless, but these systems have limited capacity, which also limits the number of users you can have on the network.
• Distance Limitations: Signal strength degrades over distance, especially with older technologies like copper. Service availability depends on knowing not just how far the address is from the nearest network node, but also how far transmission will occur on each type of infrastructure.
• Equipment Compatibility: The customer’s equipment (modem, router, etc.) must be compatible with the provider’s network. Outdated equipment may limit service options and customer satisfaction. An analogy I’ve used is that low-quality equipment in the home is like putting bald tires on a sports car. An out-of-date modem can negate the benefits of a world class fiber network.

Regulatory and Legal Issues:

• Franchise Agreements: Providers often need franchise agreements with local governments to operate in a specific area. These agreements can dictate service obligations and limitations.
• Pole Attachments: Attaching cables to existing utility poles requires agreements with the pole owner (often another utility company). These agreements can be complex and involve fees.
• Universal Service Obligations: In some areas, providers may have obligations to serve even remote (unserved) or underserved addresses, regardless of profitability.

Logistical Challenges:

• Data Accuracy: As mentioned above, address databases can be inaccurate or incomplete. The same is true for all the other data I’ve mentioned. None of these variables remain static; new building construction, changing and aging equipment, businesses and families moving, and demands for streaming and other consumption services all require ongoing maintenance. Accurate, up-to-date, and integrated data is crucial for determining serviceability.
• Field Surveys: Sometimes, physical field surveys are necessary to verify infrastructure availability and condition. While vital, this can be expensive, time-consuming, and delay decisions.
• Coordination: Connecting a new customer often requires coordination between multiple teams within the provider (engineering, construction, installation, sales, and marketing). This can be a complex logistical challenge.

Using Firmographics and Demographics:

Beyond the technical aspects of serviceability, understanding the characteristics of the customer at a given address is crucial for telecommunication providers. This is where firmographic and demographic data come into play.

• Firmographics: For business customers, firmographic data provides insights into the company’s size, industry, revenue, and other key characteristics. This information helps providers tailor their service offerings and pricing to meet the specific needs of different businesses. For example, a large enterprise with multiple locations will have different requirements than a small home-based business.
• Demographics: For residential customers, demographic data such as age, income, education level, and household size can be valuable. This data helps providers understand the needs and preferences of different customer segments. For instance, a household with teenagers might have a greater need for high-speed internet than a retired couple.

By combining serviceability data with firmographic and demographic insights, telecommunication providers can make more informed decisions about network deployment, service offerings, and marketing strategies. This allows them to better serve their customers and maximize their return on investment.

In summary, determining serviceability and salability is a complex process. At Precisely, we’re investing in integrated address and property datasets to help manage this complexity.

I’m continually learning to appreciate that this information is only a piece of what providers require to implement their operations. Now, more than ever, the need to partner with our customers to deploy and maintain complete solutions is necessary. These systems require specialized knowledge, staff and data that all must work together to achieve the performance that these companies require.

If you would like to learn more about Precisely’s products you can check out our Data Product Guide, learn more about our recently launched API, or check out data samples.