Terschelling is ready for the new tourist season
An unusual fiber optic project
Since November, Allinq has been working on a unique project to connect the Wadden Island of Terschelling to fiber optics. Working across the sea requires good planning and improvisation skills. Frank van Doorn and his team are up to the challenge. In pleasant cooperation with client Glaspoort and many other parties, Allinq ensures that the islanders and entrepreneurs get a solid internet connection, just in time for the tourist season.
The main cable from the mainland is already present, and Allinq is installing the fiber optic on the island. This concerns a total of approximately 4,700 connections. Not only residents are connected, but also campsites, holiday homes, and businesses. According to Frank, they are eagerly awaiting these developments. “Internet usage has increased considerably on the island, partly due to the many business internet transactions between entrepreneurs and their customers and suppliers. As a result, the current network becomes overloaded during peak periods, which leads to disruptions when watching television, placing orders online, and all other online communication traffic. Therefore, both residents and entrepreneurs have a great need for faster and more reliable internet.”
“Around May the tourist season starts on the island with many cyclists and walkers. Opening up the streets in this period is something that we want to avoid.”
Know-how
Frank has a lot of experience in managing large fiber optic projects. That know-how comes in handy in this project, because projects on the Wadden Island are more complex than projects on the mainland. For example, Allinq had to find employees who wanted to stay on the island during the week and arrange accommodation for them. The supply and transport of materials on an island are also a challenge. “You can’t go to a supplier quickly to get extra materials, so proper planning is very important,” explains Frank. “It is good that I know the island well. In my student days, I worked in the hospitality industry and I still go there two or three times a year in my spare time.”
One of the aspects of the island that appeals to Frank and his team, is the geniality. “The residents of Terschelling are very grateful. For example, they bring nice treats when the workmen are working in their neighborhood. And if they are inconvenienced by our work, they kindly address our people on the street, so that they can solve it immediately. Our boys appreciate that geniality enormously. Conversely, they are also happy to lend a helping hand to residents, for example when they have difficulty walking and need support to reach their homes over the temporary gangways.”
Residents are being well-informed about the progress of the project. For example, recently, they could attend the provider days. In addition to information about the various internet providers they can choose from, they also received information about how Allinq is progressing with the installation of the cables.
Cross-fertilisation
For three years, Frank has also been leading a major project to connect the city of Groningen to fiber optics. On Terschelling, he benefits from the knowledge and contacts he has gained there. For example, the municipality helped him find a project leader for civil work on the island. “That cross-fertilisation is great,” he says enthusiastically. “With my team in Groningen, I will be visiting Terschelling again, so that the teams can learn from each other, for example how to work as smartly as possible at a busy intersection or on a hard surface.”
In the meantime, the team on Terschelling is working hard to get all the work done on time. Frank is very happy about this commitment: “I am proud that we are able to do so much work in a short period of time and that we do it very carefully. Once the cables have been laid, we will deliver the paving neatly. For this, we receive a lot of appreciation from the municipality of Terschelling and the residents.”
I also receive compliments from colleagues who come over to have a look at what we’re doing."
Frank van Doorn
The project in numbers
Allinq realizes 4,700 connections
The new network consists of 550 kilometers of cables
On peak days, the team works with up to 80 people at the same time
A total of approximately 120 employees are involved in the planning and implementation.
Thinking in possibilities
According to Frank, what helps enormously in the challenging project is the helpfulness of the many partners. “The helpfulness on the island is very energetic. Everyone thinks in terms of possibilities,” he says. For example, he praises the good and intensive contact with the municipality of Terschelling. “In order to dig long sections of trenches, we can now also start digging on Saturdays, so that we can make considerable progress. In addition, the municipality plays an important role in contact with residents and businesses. At a few addresses for which permissions were still lacking, we can now realise the connections.”
The team also benefits in many other areas from organisations that think along well. Pipes have been laid together with Verkley, the company that lays cables and pipelines on the island for the energy transition. The route has been coordinated with Liander, the operator of the energy grid. There is good consultation about the dune and heath area with Staatsbosbeheer and Waterschap Friesland. And local contractors share their know-how about the subsurface and supply additional materials where necessary and possible. Last but not least, the team reaps the benefits of good internal cooperation at Allinq, such as with the FttS department that takes care of the maintenance of the transmission masts on the island.
Tight schedule
The project requires a tight schedule that Frank keeps a close eye on. Preparations for the project started in the summer of 2022 and Allinq started the civil works in November. The initial plan contained approximately 4,400 connections. Due to a later decision to also include the holiday parks, this number eventually expanded to around 4,700. “For Allinq, that also meant going back to the drawing board to make the necessary adjustments to the technical drawings,” says Frank. He is now doing everything possible to finish the civil work on the street by the end of April. “Around May the tourist season starts on the island with many cyclists and walkers. Opening up the streets in this period is something that we want to avoid.” By the end of December, it is expected that all house connections will be completed.
I am proud that we have managed to do so much work in such a short time"
Frank van Doorn