From Planning to Operation: Turnkey Underground Fiber Optic Network Delivered in Record Time

Complete Project for Cirion — 421 Meters of Fiber Optic Cable Beneath Av. Tancredo Neves, from Permit to As-Built

When a critical infrastructure operator needs to connect one of Salvador’s largest commercial complexes on an accelerated timeline — without interrupting traffic on one of the Bahian capital’s busiest avenues — the choice of execution partner is decisive. Hype Telecom was engaged by Cirion (at the time, CenturyLink Comunicações do Brasil LTDA) to deliver the complete project — from design through as-built — of a 288-fiber underground network along Avenida Tancredo Neves, connecting to the Salvador Trade Center. The result: 421.36 meters of infrastructure built using a non-destructive method, within the contractual timeline, with all documentation fully regularized with municipal authorities.

421 m

of underground network built

288 FO

optical fibers in the DD-288FO-TS cable

MND

non-destructive method — zero road cuts

The Challenge

Avenida Tancredo Neves is a high-density arterial roadway in Salvador. Any intervention in the roadbed requires authorization from TRANSALVADOR (Salvador’s municipal traffic authority), payment of specific public fees for arterial roadway works, executive project approval by the City government, and an ART (Anotação de Responsabilidade Técnica — a formal Technical Responsibility filing) registered with CREA-BA (the regional engineering licensing council). Beyond the regulatory complexity, the physical environment demanded heightened attention: the presence of other operators’ networks and underground public utilities along the route made the conventional destructive method unviable without unacceptable operational and reputational risk for Cirion.

There was also schedule pressure. The maximum timeline granted by TRANSALVADOR for execution of the work was 120 days — and market experience shows that projects with this level of regulatory density frequently consume that entire window just in approval procedures, leaving physical construction compressed and the client exposed.

Any network or operations manager who has overseen an underground infrastructure project in a Brazilian state capital knows the greatest risk isn’t in the physical execution. It’s in the municipal approval queue, incomplete documentation, an ART filed outside the required window, or an interference survey conducted without rigor — any of which can derail the boring plan on the very first day of work.

Why Hype Telecom

Hype Telecom was selected by Cirion for offering a value proposition that the local market rarely assembles under a single provider: the ability to prepare and file the executive design, manage the entire approval process with both the City of Salvador and TRANSALVADOR, mobilize a team for non-destructive execution, and deliver the as-built with complete documentation for final regularization of the work.

The contract (Contract 002-2020, executed on 02/03/2020) already defined turnkey scope, and Hype Telecom mobilized the responsible civil engineer (ART No. BA20200246929 — CREA-BA) and began topographic survey and executive design work immediately, without waiting for approval to start preparing for execution. When the permit arrived, the team was already ready.

Project Reference Data

Project Fact Sheet

Key technical, contractual, and regulatory data for the Salvador Trade Center underground fiber project.

FieldValue
ClientCirion (formerly CenturyLink Comunicações do Brasil LTDA)
Project AddressAv. Tancredo Neves, Cond. Salvador Trade Center — Caminho das Árvores, Salvador/BA — ZIP 41820020
Length Built421.36 linear meters of underground network
Cable DeployedDD-288FO-TS — 288 optical fibers, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) conduit
Construction MethodMND — Non-Destructive Method (horizontal directional drilling)
Technical ResponsibilityART CREA-BA No. BA20200246929 — licensed responsible civil engineer
TRANSALVADOR ProcessProc. 2567-2020 / DAT 1852/2020-1 — Arterial roadway authorization (Term: 120 days)
SEDUR/SUCOM ProcessProc. 5,972/2020 — Construction Work Authorization Permit
Contract Start02/03/2020
Execution Start03/09/2020
Maximum Term Granted120 days by the regulatory authority
Planned Delivery (per ART)05/15/2020 — 67 days of work, vs. 120 days authorized
Completion CertificateIssued and regularized with the City of Salvador
Roadway ClassificationArterial Roadway — requires TRANSALVADOR authorization with a specific fee
Client
Cirion (formerly CenturyLink Comunicações do Brasil LTDA)
Project Address
Av. Tancredo Neves, Cond. Salvador Trade Center — Caminho das Árvores, Salvador/BA — ZIP 41820020
Length Built
421.36 linear meters of underground network
Cable Deployed
DD-288FO-TS — 288 optical fibers, HDPE conduit
Construction Method
MND — Non-Destructive Method (horizontal directional drilling)
Technical Responsibility
ART CREA-BA No. BA20200246929
TRANSALVADOR Process
Proc. 2567-2020 / DAT 1852/2020-1 (Term: 120 days)
SEDUR/SUCOM Process
Proc. 5,972/2020
Contract Start
02/03/2020
Execution Start
03/09/2020
Maximum Term Granted
120 days by the regulatory authority
Planned Delivery (per ART)
05/15/2020 — 67 days vs. 120 authorized
Completion Certificate
Issued and regularized with the City of Salvador
Roadway Classification
Arterial Roadway — requires TRANSALVADOR authorization

What Hype Telecom Delivered

The project was structured into three major execution blocks: design preparation and approval, underground infrastructure construction, and optical cable installation with testing. Each block was delivered with complete documentation — the Data Book is the consolidation of every record generated throughout the process.

Execution Timeline — 15 Phases

What Hype Telecom Delivered

The project was structured into three execution blocks — design and approval, underground construction, and cable installation with testing — each delivered with complete documentation.

PhaseStepDetail / Deliverable
1BudgetQuantity takeoff, method definition, and proposal approved by Cirion
2Topographic SurveyField survey to support the executive design and permit applications
3Executive DesignDWG design with route alignment, dimensions, access points, underground vaults, and MND boring plan
4City FilingExecutive design filed with the City of Salvador — SEDUR/SUCOM Process No. 5,972/2020
5TRANSALVADOR AuthorizationAuthorization for public roadway works — arterial roadway; DAT No. 1852/2020-1, Process 2567-2020
6Supplemental DAM + TPUPayment of Public Roadway Use Fee counter-payment — City of Salvador
7Construction Work PermitIssuance of the municipal permit authorizing the start of physical works
8ART CREA-BAART No. BA20200246929 — design and execution, registered 02/05/2020
9Interference Survey / Boring PlanComplete mapping of existing underground networks to define MND boring plans
10MND CrossingHorizontal directional drilling on Av. Tancredo Neves — night execution, zero road surface disruption
11Underground Vault ConstructionInstallation of access vaults along the route, per design
12Pavement RestorationPavement restoration at vault access points, per municipal standard
13As-BuiltDesign update reflecting executed alignment, installed vaults, and actual conduit positions
14Completion CertificateDAM for issuance of the Public Roadway Works Completion Certificate — final regularization
15Cable Installation + TestingInstallation of the DD-288FO-TS cable and post-installation testing with digital results archive
1
Budget
Quantity takeoff, method definition, and proposal approved by Cirion
2
Topographic Survey
Field survey to support the executive design and permit applications
3
Executive Design
DWG design with route alignment, dimensions, access points, underground vaults, and MND boring plan
4
City Filing
Executive design filed with the City of Salvador — SEDUR/SUCOM Process No. 5,972/2020
5
TRANSALVADOR Authorization
Authorization for public roadway works; DAT No. 1852/2020-1, Process 2567-2020
6
Supplemental DAM + TPU
Payment of Public Roadway Use Fee counter-payment
7
Construction Work Permit
Issuance of the municipal permit authorizing start of physical works
8
ART CREA-BA
ART No. BA20200246929 — registered 02/05/2020
9
Interference Survey / Boring Plan
Mapping of existing underground networks to define MND boring plans
10
MND Crossing
Horizontal directional drilling — night execution, zero road disruption
11
Underground Vault Construction
Installation of access vaults along the route, per design
12
Pavement Restoration
Pavement restoration at vault access points, per municipal standard
13
As-Built
Design update reflecting executed alignment and actual conduit positions
14
Completion Certificate
DAM for issuance of the Completion Certificate — final regularization
15
Cable Installation + Testing
DD-288FO-TS cable installation and post-installation testing with digital archive

Field Records — Data Book

The project’s Data Book compiles photographic and documentary records from every phase of the work. The image placeholders below represent the phases documented during execution.

Data Book — Official Project Records

Field Records — Data Book

The project's Data Book compiles photographic and documentary records from every phase of the work — from topographic survey through cable installation and testing. Click any image to enlarge.

SECTION 1.2 Topographic survey on Av. Tancredo Neves
Topographic Survey
Field survey on Av. Tancredo Neves / Rua Frederico Simões, conducted to support the executive design and permit applications.
SECTION 1.3 Executive design route plan
Executive Design
Underground route plan with approved MND alignment — dimensions, access points, and underground vault positions.
SECTION 2.4 MND boring plan with interference mapping
MND Boring Plans
Boring plan with mapped underground interference profile, defining the horizontal directional drilling path.
SEC. 2.5 Night MND crossing equipment on Av. Tancredo Neves
Directional drilling operation at night
Night MND Crossing
Directional drilling equipment in operation on Av. Tancredo Neves — executed entirely at night to preserve daytime traffic flow.
SEC. 2.6 Underground vault construction along the route
Access vault installation
Underground Vaults
Construction and installation of access vaults along the route, per the approved executive design.
SEC. 2.7 Pavement restoration at vault access points
Restored pavement matching municipal standard
Pavement Restoration
Pavement restoration at vault access points, matching the municipal standard required by the City of Salvador.
SECTION 2.8 As-built plan with final executed alignment
As-Built
As-built plan with final executed alignment, vaults, and conduit positions, updated to reflect physical reality.
SECTION 3 DD-288FO-TS cable installation into conduit
Post-installation testing with digital archive
Cable Installation & Testing
DD-288FO-TS optical cable installation into conduit, with post-installation testing recorded in a digital archive.
15 documented phases. Every step of this project — from first site visit to final cable testing — is captured in the official Data Book, available in full upon request.

Field Records — Data Book

  • Complete executive design: topographic survey, route plan with underground vaults, boring plan, and descriptive report delivered before municipal approvals began.
  • Full regulatory management: filing and follow-up with the City of Salvador (SEDUR/SUCOM Proc. 5,972/2020) and TRANSALVADOR (Proc. 2567-2020) through to the construction permit, including DAT and TPU fee payments.
  • ART CREA-BA issued and settled: formal Technical Responsibility registered (ART No. BA20200246929) with a licensed civil engineer, prior to the start of physical execution.
  • Interference survey via direct and indirect methods: mapping of existing underground networks along the route before finalizing boring plans, eliminating collision risk with existing infrastructure.
  • Non-Destructive Method (MND): horizontal directional drilling with no cutting or breaking of the road surface on Av. Tancredo Neves — zero impact to the arterial roadway’s pavement.
  • Night execution: arterial roadway crossing carried out at night, maintaining 100% of daytime traffic flow without interruption.
  • Underground vaults built to design: construction and installation of access vaults with pavement restoration at access points, within required municipal standards.
  • DD-288FO-TS cable installed and tested: 288 optical fibers in HDPE conduit, with post-installation tests recorded in a digital archive and delivered to Cirion.
  • As-Built and Completion Certificate: design updated with actual executed positions and final regularization with the City of Salvador, including issuance of the Public Roadway Works Completion Certificate.
  • Record timeline: work planned for completion in 67 days (per ART), against a maximum term of 120 days granted by TRANSALVADOR — 43.8% margin relative to the regulatory limit.

The Result for the Business

For Cirion, the immediate result was connectivity for the Salvador Trade Center within the timeline the business required. But the medium-term result was broader: a regularized underground infrastructure, fully documented and delivered with an updated as-built, with a Completion Certificate issued and all documentation archived — meaning any future intervention on the network can be planned against a reliable base of information.

The choice of the non-destructive method, beyond preserving the pavement of Av. Tancredo Neves, eliminated the risk of citation for damage to public roadway and avoided any reputational impact associated with trench excavation on a high-traffic avenue — a risk telecommunications operators cannot afford to ignore in high-traffic regions.

The 67-day execution timeline (per the ART), against the 120 days authorized, gave Cirion significant margin to commission services ahead of the dates committed to its end clients in the complex — the kind of buffer that, in a competitive market, makes a difference in contract retention.

What This Means for Network and Operations Managers

Every network manager who has overseen an underground fiber project in a Brazilian state capital knows the critical schedule risk is rarely in the physical execution. It comes earlier: in the quality of municipal filings, in an ART issued within the correct window, in command of the TRANSALVADOR system, and in the rigor of the interference survey — variables that, when poorly addressed, derail the boring plan within the first meter of work.

Hype Telecom’s practical differentiator in this type of project is vertical integration: the same company that prepares the design is the one that manages the approval, executes the work, and delivers the as-built. There is no handoff between designer and contractor. There is no disagreement over the correct alignment when boring encounters an unmapped interference. The decision is made by the same team that drew up the plan.

For organizations that need to expand underground infrastructure in regulated urban environments — whether in a Bahian state capital or any other market where public roadway access depends on municipal approval — this integration isn’t a comfort differentiator. It’s protection against schedule and regulatory risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

A complete turnkey project: executive design preparation, topographic survey, ART CREA-BA, filing and approval follow-up with the City of Salvador (SEDUR/SUCOM) and TRANSALVADOR, DAT and TPU fee payments, MND crossing execution on Av. Tancredo Neves (night operations), underground vault construction, pavement restoration, as-built, DD-288FO-TS cable installation, and post-installation testing.

Av. Tancredo Neves is classified as an arterial roadway by TRANSALVADOR, with high traffic volume and existing underground networks from multiple operators. The destructive method (trench excavation) would have required partial road closure, increased the risk of damage to existing infrastructure, and generated additional pavement restoration obligations. The MND (horizontal directional drilling) eliminated all of these risks and was executed entirely at night.

The contract was executed on 02/03/2020. The ART was registered on 02/05/2020. TRANSALVADOR's authorization was issued with a 120-day term for execution. Hype Telecom managed all filings and fee payments (TRANSALVADOR DAT, TPU, DAM) through to obtaining the construction permit, without generating any unexpected delay for Cirion.

The Data Book consolidates all project documentation: ART CREA-BA, executive design, construction permit, TRANSALVADOR authorization, payment receipts (DAT and TPU), boring plans, photographic records of every phase of the work (survey, MND, vaults, pavement restoration), updated as-built, Public Roadway Works Completion Certificate, and post-installation cable test results.

Yes. Hype Telecom operates underground infrastructure projects across different Brazilian markets, with the capacity to manage the regulatory process for each municipality — including city permits, traffic authorities, and utility companies — plus ART filings with the CREA of the corresponding state.

Through three mechanisms: (1) formal Technical Responsibility via ART with a licensed civil engineer; (2) prior interference survey using direct and indirect methods before any drilling begins; and (3) photographic and documentary records of every phase of the work, consolidated in the Data Book delivered to the client at project close.

Hype Telecom delivers turnkey underground fiber optic projects across Brazil — from municipal permit to as-built delivery — using construction methods that protect the public roadway and the client's schedule. If your project involves public roadway works, high-capacity networks, and timelines that cannot slip, talk to our team.

No commitment. We review the scope, location, and regulatory environment, and recommend the right construction method and realistic timeline for your project.

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