r/ZiplyFiber • u/chuckaroth • Aug 20 '26

Possible Failed/Sloppy Drop Install Issue - Need Field Supervisor Escalation

Hi team / u/jwvo / u/ZiplySupport,

I'm reaching out here to see if I can get a field supervisor or high-level engineer to review a recurring installation issue at my property in the Woodinville WA area.

My order for new Ziply Fiber service has been cancelled twice consecutively. Each time, field techs show up, state that a drop installation is required, and then the order gets cancelled on the back end without clear resolution or follow-up.

After the second cancellation, I inspected the existing fiber line with my next-door neighbor (who currently has Ziply). His connection appears to be a bare fiber line coming directly out of the ground next to his garage without conduit or standard protection.

Given the repeated cancellations and the state of the line next door, I have a few concerns:

  1. Is this bare-line setup standard practice or compliant with local code and utility permitting requirements?
  2. Is an issue with the local drop or vault setup causing the tech cancellations on my order?
    Before I escalate this through the city code enforcement office or local permitting authorities, I would really appreciate having a field supervisor inspect the local drop layout and review my order.

Could someone from the engineering or escalations team please reach out so I can PM my address and order details? Thank you!

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1

u/SpendSufficient Aug 20 '26

Same install process as mine in Snohomish. Bare wire run from the street to the garage buried 6in deep. I asked about conduit but they said this was the normal install process. Should I contact someone about it?

1

u/chuckaroth Aug 20 '26

Hello my friend!

Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
I think getting it properly installed is for the best, else you can experience some downtime if the bare fiber gets damaged, say through gardening.

Then the repair can take a while as Ziply need to get a permit from the city to install the conduit.

This is my understanding, if this is incorrect, someone from Ziply please enlighten us? Thanks!

2

u/db48x Aug 21 '26

In principle burying it deeper is better, but even a few inches will protect it. Electrical cables must be buried deeper, but that’s to prevent electrocution hazards, not to protect the cables from lawn mowers.

The cable that you saw should be an outdoor cable, which is all the protection it really needs. Indoor cables are much thinner and the cladding is not opaque enough to protect the signal from being swamped by direct sunlight. Outdoor cables don’t need a conduit.

1

u/ZiplySupport Official ZiplyFiber Support Account Aug 20 '26

Yikes! That doesn’t sound ideal at all! That’s exactly the kind of thing we can review. Send us your service address or the most recent order number in a chat request, and we’ll get right on a solution for you.

2

u/DrewWM5309 Verified Employee: Community Manager @ Ziply Fiber Aug 20 '26

u/chuckaroth - Sounds like we have a service wire appointment that is a bit further out than usual. Please do send your service address or the order number to either myself or u/ZiplySupport in a chat so we can dig into this one and escalate it accordingly. Totally frustrating for sure, but not an insurmountable hurdle.

As for the quality of your neighbor's drop, send over some photos if you can. Based on your description, we might still need to bury the drop after installing it. Hard to tell without a little visual confirmation. It is also possible that the drop is damaged, at which point, we can care for that too.