How Advanced Field Data Collection Tools are Revolutionizing Telecom Network Design
Precise, defensible field data is the backbone of every successful telecom network project. For Skyde Solutions, the difference between an efficient, compliant network and costly rework often comes down to how data is captured and integrated from the field. By leveraging digital tools like Katapult and IKE, Skyde transforms raw, on-site observations into actionable intelligence-accelerating design, improving safety, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Moving Beyond Manual Data Collection: Traditional methods of gathering field information-handwritten notes, manual sketches, and scattered photographs-introduce risk at every stage. Data can be incomplete, misrecorded, or delayed, creating bottlenecks for design teams and leading to errors in construction or permitting. These gaps not only slow down projects but can also compromise safety and compliance, especially when working with utility poles, underground structures, or complex right-of-way constraints.
Skyde’s Approach: Digital Tools for Reliable Results: Skyde’s field crews use specialized applications like Katapult and IKE to capture comprehensive, high-precision data on every asset, from poles and vaults to PEDs and underground ducts.
Katapult enables teams to photograph, annotate, and geolocate each structure, ensuring that every relevant detail-height, condition, surrounding hazards-is documented and instantly shared with the design team.
IKE
is purpose-built for utility pole analysis, allowing for rapid, NESC-compliant measurements and attachment planning.
This digital-first approach means that data flows seamlessly from the field to Skyde’s GIS and CAD experts, eliminating delays and reducing the risk of miscommunication.
How Field Data Powers the Network Lifecycle
Collection: Field crews gather detailed information using Katapult and IKE, capturing not just measurements but also photographic evidence and GPS coordinates.
Validation: The collected data is reviewed for accuracy, with address verification and cross-checks to ensure nothing is missed.
Integration: Data is imported into design platforms (QGIS, ArcGIS, AutoCAD), supporting everything from feasibility studies and route planning to detailed construction drawings.
Engineering & Permitting: Accurate field data underpins make-ready engineering, pole loading analysis, and the preparation of permit packages for joint-use, DOT, or railroad crossings.
Delivery:
The end result is a network design that’s ready for construction, with fewer revisions and faster approvals.
The Payoff: Speed, Accuracy, and Confidence
By replacing manual processes with digital field data collection, Skyde delivers:
Faster project timelines: Immediate data upload and integration mean design and permitting start sooner.
Greater accuracy: Standardized, photo-documented records reduce errors and support defensible engineering decisions.
Improved safety: Crews can gather necessary data with less exposure to hazardous environments.
Regulatory confidence: Detailed, validated data supports smoother permitting and compliance with NESC, DOT, and other standards.
Setting a Higher Standard for Telecom Projects
Skyde Solutions’ commitment to digital field data collection is more than a workflow upgrade-it’s a foundation for building safer, more reliable, and more cost-effective networks. By uniting field and office teams through technology, Skyde ensures that every project begins with the right information and ends with results clients can trust.
Ready to see the difference that advanced field data collection can make for your next telecom project? Contact us to learn more about our engineering and field services.
