I: GENERAL PROVISIONS I.1: Purpose These guidelines on fiber optic cables underground installation aim at avoiding any damage to existing underground infrastructure such as existing FOC, sewage or water pipes, electrical cables or other telecommunications cables. They also intend to insure that the installation of FOC is done in accordance with telecommunication standards. I.2: Scope These guidelines apply to all Fiber optic infrastructure underground installation and show the mostly used materials specifications for FOC network. These guidelines shall apply to any Telecom Operators and Service Providers operating within the territory of the Republic of Rwanda. I.3: Definitions In these guidelines the terms hereunder shall have the following meaning: a) Fiber Optic or Optic Fiber: the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a glass or plastic strand or fiber; b) FOC: Fiber Optic Cable which means a telecommunication cable in which one or more fiber optic are used as the propagation medium to transmit large amounts of information at the speed of light; c) Hand hole: a top opening hole with small size than manhole for pulling and splicing cables only; d) ITU-T: International Telecommunication Union -Telecommunication Standardization Sector; e) Manhole: top opening large and deep hole where a man can get inside for installation, making connections or performing maintenance on underground and buried FOC and other services including sewers, telephone, electricity, storm drains and gas ; f) Permit: refer to the document issued by the Regulatory Authority which authorizes the permit holder to carry out the activity specified under the conditions prescribed in these guidelines; g) Regulatory Board: the supreme management and decision making organ of Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority ; 1