LiveOak Fiber, based in Niceville, Florida, is pursuing a 100% underground fiber network across Florida and Georgia, and has partnered with UCL Swift North America to streamline deployment and operations as it targets 2026 success.
The project faces the realities of burying fiber: while it offers weather-resilient reliability, the final mile introduces logistical hurdles. Traditional pre-terminated cables can create slack and waste, with technicians stuffing excess lengths into compact underground enclosures and juggling dozens of cable lengths in warehouses. LiveOak’s collaboration with UCL Swift centers on eliminating this waste through a cut-to-length strategy.
Leveraging the KF4A-HDC All-In-One fusion splicer and UCL Swift’s 8145 flat drop cables, technicians pull exactly the length needed for each residence—averaging about 300 feet—and splice connectors in the field. This on-site termination reduces cable waste and enables smaller, more cost-effective underground enclosures.
Crafted for ease of use, the KF4A-HDC is simple enough for a novice to master in under an hour. This accessibility enabled LiveOak to build an immersive training program that puts new technicians—inclduing a growing number of female fiber techs—into the field in under two weeks.
Beyond faster installs, this approach promises to reshape LiveOak’s business model by reducing inventory complexity, shortening time-to-market, and delivering scalable, field-termination workflows that complement rugged direct-bury technology.
“By coupling rugged direct-bury solutions with a streamlined field-termination process, LiveOak is demonstrating that the path to 2026 success is buried deep,” said UCL Swift North America’s team, underscoring a productive, long-term collaboration.
