The Alpine Communication Permit Tracker: Simplifying and Accelerating the Permit Approval Process

As part of our Permit Administration services at Alpine Communication, we are proud to offer attachers and utilities access to our no-cost Permit Tracker portal. 

The Permit Tracker is a feature-rich digital platform that offers both sides of the permit approval process with real-time access to open permit requests, historical data, notification alerts, and more. It’s just one more way Alpine makes the permit approval process easier. 

Follow along as we explore some of the highlights of the Alpine permit portal…

Finding Permit Details
Viewing and Exporting Pole Documentation
How the Tracker Benefits Your Operations

Finding Permit Details

After you log in, one of the first and most helpful tabs to view is the Job Manager. Here you’ll find data on all your permit requests–which are sorted by status (new, field-ready, assigned field work, etc.)--such as:

  • the date the job was received

  • who at Alpine is currently assigned to the job

  • the number of poles for each job

  • and what city and county the job is located in.

The Permits tab is another helpful tool that allows you to search for any permit by…

  • permit number

  • permit type

  • approval status

  • time period it was received

  • time period it was approved

  • county

  • project name

…and more. You can also discover multiple permits for any and all poles within a specified distance of exact coordinates.

When your search brings back a result, you’ll see a read-only screen listing everything there is to know about a particular job, including…

  • the date it was received

  • who submitted it

  • the permit fees 

  • the number of NSAs (non-standard attachments)

  • any make-ready info 

  • the permit and project numbers

…and more. 

To view all your poles with open NSA status, navigate to the Open NSA Report tab. This feature makes it easy to find problem attachments and export the list to a CSV file that can be integrated into any GIS software program for easy geolocating.

Viewing and Exporting Pole Documentation

If you click the box under the Permit Tracker tab that reads “Permit Documents,” you’ll be taken to the Document Repository. The Document Repository houses all the ‘paperwork’ related to a permit request, such as maps, invoices, engineering docs, and photos. 

One document that you can call up is called the Measurement Worksheet. This is the document that outlines the necessary info for accurate wind-loading.

Another viewable document is the Work Order Invoice.  If desired, we can manage the make-ready work directly in a utility’s software and generate the invoice.

Finally, there are the high-def pole photos.  We take pictures of all poles involved in permitting.

How the Tracker Benefits Your Operations

Full Transparency

Everyone can be on the same page with where in the process any permit is.

Historical Documentation

Our digitized records go back as far as 2000 and are safely stored in the cloud.

Zero Cost for Both Attachers and Utilities

The Permit Tracker is always free to use.

Speed and Efficiency

The Tracker helps you stay on schedule and FCC-compliant.

Risk Mitigation

Photographic evidence can help assign culpability for unsafe installations in cases of injury and litigation.

Complementary to Alpine Pole Audits

Completed permits are noted in our joint-use audit data so we can easily tell when a new attachment wasn’t permitted.

Single Point of Contact

Easily check and contact the person working your job at any given moment.

Paperless

The Tracker is a greener, more convenient solution than the paper-based processes of the past.

Helps Smaller Utilities Handle Larger Demand

The Tracker’s efficiency helps you execute big influxes of requests, such as for new rural broadband networks.

Increases Consistency for Large Utilities

Standardize the permit process across any number of service centers and free your staff up for other tasks.

Monthly Reporting

Utilities receive routine updates detailing every new permit granted, and a separate report listing the GPS coordinates of all new attachments.

Automated Notifications

Attachers are automatically notified about upcoming permit expirations, violations that need attention, any outstanding fees, etc.