A new way to survey potential fiber routes — without access to paved roads

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Introduced a novel technique for optical fiber route surveys in areas with limited paved roads, specifically in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This method combines dynamic cone penetrometers (DCP) with gamma-ray spectrometers mounted on high-clearance 4x4 vehicles. The spectrometer gathers gamma emissions for broad soil density estimation and heterogeneity detection, while a minimized number of DCP tests are used to calibrate the spectrometer data. This approach significantly accelerates the survey process and improves the accuracy of cost estimates for network construction by enabling detailed geographical information system maps that combine traditional survey data with detailed soil condition information, even without extensive road access.