News & Event

As fiber optic networks expand beneath our streets and landscapes, an invisible infrastructure crisis looms: how do we protect and locate cables we cannot see? Every year, accidental cable strikes cause millions of dollars in damage, service disruptions affecting thousands of users, and potential safety hazards.

In fields like geophysical exploration, underwater operations, and industrial positioning, markers play a critical role in locating targets, tracking objects, and ensuring operational accuracy. Two common types of markers—near-surface markers and marker balls—serve similar core purposes but differ significantly in performance and application.

Many utility companies rely on burying their distribution network plant beneath the street and elsewhere for security, safety, and aesthetic reasons. However, that plant does not have an infinite life and can be subject to stresses that can cause failure in the future; knowing exactly where that pla