Kouvola’s €111,000 monthly fine threat speeds up fibre repairs

A threat of fines worth up to €111,000 a month has accelerated Global Connect’s unfinished fibre-optic work in Kouvola, Yle reported.

The company carried out work in four residential neighbourhoods south of the city centre. Although installation was completed two years ago, landscaping and paving were left unfinished, and some cables were buried too close to the surface.

Kouvola imposed the conditional fine at the start of summer, giving Global Connect until the end of September to complete the remaining work. The maximum amount would have accrued from several separate outstanding repairs.

The cables have now been installed deeper and green spaces restored. Some paving work remains for next spring, but the streets are in suitable condition for traffic and winter maintenance, said Krista Mäkelä, an expert in land use at the city.

Mäkelä said changes in Global Connect’s staff and contractors also helped speed up the work, but stressed that the fine threat was what prompted the company to make the repairs.

Soile Hammargård, Global Connect’s managing director in Finland, apologised to residents for the disruption and delays. She said the company had learned from the Kouvola project and improved its processes and cooperation with municipalities. As one example, company and city representatives inspected the work sites together.

No fine has yet been imposed. Because the work was completed after the September deadline, the city must first hear from the company. The matter will then go before the city’s technical committee later this year. Mäkelä said a fine may still be issued, but it would not reach the original maximum amount.