SAPMT has reviewed the subject letter no. KPSS/SA/B/AKR/14/0786 dated September 02, 2014 and has rejected with the following comments:
1.	The communication failure was first detected in January 2014 by KAUST and all logs and reports are available if IC communication experts want to study them and discuss with the KAUST O&M Deptt.
2.	After a cut made by another contractor was fixed by the other contractor, the communication error still prevailed and the second error was located directly under the KAM road (200 m from the optiped). It is quite understandable that error in the loop cannot be resolved until all cuts are fixed.
3.	No other contractor has worked on KAM road since January 2014. IC workers have been avoiding to report any damages to existing utilities at various occasions in the past.
4.	The depth of the FOC cable is not a constant number. It varies depending on the existence of other underground utilities or structures.
5.	From the above it seems that the cut was made while excavating or removing debris, steel re-bars, old buried demolished concrete etc. from the alignment of KAM road. This debris could have been deeper than expected or seen from the surface while heavy machinery is working.
6.	IC is advised to take this matter seriously and urgently and provide scientific data specifications to the discipline of communications to prove their point of view. Failing which the cables shall be fixed, replaced/ spliced as per approved design within 15 days issuance of this letter.
7.	Demolition work shall be carefully executed by the CONTRACTOR in order not to damage any existing underground utilities or other Facilities which are not part of this Project.
Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Ahmed S. Khogeer, Sr. Project Engineer at (012) 422-4570.
