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CNN World Report

Holland Maps Subterranean Network of Cables

Aired May 20, 2001 - 14:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: Street names and points of interest aren't they only items to be found on some maps. Some are scratching below the surface.

ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: Major cities are finding the need not to only map what is above the ground, but below the ground as well, as we see in this report from the Netherlands RNTV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT PORTIER, RNTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The map shows Holland in detail, all kinds of topographic information has been included: houses, roads, lands and posts, and even every (UNINTELLIGIBLE) cover has been marked. Even the smallest things have caught the eyes of the makers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When you look at this wall, you can see how detailed it is. This wall is 30 centimeters wide. By measuring precisely, the electric company that wants to put its cables in the building is able to find it afterwards.

PORTIER: Holland is the first country in the world that is mapped in such detail. The map not only consists of information above the ground, but also under the surface. In this country, where the streets are filled with all kinds of pipes, wires and cables, people will no longer have to force open the entire street to find that specific cable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Parties are now able to share their information. Telephone and utility companies and the municipality need to be in the same spot. By entering their data into the very same map, they can keep track of each other.

PORTIER (on camera): We all know the example of the construction building a new drain hole and at the same time killing the electricity cable. Phone companies, electricity companies and the local government, they all use their own maps. It works fine, but they are hard to compare due to differences in scale and the way they were drawn. With the new map, they have one standard that all companies can relate to.

(voice-over): To prepare the map, thousands of photographs have been digitized and stored in computers. Still, many things has to be checked personally by land registers, like overhanging gutters. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The people are checking the house. From the air, you can only see the outline of the roof. We measure how much the roof overlaps the outer walls, then we change the map again. But it is only 30 centimeters. Even 30 centimeters might make a difference. In this sidewalk, there may be as many as six different types of cable. If you miss 30 centimeters in your planning, you might end up with a problem.

PORTIER: The map shows every corner of Holland, so you might say it is finished. Is this a final result?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No, we are never done. It changes all the time. New roads are built, new buildings rise, so our job now is to keep it up to date, and I have to make sure this happens in the proper way.

PORTIER: Those who want to take a look at their own homes have to be patient. For now, only a limited amount of sponsors can use the map, but the organization is working out a way to put it on the Internet.

Robert Portier, RNTV, CNN WORLD REPORT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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