Traditionally, telecommunications cables are either relayed via telecommunications poles above ground or are laid underground. Above-ground cables, however, are susceptible to damage by natural occurrences (e.g., wind, rain, storms, lightning, falling trees, rock/land-slides, etc.) and/or by man-made occurrences (e.g., low-flying aircraft, land vehicles, construction equipment, etc.). Underground cables are generally insulated from some of these natural and man-made occurrences, but incur significantly greater costs in time, money, and man-power to install.
Hence, there is a need for more cost-efficient techniques and tools to install telecommunications cables and other lines at or below ground level.