Texas811 Guardian™ leverages fiber-optic sensing to detect excavation activity instantly

DALLAS, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Texas811, the nonprofit organization that manages the state’s “call before you dig” system, today announced the launch of Texas811 Guardian. The innovative technology uses distributed fiber-optic sensing to turn existing fiber-optic lines into real-time monitoring systems that detect excavation activity, preventing damage before it occurs.

“On an annual basis, underground utility strikes endanger thousands of lives, cause billions of dollars in damage, and disrupt services,” said Kyle VanLandingham, director of business development at Texas811. “Research shows that a quarter of all damages occur because the Texas811 system is not used, and three-quarters of those damages result from professional excavators who know the rules but do not follow them.”

The patent-pending Guardian program integrates fiber-optic sensing alerts for excavations directly into the active Texas811 ticket database to identify issues requiring urgent attention. When an excavation is detected, an alert is sent to Texas811, and Guardian immediately queries the system to check for an active 811 ticket. If “yes,” the system remains silent; if “no,” Guardian’s technology flags it and promptly notifies utility operators of an unauthorized excavation that could pose a significant threat, providing the exact location and the excavation type (mechanical or manual) so they can deploy the proper resources to protect their underground lines.

“Across the country, demand for underground infrastructure is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. The rapid growth of AI data centers, large-scale housing developments, and electric-grid expansion is driving extensive excavation projects that take place in dense, complex underground environments, increasing the risk of accidental strikes,” said VanLandingham. “As a result, traditional approaches to damage prevention are no longer enough, making the launch of Guardian a game-changer for the industry.”

While Texas811 has developed many applications for damage prevention, the release of Guardian marks a new era of innovation for the nonprofit.

“Because Texas produces more than 10% of all 811 tickets nationwide, we believe Guardian has the potential to influence the national standards for damage prevention,” said Arron Mitchell, chief innovation officer for Texas811. “Our long-term vision is to create a nationwide network of real-time excavation monitoring, setting a new benchmark for safety and reliability across America’s infrastructure.”

For more information about Guardian, visit www.texas811.org/Guardian.

About Texas811
Texas811, part of the national 811 system, is a nonprofit organization that helps protect the public and critical underground infrastructure by reducing excavation-related damage to buried lines. For more information, visit www.texas811.org.

Media Contact:
Laura Frnka-Davis
LFD Communications for Texas811
713-409-1480
[email protected]