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Utilities, Broadband Providers Split on Pole Attachment Rate Policy

Utilities Technology Council CEO Sheryl Riggs questioned whether broadband access is expanded if costs just float to ratepayers.

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WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 – A contentious debate about whether the Federal Communications Commission should force pole-attachment rates to expedite broadband deployment shows no signs of abating.

During a Broadband Breakfast Live Online conversation on the topic in late April, representatives from utilities split from representatives of broadband providers and nonprofits, arguing for changes to current FCC policies.

In March, the FCC voted to seek comment on how utilities and pole attachers would share in the costs of pole replacements.

The event, which took place on April 27, examined ratepayer experience in terms of pole access, with significant contribution from Western Carolina University professor of economics Edward Lopez as he brought his experiences conducting research on how much from a quantitative perspective current policy on poles truly serves public interest.

Lopez pointed to a lack of competition in pole attachment as holding up public welfare and has found, through his studies, particular problems with this in North Carolina.

It is not a lack of investment into pole attachment which causes gaps in broadband service, he said. noting considerable attention to and funding for broadband through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.

“The investment is there,” said Lopez.

According to Lopez, Florida and Kentucky are two of the states where delays like this that prevent expansion of connectivity create the most pronounced financial losses.

Others the panel, including internet provider Charter Communications’ vice president of policy Marc Paul, praised the commission’s efforts to expedite pole attachments.

Utilities Technology Council CEO Sheryl Riggs said that to develop effective policy, broadband ratepayers must become involved in the discussion of possibilities.

“We need to get them involved, educated and in conversations as well so that they can provide insight and input,” said Riggs.

Riggs emphasized the need for collaboration between all entities involved in policymaking, such as her own UTC, with governmental bodies rather than just relying on FCC to resolve all issues surrounding pole attachment.

She noted that federal statute does not require utilities to replace the poles that hold fiber lines during ongoing servicing to expand broadband, but that the utility companies have done and will continue to do so in the interest of working to improve service for the public.

In the absence of successful, substantive action on pole policy, Riggs cautioned that project costs could just float down to ratepayers and prevent policymakers from being able to say they increasing access in unserved and underserved areas.

“If it’s going to come down to the utilities and then it’s going to just float to the ratepayers then have we really resolved the issue of deploying broadband to unserved areas, or underserved areas?” she asked.

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 12 Noon ET – New Wires on Old Poles: Will the FCC Change Rules for Attachments?

The Federal Communications Commission has recently proposed rulemaking to resolve disputes surrounding pole replacement and attachment. Several industry groups have long sought out such action. Do the FCC’s actions go far enough? What did they get right, and what approaches need adjustment? Join us for this Broadband Breakfast event as panelists offer their views on this ongoing issue.

Panelists:

  • Sheryl Riggs, CEO, Utilities Technology Council
  • Aryeh Fishman, Associate General Counsel, Edison Electric Institute
  • Edward Lopez, Professor, Western Carolina University
  • John Windhausen, Executive Director, Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition
  • Marc Paul, Vice President, Policy, Charter Communications
  • Drew Clark (presenter and host), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources:

Sheryl Osiene-Riggs was named UTC’s President and CEO in June 2020, after serving as Interim President and CEO and Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations.  Prior to joining UTC, she worked with organizations in the banking/finance, education, and health and social services industries.  Ms. Riggs earned her Bachelor’s degree from Howard University, and she also conferred two Master’s degrees in Accounting and Human Resources Management.

Aryeh Fishman serves as Associate General Counsel, Regulatory Legal Affairs, for the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the trade association representing U.S. investor-owned electric companies that collectively own and operate vast overhead electric systems, including utility poles, as part of the electric industry’s mission to provide reliable, safe, secure, and efficient delivery of power to the public.  He has worked on a broad variety of legal and public policy issues impacting the investor-owned electric industry, including pole attachments, colocation, middle mile fiber deployments, and spectrum.

Edward Lopez is Professor of Economics, BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism, and Director of the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise at Western Carolina University. He has taught university economics for over two decades and has authored over 60 scholarly publications and two books. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University, where his fields of concentration were public economics and industrial organization.

John Windhausen serves as the Executive Director of the the SHLB Coalition, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public interest advocacy organization that strives to close the digital divide by promoting open, affordable, high-quality broadband for anchor institutions and their communities. He founded the coalition in 2009 with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He spearheads SHLB’s membership growth and shapes its broadband policy recommendations.

Marc Paul is Vice President, Policy and External Affairs at Charter Communications. During his career, Mr. Paul has held positions as a Legal Advisor to a Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, as Senior Counsel to a U.S. Senator, and the position of Of Counsel for two private law firms. Mr. Paul holds a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a BA from Cornell University.

Drew Clark is the Editor and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Drew brings experts and practitioners together to advance the benefits provided by broadband. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of a State Broadband Initiative, the Partnership for a Connected Illinois. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.

Photo by Nicolás Gutierrez londoño from PxHere used with permission

WATCH HERE, or on YouTubeTwitter and Facebook.

As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTubeTwitter and Facebook

See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.

Reporter T.J. York received his degree in political science from the University of Southern California. He has experience working for elected officials and in campaign research. He is interested in the effects of politics in the tech sector.

Fiber

The High Cost of Fiber is Leading States to Explore Other Technologies

If the state chose to solely install fiber, underserved communities would be left out, said state broadband leaders.

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Photo of Sandeep Taxali of New Mexico, Kaiti Saunders of Verizon, Edyn Rolls of Oklahoma and Brian Newby of North Dakota (left to right)

WASHINGTON, November 17, 2023— The high cost of fiber installation has led states to pursue hybrid fiber models to ensure rural and underserved communities have access to the internet.

Speaking at the U.S. Broadband Summit here on Thursday, state broadband officials expanded on the challenges they face in ensuring broadband deployment.

Sandeep Taxali, broadband program advisor with the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access, said that New Mexico’s $745 million allocation under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program falls short of the $1.3 to 2.5 billion that the state would need for full fiber deployment.

If the state chose to solely install fiber, underserved communities would be left out, he said.

“We want to lead with fiber but we also recognize that advanced fixed wireless and hybrid fixed wireless and fiber and satellite have a seat at the table for the very high cost remote areas where fiber is just going to not allow us to get the mission done,” Taxali said.

Jade Piros, director of Kansas Office of Broadband Development said her state is likely chosing to do 75% fiber model and 25% other technologies. Uncertainty of the cost from broadband providers make it difficult to have a standard cost calculation.

“We have to get everybody connected, and that’s why we require a lot of flexibility in shifting our expectations and the willingness to work closely with providers and be responsive to what they’re telling us,” Piros said.

Edyn Rolls, director of broadband strategy at the Oklahoma Broadband Office, expressed optimism that all of the underserved residents in her state would be reached, despite having what she said was an estimated $500 million shortfall.

“We will find the technologies that are going to be less expensive and achieve the needed model,” Rolls said. “We are trying to reach universal access. That is the goal.”

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Fiber

In New York City, Sharing Broadband Infrastructure Takes on a New Dimension

Panelists from Stealth Communications and Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners addressed operational and financial broadband

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At VON: Evolution, Drew Clark, Joe Plotkin of Stealth, and David Gilford of Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (left to right)

NEW YORK, November 6, 2023 – Expanding competitive broadband infrastructure in New York City is challenged by aging conduit access and difficulties attaching fiber lines to utility poles, experts said at a panel discussion here on Thursday.

Register for Digital Infrastructure Investment in Washington on December 5, 2023!

In a discussion called “Building Beyond BEAD,” a reference to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grant program at VON Evolution, a tech and telecom summit, panelists highlighted the critical role of funding for digital infrastructure investment.

Joe Plotkin, business development director for New York fiber provider Stealth Communications, explained how the city’s underground conduit system dates back to the 1880s. This legacy infrastructure helps new entrants like Stealth run fiber by providing conduit access through an established system long occupied by incumbents like Verizon and Altice.

Above ground, pole attachment policies also stymie broadband competition, according to David Gilford, head of policy and strategic partnerships at Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, a company that builds technology-enabled infrastructure, backed by institutional investors including Alphabet.

Gilford advocated for greater sharing of “scarce” pole real estate among competitive carriers looking to deploy fiber and wireless infrastructure.

Plotkin and Gilford explored these challenges at a panel organized and moderated by Broadband Breakfast CEO Drew Clark at VON Evolution. They examined how private capital can help bridge broadband gaps as an alternative to, or extension beyond, government funding programs like the $42.5 billion BEAD initiative.

While BEAD will expand service to unserved and underserved areas, Plotkin noted it may have limited impact in locations deemed served. He gave the example of old apartment buildings in New York City that lack modern wiring, leaving residents with poor broadband options.

Gilford explained companies like SIP make investments in physical infrastructure like shared radio access networks and other wireless components. But his company does not build the lower-level fiber networks itself, instead partnering with both municipalities and private providers like Stealth.

Plotkin emphasized fiber remains the “gold standard” for reliable, high-capacity broadband versus other technologies like satellite. But innovations are still needed in running fiber the “last 50 feet” into residences and businesses, including affordably wiring older apartment buildings.

The panelists named immersive extended reality environments, two-way video calling, cloud computing and connected vehicles as emerging applications dependent on robust fiber and wireless networks.

Editor’s note: Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners makes investments in physical infrastructure like shared radio access networks and other wireless components, but does not actually invest in fiber routes or cell towers, as was stated in a prior version of this story. Additionally, SIP is not best described as a venture capital spin-off of Google, but as a technology-enabled builder of infrastructure backed by institutional investors including Alphabet. The story has been corrected.

Register for Digital Infrastructure Investment in Washington on December 5, 2023!

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Expert Opinion

Bill Long: How Middle Mile Investments Close the Digital Divide

Internet for all: Zayo’s mission to connect what’s next.

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The author of this Expert Opinion is Bill Long, Chief Product Officer at Zayo

Over four million children couldn’t access the internet for online learning during the pandemic. Currently, 42 million Americans lack broadband access, creating a major barrier to opportunity for U.S. families impacted economically, educationally and socially.

Growing up in an underserved area, I witnessed the transformative power of connectivity and its potential to uplift communities. As Zayo’s Chief Product Officer, I am passionate about utilizing technology to connect people and businesses. My role involves leading the company’s product strategy and roadmap, with a strong focus on developing innovative products and services that expand internet access. Through our recent funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Middle Mile Grant Program, Zayo is taking decisive steps to connect communities and pave the way for a more inclusive and connected future. I’m proud to be a part of this effort.

Zayo’s transformative middle-mile projects

The $92.9 million in funding represents a major milestone in our commitment to closing the digital divide. With these funds, we plan to undertake three projects extending network infrastructure across eight states and over 2,100 route miles. These projects have been carefully selected based on needs-based criteria, such as current broadband speeds, rural and socio-economic indicators, to ensure we can significantly affect marginalized communities. Fiber is the foundation for broadband for all. Connecting these regions can bridge the technological gap and create a pathway for better economic prospects and educational resources.

Oregon-California-Nevada Project

The first project aims to build a high-capacity fiber route spanning over 622 route miles — or fiber optic cables linking locations along a specific route — to connect communities in Oregon, California and Nevada. Our primary goal is to connect these underserved communities and benefit households, businesses and anchor organizations in Oregon, California and Nevada.

El Paso to Dallas Project

Our second project involves constructing a high-capacity, middle-mile fiber route stretching over 644 miles to establish broadband in rural areas across Western Texas, from El Paso to Dallas. These areas currently lack fiber networks with the capacity to serve entire rural communities.

Dallas to Atlanta Project

The third project focuses on creating additional network connectivity exit ramps along our existing unique, five-state route between Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia, covering 822 route miles.

Network connectivity exit ramps are crucial access points and off-ramps for data traffic, facilitating seamless connections and providing enhanced flexibility to customers. By optimizing network efficiency and streamlining data transfers, they lead to improved user experiences and higher performance for businesses across industries. These exit ramps add value by meeting evolving digital demands and solidifying Zayo’s position as a leader in innovative, future-ready network solutions.

We targeted these areas in particular because the median broadband access speed is at or less than 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) down * 25 Mbps up. We’ve observed that a significant percentage of the population in these regions falls under the federal poverty rate, and many school districts have a high level of participation in the national school lunch program. Additionally, 36 schools are within 1,000 feet of the fiber routes, meaning they’ll benefit from improved connectivity, enabling them to access essential online resources, support remote learning initiatives and enhance educational opportunities for students and faculty alike.

​​Connecting communities one project at a time

Zayo’s middle-mile mission is built on partnerships with government entities and local ISPs. These collaborations foster economic growth within the state and ensure broadband connectivity for underserved areas. Our strong relationships with local ISPs, cultivated over years of working together to interconnect on our network, allow us to identify and address the specific needs of each community. We are actively working with ISP partners and local broadband offices to identify other potential underserved areas.

Fiber is the perfect solution for connecting underserved areas because it is a long-lasting, reliable, scalable infrastructure asset. Fiber can connect the edge to the core and support a wide range of applications, including 5G, cloud computing and enterprise networking. With the support of our partners, we aim to foster a collaborative ecosystem around fiber, ensuring equal internet access for all communities and preventing them from becoming isolated broadband islands.

This funding is a step forward in our mission to help transform remote education, telemedicine and public safety communication. We understand that connectivity is both a technological endeavor and an essential tool for empowerment and economic development. Internet access is a fundamental right, and my mission is to provide reliable bandwidth to these communities, foster economic growth and level the digital playing field.

As Chief Product Officer at Zayo, Bill Long leads the company’s overall product strategy, financials, and roadmap. He has nearly two decades of experience in the telecommunications industry with expertise in interconnection and infrastructure services, enterprise and wholesale voice, and business and product development. Prior to joining Zayo, Bill served as senior vice president of product management and was responsible for the overall growth and profitability of Equinix Interconnection and was Voice President of Voice Services at Level 3 Communications. This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.

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