Policyband

ACLP Analysis Projects BEAD-Related Pole Costs Could Reach $4.6 Billion

BEAD projects are expected to involve 3.9 million utility‑owned poles, researchers Alex Karras and Michael Santorelli of the Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute say

Ted Hearn

May 13, 2026 — 10 min read

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Poles: A new analysis warns that billions of dollars in pole‑related expenses could complicate the nation’s largest-ever, taxpayer-backed broadband buildout. Researchers Alex Karras and Michael Santorelli of the Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute at New York Law School said Tuesday that BEAD projects are expected to involve 3.9 million utility‑owned poles across 2,053 electric utility service territories, driven by 188,287 planned miles of aerial fiber. The FCC has authority over investor-owned electric utilities (IOUs) in 27 states while state regulation prevails in the other 23 states. Electric co-ops and municipal electric utilities are overseen by the states, which regulate one, both, or neither. The study estimated pole‑related costs could range from $534 million to $4.63 billion nationwide, depending on make‑ready work and replacement rates. “Pole disputes involving ISPs and electric utilities always occur, but they are becoming more contentious given the costs and stakes involved in ongoing deployments. Indeed, ISPs looking to leverage BEAD funds will soon be on the clock as they race to meet statutory buildout deadlines,” Karras and Santorelli said. “Costs are already rising for materials and labor, so adding unexpected pole-related costs to the calculus could delay some projects and cancel others.” (More after paywall)