Carr Floats Covering Light Poles in Federal Law
Light pole rules remain a sticking point as the FCC Chairman promotes a competitive agenda.
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2025 – The long fight over light poles continues as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr advocated for specifying what a “pole” means in FCC rules.
In a July 2 speech in Sioux Falls, S.D., Carr announced he would ask his FCC colleagues to “revise and update the agency’s pole attachment rules.” Carr indicated he wanted light poles to be used for connecting areas with fiber cables.
The FCC’s stance on poles came from Section 224 of the Communications Act, which says, “common carriers have a duty to afford competing carriers access to the poles, ducts, conduits, and rights-of-way on terms consistent with section 224 of the Act.” The definition of “pole” is vague, not specifying on light poles or other outdoor fixtures.
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CTIA, a trade group for wireless carriers, has since 2019 been advocating for this “light pole” clarification, which it views as as essential to advancing the national objective of bridging the digital divide, especially through the expansion of mobile wireless services and 5G home broadband.
Carr expressed his frustration with the lack of urgency in defining what a “pole” is and said, “For too long, though, this process has been slow, cumbersome, and plagued with delays when it comes to the large-scale deployments needed to end the digital divide."
