FCC Pole Decision Should Clear the Way for ‘Faster, More Reliable Broadband,’ Chairman Carr Says
In a unanimous ruling rendered in expedited fashion, agency says Comcast not required to pay the full cost to replace poles owned Appalachian Power Company
Comcast: The FCC on Thursday issued a pole attachment order that could save ISPs a lot of money and speed broadband deployment. In a decision involving Comcast and Appalachian Power Company (APCO), the FCC said the ISP would not have to shoulder the full cost of a new taller or stronger pole “if APCO’s pole had a preexisting violation of safety or engineering standards requiring replacement.” The FCC gave an example in which Comcast would be responsible for paying $500 – the incremental cost – if APCO needed to pay $5,500 for a 50-foot pole rather than $5,000 for a 45-foot pole. (Comcast had argued that it should pay nothing.) “A key pillar of the FCC’s Build America Agenda is to unleash high-speed infrastructure builds. Too often, disputes between providers and pole owners are a significant obstacle in the way of that deployment,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. In 2024, the FCC established the Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT) to speed the resolution of pole attachment disputes. (More after paywall.)
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