Now Coming in Broadband Infrastructure: The Battle Over Pole Attachments and ‘One Touch’

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: One of the most interesting questions in broadband infrastructure today centers around dry legalities like “dig once” and “one touch.” This conflict in Louisville shows that Google still intends to stay in the battle, at least on the policy and legal front, vis-a-vis inc

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: One of the most interesting questions in broadband infrastructure today centers around dry legalities like “dig once” and “one touch.” This conflict in Louisville shows that Google still intends to stay in the battle, at least on the policy and legal front, vis-a-vis incumbents like AT&T. ||

Legal bills mount as Louisville defends ‘Google Fiber’ ordinance:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville Metro taxpayers have spent nearly $165,000 so far on outside lawyers to defend a utility pole ordinance passed more than a year ago at the behest of Google Fiber despite few signs that the super-fast Internet service will be installed here anytime soon.

On Tuesday, lawyers for the city and for telecommunications giant AT&T will square off in U.S. District Court in Louisville. The question: whether Metro government had the authority to enact a so-called “One Touch, Make Ready” ordinance in February 2016.

The Louisville law allows for new telecommunications providers like Google Fiber to move and rearrange existing providers’ equipment on utility poles.

In other words, Google Fiber contractors could rearrange the wires belonging to AT&T and cable company Charter Communications as they install Google’s equipment instead of waiting for AT&T and Charter to schedule their own crews to do the work.

[more…]

Source: Legal bills mount as Louisville defends ‘Google Fiber’ ordinance – WDRB 41 Louisville News

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