USTelecom Urges FCC to Reject 'One-Size-Fits-All' Pole Rules

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2025 – USTelecom – The Broadband Association met with staff at the Federal Communications Commission last week to raise concerns about proposed changes to pole attachment rules.

 In an April 10 meeting with officials from the Wireline Competition Bureau, USTelecom representatives argued that adopting uniform make-ready timelines for large pole attachment orders could hinder, rather than accelerate, broadband deployment.

The group warned that prescriptive rules supported by some would risk undermining deployment coordination and increasing disputes. 

“Doing so will not speed the BEAD program or other network builds,” the association wrote in a filing submitted Monday. “It will instead increase disputes, reduce efficiency, complicate the process, and eliminate the coordination and flexibility that are essential to deployment.”

The association — which represents both pole owners and attachers – urged the FCC to avoid burdensome regulations at a time when the agency is seeking to streamline infrastructure policy.