Utilities Push Back on FCC’s 30-Day Pole Contractor Approval Rule

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2026 – Contractor backlogs and rising construction costs are holding up broadband deployment on utility poles, major electric utilities told Federal Communications Commission staff.

Representatives from American Electric Power, Alabama Power, CenterPoint Energy, Ameren, Duke Energy, Entergy and Oncor Electric met with Marcus Maher, senior legal advisor to FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty last week, to discuss issues raised in the FCC's July 2025 pole attachment rulemaking proceeding.

The utilities said contractor onboarding can be lengthy because it involves vetting, contract negotiations, employee credentialing, system integration and utility-specific training, parts of which fall outside the utility's control.