Wireless Carriers Press FCC to Expand Access to Light Poles

WASHINGTON, August 26, 2024 – As the federal government prepares to release billions of dollars to fund rural broadband projects, major Internet Service Providers want federal regulators to expand access to utility poles – a critical factor in the timely deployment of new broadband networks.

The urgency of this issue was underscored last Wednesday, when representatives from CTIA, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon met with Federal Communications Commission representatives to seek clarification on whether utility-owned light poles fell under the definition of "pole" in Section 224 of the Communications Act.

Section 224(f)(1) mandates that utilities must provide cable television systems and telecommunications carriers with nondiscriminatory access to any pole, duct, conduit, or right-of-way they own or control. CTIA argued that this definition should naturally extend to utility-owned light poles, which are increasingly important in the deployment of 5G networks and other broadband infrastructure.