The FCC vote to launch a pole attachment reform process has drawn praise from the American Cable Association (ACA) and sighs of relief from its small cable operator members who believe that attaching to utility networks will facilitate the growth of their broadband businesses.
The FCC vote clarified non-discriminatory access which "will simultaneously speed access to utility poles and help expedite the rollout of broadband facilities in rural America," said Matt Polka, president-CEO of ACA in a statement released by the organization. Polka also urged further action by Congress to further close any loopholes that would allow municipalities or electric cooperatives to "charge excessive fees to rural broadband providers."
The FCC, for its part, didn't take action on the fees other than to say its goal is to set rental rates "as low and close to uniform as possible."
For more:
- see this story
- and this statement
- and this news release
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