Kristian Stout on Pole Attachments
Connect the Future – ICLE Director of Innovation Policy Kristian Stout was quoted by Connect the Future in a story summarizing a recent CtF webinar he took part in to discuss the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) current proceeding to clarify utility-pole access and replacement rules and ensure pole-attachment disputes are handled quickly and fairly. You can read full piece here.
In rural areas, internet service providers (ISPs) can spend upwards of a third of total broadband buildout costs on just pole replacements or pole disputes, noted ICLE’s Kristian Stout. That’s because buildout projects in rural areas require attaching broadband infrastructure to a greater volume of poles – often 10 poles or more – just to connect one home or small business.
…Kristian Stout concurred: “The FCC is a thought leader in states where their rules don’t apply.”