FCC Pole Attachment Updates

Two days ago, the FCC voted on changes to the attachments process to make broadband deployment faster and more transparent between pole owners and attachers. With new BEAD funding rolling out this month, there are huge implications for these improvements. These new changes will help avoid the bottleneck that could ensue as funding begins to flood the industry.?

New Team in Town?

The Commission voted to create the Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT), dedicated to resolving ongoing attachments disputes. With some ugly disputes lagging for months and years, we’re in serious need of effective and efficient resolutions to work through disagreements.?

Since this team will regulate what disputes end up in front of the FCC, the problems that truly need solving should be addressed faster. We’re excited to see how a team with the distinct purpose of solving disputes can help speed up the process and handle difficult disputes.?

Cost Sharing, Red-Tagged Poles, and Transparent Inspection Information?

The commission also adjusted the definition of red-tagged poles: instead of poles that fail standards and are scheduled to be replaced, now any pole that is designated for replacement is considered red-tagged (except replacement due to lack of useable space for attachments).

This is a huge change since pole owners are also required to share pole inspections with attachers on the poles within their application. This will provide transparency and clarity on who should pay to replace poles.?

We’re excited about any move to share more information between pole owners and attachers. With better guidelines on who pays what ("cost causer") and clearer definitions, we’re hopeful that applications don’t just get resolved faster, but increased trust leads to fewer disputes overall.

Handling Huge Applications

With the new BEAD funding, utility pole owners and joint use departments are already prepping for the new influx of high-volume applications. This is crazy considering these teams have been slammed from RDOF and the existing broadband market conditions for years. The commission brought up the issue of huge applications to request comments on whether any adjustments should be made on the standard timeline for utilities.?

Currently, utilities have 45 days to complete applications with 300 poles or more, and 60 days for applications with 3,000 poles (or 5% of the utility’s poles within the state). Attachers want to push for faster processes, while utility owners raise concerns about meeting large application requirements within tight deadlines and maintaining safety. It’s a tense situation, and any adjustments to the required timeframes will have big effects on the future of pole attachments process.

Both pole owners and attachers have valid concerns. Working through the pain points presented by both will take time, but if we find workflows and processes that serve the interests of both parties, the industry is better set up to succeed long-term. Not to mention the real winners: the families and businesses in underserved communities that will get access to reliable, high-speed internet without sacrificing the safety of their electrical grid.

What Are We Doing to Help?

At Katapult, we believe everyone can win and we’re always working to create new tools that solve the industry's toughest problems. We’ve adjusted our software offerings to put the best tools at our clients' fingertips so they can do great engineering quickly and safely. We've upgraded our Make Ready tools to include real-time pole loading analysis, as well as tools to help teams become one-touch make ready vendors. Our Application Management portal for joint use is available for pole owners across the country to streamline attachment requests within their footprint.?

We’re excited to see and support whatever's next as BEAD funding gets traction with pole attachment applications in the coming months!