Accelerating Wireline and Wireless Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts a new framework for the vast majority of pole attachments governed by federal law by instituting a "one-touch make- ready" regime, in which a new attacher may elect to perform all simple work to prepare a pole for new wireline attachments in the communications space. This new framework includes safeguards to promote coordination among parties and ensures that new attachers perform the work safely and reliably. The Commission retains the current multi- party pole attachment process for attachments that are complex or above the communications space of a pole, but makes significant modifications to speed deployment, promote accurate billing, expand the use of self- help for new attachers when attachment deadlines are missed, and reduce the likelihood of coordination failures that lead to unwarranted delays. The Commission also improves its pole attachment rules by codifying and redefining Commission precedent that requires utilities to allow attachers to "overlash" existing wires, thus maximizing the usable space on the pole; eliminating outdated disparities between the pole attachment rates that incumbent carriers must pay compared to other similarly-situated cable and telecommunications attachers; and clarifying that the Commission will preempt, on an expedited case-by- case basis, state and local laws that inhibit the rebuilding or restoration of broadband infrastructure after a disaster.