INCOMPAS Members Urge FCC to Move Forward on Poles Proceeding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 17, 2023 – This morning, a number of INCOMPAS members, who are prominent high-speed internet and communications services providers, sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging them to move forward on the current poles proceeding to ensure a fair process for allocating costs for pole replacement and expediting disputes in order to deploy their networks to all corners of the country.

“For far too long pole owners have exploited their monopoly power and have pushed the costs of pole replacement onto providers who are attaching to the pole,” said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering. “Our members typically pay between $6,000-$30,000 to replace one pole. As a result, this severely limits their resources and causes them to either adjust their deployment plans or simply not extend their networks as far as they possibly could. If the Administration’s goal is to truly connect all Americans, they must act on this issue. INCOMPAS and our members will continue to press forward in order to solve this ongoing problem and reach a resolution so we can bridge the digital divide.”

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