Verizon Bucks AT&T & Comcast, Supports Utility Pole Reform Verizon is breaking ranks with AT&T and Comcast, and is supporting Google-pushed "one touch make ready" utility pole attachment proposals that would make it quicker and easier to deploy fiber broadband services. Both AT&T and Comcast have sued Louisville and Nashville for passing such rules, which allow a licensed and insured third-party contractor to move other ISP pole gear, dramatically speeding up the time it takes to deploy fiber upgrades. Both ISPs claim they're simply concerned about damage and outages, though their anti-competitive incentive for blocking the reform is also blatantly obvious.

But in a new blog post and a filing with the FCC (pdf), Verizon says it supports the one touch proposal because it will speed up deployment of fiber necessary to fuel next-gen wireless services. Under most current pole attachment models, each individual ISP has to sign off on having their gear moved, then get their own technicians or subcontractors out to prepare the pole for fiber attachment by competitors. That can take many months if multiple ISPs are involved, and longer still if those ISPs aren't fond of the threat of added competition, as is the case with Google Fiber. Given they often own many city poles, intentional pole attachment bureaucracy is just one of several ways ISPs make life difficult for new market entrants. In its post, Verizon says it's in a "unique position to weigh in on how these issues affect deployment" as "one of the few broadband providers with experience both as a pole owner and as a wireline and wireless attacher to other people’s poles." And in its filing, first spotted by Fierce Wireless, the company stated it needs the ability "to access poles quickly and efficiently, both to hang small cells and to string fiber that will provide the necessary backhaul." "Instead of the current ungainly process, there would be one truck roll to make all of the adjustments to existing attachments and to add the new attachment," Verizon said. "Just one disruption to traffic instead of multiple trucks." And to address concerns about outages and network safety, Verizon suggests "the FCC could limit participation to qualified, licensed contractors who are approved by pole-owners, agree to abide by all applicable safety standards, and who, along with the new attacher, will indemnify pole owners and existing attachers if things go wrong." Verizon's decision to buck AT&T and Comcast comes, in part, because of the fact the company has shifted its focus to wireless, and isn't seeing much pressure from outfits like Google Fiber in any of its Northeast territories where it does still offer fixed-line services. Verizon's decision to buck AT&T and Comcast comes, in part, because of the fact the company has shifted its focus to wireless, and isn't seeing much pressure from outfits like Google Fiber in any of its Northeast territories where it does still offer fixed-line services.







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Most recommended from 11 comments



mixdup

join:2003-06-28

Atlanta, GA 12.8 1.0

6 recommendations mixdup Member Of course Of course they are taking this stand. The trend is moving back towards wireless carriers deploying their own infrastructure instead of renting it, and Verizon has bought a lot of smaller (non-residential) fiber carriers that are outside of its own area. They are very likely going to start bumping heads with AT&T and even more with Comcast and Charter when it comes to pushing out fiber for backhaul. They're all about wireless and couldn't care less about wireline competition which they want to get out of anyway

battleop

join:2005-09-28

00000 4 recommendations battleop Member Don't think for one second.... Don't think for one second that Verizon has all the sudden decided to support this for the sake of mankind. Somewhere buried in this is something that provides a big benefit to them. If it didn't they would either stay on the side of AT&T and Comcast or they would just keep their mouths shut.

meskinct

Mad Scientist at Work

Premium Member

join:2002-01-07

Southbury, CT 2 recommendations meskinct Premium Member Bucking Themselves?



"Verizon's decision to buck AT&T and Verizon comes, in part,...." I think the article needs a little tweak."Verizon's decision to buck AT&T and Verizon comes, in part,...."