PITTSBURGH, July 29, 2020 – The following statement can be attributed to ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka:
“ACA Connects welcomes the FCC Wireline Competition Bureau’s declaratory ruling reaffirming that utility pole owners subject to FCC jurisdiction may not impose blanket bans on pole access or use their leverage to demand that attachers agree to deviations from the FCC’s pole attachment rules that benefit only the utility.
“The clarity that this ruling provides will help ensure that the legal rights of providers seeking pole access to build out and upgrade their networks cannot be denied by pole owners. The ruling will be particularly beneficial for smaller providers, such as ACA Connects members, who lack bargaining power in their negotiations with large investor-owned utilities for pole access. We applaud the FCC and the Bureau for this action.”
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 700 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 8 million customers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses. For more information, visit: https://www.acaconnects.org