Taxpayers Protection Alliance on FCC Rulemaking to Help Close Digital Divide

For Immediate Release                                                                             Contact: Abigail Graham: (202) 417-7235

February 24, 2022                                                                                                               

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is supportive of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rulemaking proceeding regarding pole attachment costs.

In response, TPA Director of Telecom Policy, Johnny Kampis, offered the following statement:

“TPA is pleased to see that the FCC is moving forward with a rulemaking proceeding that could level the playing field for pole attachment costs. The FCC is considering developing a system that would help it evaluate whether action is needed to better allocate costs for pole attachments and replacements among providers attaching to poles and the owners of those poles.

“The FCC notes in its draft item for the March meeting that it has received complaints that some attachers are often required to absorb costs not caused by their attachments. As TPA has reported and testified before state legislatures, an unfair system that passes upkeep costs of a utility’s assets onto internet providers for both pole attachments and pole replacements, delays the deployment of broadband services.

“The FCC correctly notes in its draft that the commission is concerned that these costs could impact the deployment of broadband networks by depleting the financial resources available to providers. TPA shares that concern and is optimistic that the FCC’s potential rulemaking on the issue will cut more red tape that is hampering providers’ ability to close the digital divide.”

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.