While it’s a rare occurrence that Republicans and Democrats can agree on anything these days, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., did just that by introducing two bills focused on improving access to utility poles and simplifying the method to lay fiber conduit along new roadways.
The first bill is the CLIMB ONCE Act, which is focused on easing the so-called make-ready process. Traditionally, owners of network and related equipment had to be asked to assess and move their wires whenever a new competitor needed to string conduit and fiber cable.
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With the CLIMB ONCE Act, the intent is to prevent federal laws from impeding the ability of states and localities to implement “climb once” policies if they choose to, and directs the FCC to establish best practices and model policies that states and local governments may use to shape their own one-touch-make-ready implementation.
The CLIMB ONCE Act is the third in a series of bills Eshoo introduced on broadband access with the goals of expanding access, reducing costs and increasing consumer choice.
Additionally, the CLIMB ONCE Act of 2018 will clarify that Section 224 of the Communications Act does not preempt states from passing one-touch-make-ready policies when it comes to new pole attachments.
But the telco is not stopping its protest of proposed OTMR ordinances.
In a recent FCC filing (PDF), AT&T suggested that the FCC consider an OTMR rule that would limit the process to routine transfers on existing utility poles. AT&T said that applying this concept would reduce the possibility that existing services would be interrupted during the OTMR process.
By introducing the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2018, which will require all new federally-funded roads to include a broadband conduit, communities will eliminate the need to dig up recently constructed roads when deploying new networks. This process, the lawmakers say, will drastically reduce deployment costs.
Chip Pickering, CEO of INOMPAS, an industry trade group focused on competitive providers, said these bills will lower prices and enhance competitive choice.
“We look forward to working with Congress to enact a future-forward deployment agenda this year,” Pickering said. “For too long outdated regulations stood as roadblocks to true broadband competition. It’s more than time for 'Dig Once' and 'Climb Once' to be the industry standard.”