NRECA submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission on a proposal to revisit certifications allowing states to hold regulatory authority on pole attachments within their borders.
NRECA told the FCC that reopening decades-old state pole attachment frameworks in states that regulate attachments themselves could inject uncertainty into broadband construction just as BEAD-funded projects are moving from planning to deployment.
NRECA argues that the 23 reverse-preemption states and the District of Columbia already have processes in place to resolve attachment disputes, and changing the rules now would create confusion for broadband providers, pole owners and state broadband offices. NRECA urges the Commission to preserve the state-federal framework established by Congress and avoid changes that could slow rural broadband expansion.
