Government Discount
“The government competing against the private sector, as in Wireless Philadelphia, is unfair. The price can be low because there is a subsidy. In this case, it’s likely to be free pole attachments for the vendor and lower taxes, as well as reduced or non-existent franchise fees. And it’s not just Verizon or Comcast getting hurt. What about retail computer stores? We should be giving kudos to Verizon and Comcast for not moving out of the city, not making it more difficult to justify staying in a city that is clearly becoming more hostile.
Beth O’Donnell
letter to the Philadelphia Daily News
Overloaded to Bear
“The [Florida] Public Service Commission also is concerned about the overloading of poles with attachments for cable TV and telecommunications that have no role in electricity transmission. These poles 'are subject to failure in extreme weather,’ the commission wrote in its order for storm preparation reports.”
Marcia Heroux Pounds
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The Unending Power Cycle
“History keeps repeating itself as utilities seek to suppress competition by demanding excessive pole attachment rental every time cable rolls out a new service or new technology. And despite the fact that the utilities have ultimately lost every challenge to the federal pole rate formula at the FCC and in the courts, the utilities’ efforts have only intensified.”
John Seiver, Partner
Cole, Raywid & Braverman LLP Washington, D.C.
Bring Enough for Everyone
“The EarthLink contract for Wireless Philadelphia must still be approved by the Philadelphia City Council, which has raised questions about the pole attachment fees and other right-of-way concessions that EarthLink is receiving. There is legitimate concern that if any these fees have been discounted, the city may be legally obliged to offer all other utilities the same discount.”
Steve Titch, Reason.org http://www.reason.org/outofcontrol/archives/2006/01/more_nonnews_fr.html
Utilities Get Strung Up
“Because [broadband over powerline] service involves signal repeaters and other equipment strung along the utility distribution lines, pole attachment fees are another regulatory hurdle that needs to be overcome.”
Electric Utility Week
