CircleID — Telecom Topic

The Challenge of Adding Fiber to Poles

On February 5, 2026 the FCC issued a Memorandum and Order resolving a pole‑attachment dispute between Comcast and Appalachian Power Company (APCO). The FCC reaffirmed that attachers only pay the incremental cost of replacing a pole when the existing pole violates safety or engineering standards, rejecting APCO’s demand for full replacement costs. The case, the first processed by the FCC’s Rapid Broadband Assessment Team, took nine months to settle, highlighting the procedural and financial hurdles ISPs face when negotiating pole access. The outcome underscores how pole‑owner resistance can stall fiber deployments even when regulations appear clear.