For years Google Fiber has fought to expand their internet services into new markets. Sadly they have been slowed by existing providers blocking access to poles. This has greatly impacted Google’s ability to expand their fiber internet service.
Now an FCC Committee has handed Google Fiber, and other internet providers who want to expand, a huge victory. This week the FCC voted to recommend a One Touch Make Ready (OTMR) policy that would simplify and speed up the pole attachment system. There are still a few final steps left to make the rule change permanent but they are just formalities at this point as FCC Chairperson Ajit Pai has already voiced his support for the proposal.
This means Google Fiber and others now can get access to existing poles in your city to run their wires after a 25-day review window. As long as Google Fiber does not move or splice into any equipment already on the pole they can add their equipment and wires to the pole even if the current pole users do not respond within the 25-day review window.
This will greatly speed up the roll out of new internet networks around the United States that have struggled to get access to run poles through a city.
Why is this so important? Well in Nashville, Tennessee, Google Fiber only got rights to 33 out of a total of 44,000 poles they needed access to after 4 months of trying. Not only did Google need permission from the pole owner, but they also needed permission from all other companies that use the pole. This caused Google and others to go through a slow and painful process of getting access to run new fiber lines.
Look for networks like Google Fiber to quickly speed up their rollout now that the FCC is making this change.
Source: Lightreading
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