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Cable: Google Doesn't Need Title II For Pole Access

Last week Google Fiber argued to the FCC that despite all the incumbent ISP hand-wringing by bigger ISPs about Title II reclassification, the shift might be a good thing in that it would streamline Google's rights to attach to utility poles, in the process potentially expiditing Google Fiber deployment. Google had run into a bit of a wall with AT&T, who initially made Google jump through a few hoops if it wanted access to the 20% of Austin utility poles AT&T owns.

They've since struck a national deal giving them access to AT&T poles -- only if AT&T is able to get the same benefits citywide for its Gigapower offering (though AT&T's offering is more selective, more frequently focusing on high-end developments). Google says Section 224 of Title II covers pole attachments and could improve broadband competition. Not too surprisingly the cable industry this week proclaimed in a filing that Google shouldn't need Title II to hammer out utility pole access:
quote:
But that isn't even necessary, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) argued in a filing today, saying that "Google already can avail itself of pole attachment rights under Section 224, notwithstanding its assertions to the contrary. Google’s letter states that Google Fiber 'lacks federal access rights pursuant to Section 224' because it offers an 'Internet Protocol video service that is not traditional cable TV.' But as NCTA has explained on numerous occasions... the law is clear that facilities-based providers of Internet Protocol television ('IPTV') services do qualify as cable operators under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended ('the Act').
Again though, Google says that hasn't been the case so far. So while Google claims Title II could aid broadband competition by streamlining the utility pole access process, the cable industry is arguing that Title II would make broadband access more expensive by somehow driving up pole attachment costs for cable companies. By the end of next month we should get to see which party FCC boss Tom Wheeler thinks is telling the truth.

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bethy
join:2009-06-17

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bethy

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We are ants being squished by giants

Whatever the truth is, we are ants, and the large multi billion dollar international companies are giants.