ISPs Are Blocking Google Fiber's Access To Utility Poles In California
from the deregulatory-hypocrisy dept
Last month, we noted how entrenched broadband providers had found a new way to try and prevent Google Fiber from bringing much-needed competition into their markets: blocking access to carrier-owned utility poles. AT&T recently sued the city of Louisville for embracing so-called "one touch make ready" policies that dramatically streamline the pole-attachment process. The rule rewrites allow third-party contractors to move (often just a few inches) multiple companies' gear, dramatically reducing the cost and time frame for new deployment (in Louisville by an estimated five months or so):In the case of one touch make-ready, companies that own poles agree on one or more common contractors that could move existing attachments on a pole (‘make ready’ work), allowing a single crew to move all attachments on a pole on a single visit, rather than sending in a unique crew to move each attachment sequentially. Sending in separate crews is time-consuming and disruptive to local communities and municipal governments. One-touch make-ready polices would ease this burden.And while this is generally an idea that would benefit all broadband providers, it would benefit new providers like Google Fiber the most. That's why companies like AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been blocking this pole-attachment reform, in some cases trying to claim such policies violate their Constitutional rights. The ISPs figure that if they can't block Google Fiber from coming to town, their lawyers can at least slow Google Fiber's progress while they try to lock customers down in long-term contracts.
In addition to skirmishes like this in Austin and Louisville, AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been fighting pole-attachment reform across California, where Google Fiber is eyeing San Diego, Irvine, Los Angeles and portions of Silicon Valley as potential expansion markets:
Mountain View-based Google has been fighting before the California Public Utilities Commission for the right to use publicly and privately owned utility poles because burying fiber cables is expensive and in places impossible. AT&T and the cable TV association representing Comcast and Time Warner Cable have told state regulators that Google has no such right. And Google contends that a group that controls many Bay Area utility poles, and includes Google competitors as members, also has been blocking access to the poles.In addition to thwarting streamlined pole attachment rules, both companies have played a starring role in crafting state level protectionist laws -- some of which hinder Google Fiber or other companies' ability to strike public/private partnerships. As such, it's worth remembering the next time you hear companies like AT&T or Comcast complaining about "onerous regulations" -- that they're consistently in favor of just such regulations -- if they protect them from having to actually compete.
...The Northern California Joint Pole Association has refused to grant membership to Google, according to (Google lawyers), and membership is required for access to the group's poles. Among the association's members are AT&T and Comcast, both expanding their own gigabit-speed Internet services.
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Filed Under: california, google fiber, isps, pole access, utilities
Companies: at&t, comcast, google, time warner cable
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Section 2 of the Sherman act - "Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several State..."
Certainly sounds like it applies to the NCJPA
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Lets hope I am wrong, but hey... you never know!
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The mind boggles at all of the things we could have if not for so much protection being paid for by the legacy players to retard the march of progress.
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Such as affordable ultrasound machines in the U.S., an ancient technology. No, FDA approval is necessary to sell one of these things in the U.S. and the FDA limits their approval rates and charges a fortune for approval which leaves prices high.
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IOW: the utility owns the poles and the union has an exclusive contract with the utility to work on the poles. These laws are in direct violation of the union/company contract AND the poles are privately owned. If the companies such as Google want to lay fiber they have to do so within the confines of the current contractual agreements.
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Yeah... laws don't work like that.
You can't write a contract that violates the law and then go 'the law doesn't apply, my private contract superceeds that'.
"and the poles are privately owned"
... on public easements, and erected through compliance with laws and regulations that allow for changes to outside access to be made.
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"Poles privately owned"
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Re: "Poles privately owned"
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Unions too
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More multiple infrastructure issues
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In the event of disaster
For example, a hurricane wipes out five miles of utility poles. Do the utilities have to use separate crews repairing / replacing each service or are single crews used in order to get everything up as quickly as possible?
And what if instead the utility poles were to come down at the hands of villagers with pitchforks?
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Re: In the event of disaster
Well, sadly, they will pry your pitchfork from your dead fingers!
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Only one total cure
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Unintended Consequences
They have the money to virtually videotape evey fricking street in the world, complete with people scratching their crotches at their front doors, (I know this is true at least once) And when they get caught stealing passwords from unsecure home networks, they get a $1 fine and a slap on the wrist?
All new communication technology should be visually esthetic, non-reliant on antiquated utility infrastructure and SAFE, free from microwaves and wifi brain whistle static.
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