Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 24 FEBRUARY 2026

FCC's Rapid Broadband Assessment Team Issues Landmark Pole Attachment Ruling Benefiting Broadband Deployment

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Contributor
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Mintz is a litigation powerhouse and business accelerator serving leaders in life sciences, private...

View firm profile
Explore more from Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

In a significant win for national broadband deployment efforts, last week the FCC's new Rapid Broadband Assessment Team ("RBAT") issued a first-of-its-kind decision in Comcast Cable Communications, LLC v. Appalachian Power Company, addressing pole-replacement cost responsibilities when preexisting safety or engineering violations are present.

United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
T. Scott Thompson
T. Scott Thompson
Jonathan P. Garvin
Jonathan P. Garvin
Author LinkedIn connections

In a significant win for national broadband deployment efforts, last week the FCC's new Rapid Broadband Assessment Team ("RBAT") issued a first-of-its-kind decision in Comcast Cable Communications, LLC v. Appalachian Power Company, addressing pole-replacement cost responsibilities when preexisting safety or engineering violations are present.The ruling marks the first pole attachment complaint resolved by the RBAT under the FCC's Accelerated Docket and carries far-reaching implications for BEAD-funded and other broadband infrastructure projects nationwide.

At issue was an Appalachian Power Company ("APCo") policy requiring new utility pole attachers to pay the entire cost of replacing poles that have preexisting code violations that require pole replacement to remedy – even when those violations were caused by third parties long before any new attachment request.Under APCo's policy, the new attacher was required to pay 100% of the pole replacement cost upfront,

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

California Requires Disclosure Of AI-Generated People In Advertising

California has enacted a groundbreaking AI disclosure law requiring advertisers to clearly identify when synthetic performers appear in their marketing materials. The legislation, set to take effect in 2027, includes a private right of enforcement that could potentially open the door to class action litigation against brands using AI-generated performers without proper disclosure.
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Foley Hoag LLP
Foley Hoag LLP
Article

FCC Tightens Equipment Rules

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted sweeping new restrictions targeting equipment containing components from entities on its Covered List, fundamentally reshaping how manufacturers, online marketplaces, and equipment modifiers must approach FCC compliance. These rules establish unprecedented prohibitions on logic-bearing hardware components, impose strict display requirements for e-commerce platforms, and clarify when existing authorizations can support equipment modifications.
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Steptoe LLP
Steptoe LLP
Article

FCC Revises TCPA Consent Revocation Rules: Exclusive Opt-Out Methods, Category-Specific Revocations, And Other Key Changes

The Federal Communications Commission has unanimously approved sweeping changes to its Telephone Consumer Protection Act consent revocation rules, fundamentally altering how businesses must handle consumer opt-out requests for calls and texts. These new regulations replace the controversial 2024 "revoke all" rule with more flexible options that allow companies to designate exclusive opt-out methods while distinguishing between marketing and informational messages.
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Article

The Ad Standard: Monthly Update - October 2026

Affordability remains front and center at the FTC. This month, the agency turned its attention to healthcare and gas costs. It also issued detailed guidance on price transparency for auto dealers that marketers in any industry might want to heed: the advertised price “must be the actual price that any consumer can walk in and pay,” with only government fees excluded. The FTC continues to consider how to combat scams and is seeking public comment on whether online platforms should help stop scammers who use those platforms to impersonate third parties by, for example, requiring the removal of confirmed impersonation scam ads.
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Article

The Next Chapter Of Digital Accessibility: FCC Seeks Input On Modernizing Its Rules

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public feedback on modernizing its accessibility framework to address rapid changes in consumer technology. The draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking examines whether existing rules keep pace with today's communications marketplace or inadvertently hinder innovation in accessibility solutions.
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
Article

USCIS Final Rule Ends 540-Day Automatic EAD Extension For Key Categories

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule on October 14, 2026 that permanently ends the automatic extension of up to 540 days for many Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025. Affected workers, including adjustment of status applicants and H-4 spouses, may need to stop working if their current EAD expires before USCIS approves the renewal.
United StatesImmigration
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Article

Massachusetts’ 2026 Ballot Questions: What Clients Need To Know

Massachusetts voters will decide nine statewide ballot questions in November 2026 that could fundamentally reshape the state's legal, regulatory, and fiscal landscape. These measures address government transparency, election reforms, housing development, marijuana regulation, firearms laws, and state revenue limits, with implications extending far beyond Election Day to implementation, regulation, and ongoing policy debates.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Article

Pharmaceutical Policy In Motion Continued: The Trump Administration’s Second Wave Of Drug Pricing Deals

The Trump administration's most-favored-nation pricing initiative has expanded to include nine additional mid-sized pharmaceutical manufacturers, bringing the total coverage to 89% of the brand drug market. These new agreements focus on Medicaid pricing discounts aligned with international rates, while manufacturers commit billions to U.S. manufacturing and research in exchange for exemptions from future pricing mandates and potential tariffs.
United StatesFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Article

MintzTech Connect Industry News: Spotlight On Retro

Retro, a friends-only photo-sharing app built by former Instagram teammates Nathan Sharp and Ryan Olson, is challenging today's algorithm-driven social media landscape with a private, ad-free alternative. The app functions as a weekly photo journal designed to reconnect users with close friends and family, eschewing public feeds, follower counts, and AI-generated content in favor of intimate, subscription-based social spaces.
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Article

Office Of Strategic Capital Opens Application Window For National Security Fund Finance Program

The Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital has launched a groundbreaking $500 million to $1 billion fund finance program targeting critical minerals vital to U.S. national security. How will this federal-private capital partnership reshape financing for companies addressing supply chain vulnerabilities in strategic materials?
United StatesFinance and Banking
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Article

California’s AI-in-the-Workplace Legislative Blitz: California Legislature Passes Four New Bills That May Affect Employers

The California Legislature’s 2025–2026 session ended with workplace-related artificial intelligence or automated technology in its crosshairs. If Governor Newsom signs this suite of bills, California employers may face a number of new obligations relating to AI-driven surveillance tools, automated decision systems, and other emerging workplace technologies.
United StatesTechnology
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Article

Client Spotlight: Antora Energy Powers The Future Of Industrial Energy Storage

Antora Energy, a leading US thermal battery manufacturer, has secured $550 million in Series C financing to scale deployment of its innovative energy storage technology that converts low-cost electricity into heat stored in solid carbon blocks. The oversubscribed funding round will support expanded manufacturing capacity, establishment of a second US production hub, and large-scale project deployment to meet surging energy demand from industrial facilities, data centers, and the grid.
United StatesEnergy and Natural Resources
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.