Five States Advance Bills Regulating Pole Attachment Rates

This legislative session we're witnessing similar types of bills that aim to level the playing field between pole attaching entities and pole owners—including cooperatives and municipalities—by capping rates and requiring equal treatment among attachers. We summarize five different states' pending bills and recent enactments below.

Arizona

In Arizona, the governor signed into law House Bill No. 2036, which amends Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 10-2085, governing electric cooperatives' provision of broadband service. Specifically, the bill aims to level the playing field by requiring that if a cooperative starts providing broadband, the same pole attachment fees charged to unaffiliated providers "be equal to" the fees charged to affiliates on the same pole.