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Pole Attachments 101: Understanding Legal Requirements and Best Practices

Gain a practical introduction to the legal and regulatory framework governing pole attachments in the United States. This course explores FCC requirements, pole access and make-ready processes, evolving broadband regulation, and best practices for managing pole attachment agreements and processes.
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  • Instructor
    Sean A. Stokes
  • Level
    Beginner
  • Study time
    ~ 60 min
  • Video time
    52 min
  • Lessons
    6

Certification included

Earn a certificate upon successful course completion to showcase your skills.

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About This Course

Target Audience

Prerequisites

Related Courses

About This Course
Access to utility poles, ducts, and conduits plays an essential role in the deployment of broadband and telecommunications infrastructure. As broadband investment and deployment have accelerated, pole owners and attaching entities face increasing regulatory scrutiny and pressure to provide timely, fair, and efficient access to infrastructure.

In this course, you'll explore the legal framework governing pole attachments, beginning with Section 224 of the Communications Act. You'll learn which infrastructure and entities fall within FCC jurisdiction, the fundamental rules governing pole access, and how FCC requirements address applications, make-ready work, timelines, One Touch Make-Ready, overlashing, and attachment rates.

The course also examines regulatory efforts affecting publicly owned utility infrastructure, including Section 253, wireless attachments, proposed wireline requirements, and BEAD-related developments. Finally, you'll explore practical approaches to pole attachment agreements and best practices for developing consistent, transparent, and manageable attachment processes.
Target Audience
  • Utility and telecommunications professionals
  • Professionals involved in broadband or infrastructure deployment
  • Legal, regulatory, engineering, and operations professionals
  • Anyone interested in understanding pole attachment requirements and practices
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. A basic understanding of utility or telecommunications infrastructure may be helpful but is not required.
We're continuously expanding the UTC Academy with new courses and industry expertise. Check back soon to discover more related learning opportunities.

What you´ll learn

  • Describe the regulatory background and current environment surrounding pole attachments.

  • Explain the scope and key access requirements of Section 224 of the Communications Act.

  • Identify the major steps and timelines involved in FCC pole attachment and make-ready processes.
  • Distinguish key requirements related to OTMR, overlashing, and pole attachment rates.

  • Recognize how regulatory developments may affect publicly owned utility poles and broadband deployment.
  • Apply best practices for developing and managing pole attachment agreements and processes.

   Self-pace-learning

    Resume anytime

  Access on mobile

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Course Content

Your Instructor

Sean A. Stokes

Partner
Washington, DC

About the instructor

Sean Stokes represents clients nationally on a wide range of communications matters, including broadband, cable television, wireless communications, right-of-way management, pole attachments, barriers to community broadband initiatives, and public-private partnerships. He counsels clients in developing and negotiating agreements involving access to poles, ducts, conduits, dark fiber, and towers. He has represented municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and local governments in complex negotiations developing city-wide fiber-to-the-home networks and wireless small cell siting agreements. He has also assisted in the creation of public-private broadband consortia seeking federal and state broadband funding.

Sean has advised clients in numerous cases involving complex factual, legal, and policy issues, multiple parties, and large amounts in controversy. His clients include national and state utility associations, municipal leagues, and numerous public and private entities throughout the United States (U.S.). He collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams of legal, financial, engineering, and other technical experts, assisting clients in making comprehensive telecommunications and broadband plans.

Sean has authored numerous industry publications and is the principal author of an extensive guidebook and a model pole attachment agreement for the American Public Power Association (APPA), which assists approximately 2,000 public power utilities. He is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and has recently presented on topics such as community broadband, small cell, pole attachments, and public-private partnerships.

Sean's extensive career experience includes counseling clients at a boutique Washington, DC telecommunications law firm, as well as Associate General Counsel for the Utilities Technologies Council (UTC), where he helped develop and implement the legislative and regulatory strategy of the nation’s electric, gas, and water utilities regarding the adoption and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
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Earn a career certificate and PDH hours

  • How does it work?

    UTC provides Certificates of Completion for Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for all education we provide. You must check the regulations in your state’s licensing agency to ensure you meet the requirements.
  • PDHs & Certificate - Just a Click Away

    After completing the course - and passing a short quiz, if required - participants will earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and receive a certificate of completion or a career certificate, which can be downloaded directly from the course player or shared on platforms like LinkedIn.

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