FCC's July Meeting Will See Copper Retirement, Pole Attachment Changes

Under the umbrella of his "Build America Agenda," Carr said the commission's July 24 meeting will include an NPRM on the acceleration of copper line network retirements, a proposed revision of pole attachment rules and a mass deletion of more than 40 legacy rules covering antiquated areas of telecom. Carr's 21-minute speech in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was billed as his first major policy address as chairman.

Carr said there are agency rules "forcing providers to continue to invest billions" in legacy copper networks, "even when they want to shift those investments over to build new ones." He previously promised agency action on copper retirements (see 2503270042). In prepared remarks, Carr said the pole attachment item aims to encourage "greater collaboration and provide more concrete timelines" for large batch requests. In addition, the commission will seek comment on whether it can help accelerate mobile wireless builds by finding that light poles are covered under Section 224 of the Communications Act, which governs pole attachments.

Also on the July agenda is a draft order helping organize an AWS-3 spectrum band auction, Carr said. "That spectrum has been laying fallow for far too long, and it's time to put it to use."

Pointing to June's cable rate deregulation order as an example of a Build America Agenda deregulatory priority (see 2506260030), Carr said July's meeting will see a draft order that would eliminate more than 40 rules covering such aged tech as rabbit-ear broadcast TV antennas, telegraph service and phone booths.

Two items not mentioned in Carr's speech will also be on July's meeting agenda: a proposed requirement that carriers georoute texts to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and a new look at the commission's slamming and truth-in-billing rules.

The 988 item "will ensure that Americans in crisis can be routed to a nearby helpline center so they can receive localized care in the moment it matters most," Carr blogged Wednesday. The slamming and truth-in-billing rules "seem outdated" in the face of marketplace and tech changes, and the agency is looking at updates that remove regulatory burdens while still protecting consumers, he added.

In his speech, Carr said future priorities include looking at how the FCC might use its Communications Act authority -- and specifically its Section 253 authority, governing removal of barriers to entry for telecommunications services, and Section 332 authority, governing mobile services -- to streamline regulation. Other Build America priorities include ensuring network security and resilience in the face of threats from foreign actors, including China.

Carr said the agency will also update its approach to environmental regulations like the National Environmental Policy Act in the wake of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. In its Seven County decision in May, SCOTUS said lower courts must defer to agency environmental reviews of infrastructure projects (see 2505290075).

Build America also includes facilitating commercial operations in space, Carr said. The agency is attacking a backlog of applications for satellite systems, and the Build America agenda "will inject rocket fuel into our licensing process by standardizing our reviews through more objective metrics, protecting America's orbital advantage for years to come."

Another Build America priority is the expansion and strengthening of the country's blue-collar tower and telecom crew workforce, Carr said. Providers are making workforce-reform commitments regarding the use of "1099 crews" -- i.e., independent contractors -- to ensure "experienced, well-trained crews get the jobs at fair prices." Such commitments "are also making it harder for foreign, fly-by-night crews to sweep in and undercut the security and safety of our communications networks," he added. They "are going to be a game-changer for America's workers." A 1099 agreement between Verizon and NATE, an association for communications infrastructure contractors, took effect Tuesday.

Carr spoke from Vikor Teleconstruction in Sioux Falls, standing in front of a sea of hardhat-wearing tower workers. "We want every single family and community in this country to benefit from a fair shot at next-generation connectivity."

The chairman was critical of the previous White House's deployment policies. He said the Biden administration's goal of connecting unserved and underserved locations through BEAD "went nowhere [and] foundered on reams of regulatory red tape." Efforts to make spectrum commercially available "fell into a deep malaise," and now "it's time to unleash new growth and opportunity."

Reaction

Vikor founder Craig Snyder said the National Environmental Policy Act "has been a bane for us tower builders," given the difficulty of gaining its approval before construction begins. He also applauded Carr for mentioning 1099 crews, saying "illegal workforce [issues have] crept into our industry."

CTIA President Ajit Pai said in an emailed statement that the Build America agenda "reflects a forward-looking and much-needed regulatory approach to accelerating wireless infrastructure deployment across the country. By streamlining outdated permitting processes, removing unnecessary barriers, and moving swiftly to bring spectrum to market, the FCC will lay the foundation for faster 5G expansion so that American communities, large and small, can fully participate in the digital economy."

ACA Connects President Grant Spellmeyer said members have upped their spending on expanding coverage by almost 50% over the past seven years, and "there is even more they can accomplish with reforms that lift regulatory and economic barriers, such as cutting red tape and streamlining permitting and pole attachment rules."

"To advance connectivity across the country and meet consumer demand, maintain our competitive edge in 5G, and lead on AI and 6G, we agree that America must build," wrote Mike Saperstein, the Wireless Infrastructure Association's senior vice president of government affairs. Applauding Carr's policy efforts aimed at rapid deployment of wireless infrastructure, the group said Congress also needs to act by establishing a national framework for wireless infrastructure permitting. It called for lawmakers to reintroduce the American Broadband Deployment Act.

"Modernizing outdated permitting processes and reforming pole attachment rules are critical to cutting red tape and removing unnecessary barriers that delay high-speed internet access, especially in underserved and rural communities," NCTA said.