N.Y. Senate Passes Pole-Attachments Bill

New York state senators unanimously passed a fiber pole-attachments bill Tuesday. The Senate voted 62-0 for S-5126 by Senate Telecom Committee Chairman Kevin Parker and three other Democrats. The Assembly received the bill and referred it to the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee. The bill would say a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) from the New York Public Service Commission isn’t required to attach fiber lines to utility poles. “Certain utility pole owners are requiring new broadband competitors to obtain a CPCN as a condition to attaching fiber lines to its utility poles,” said the bill’s justification statement. “This is an anti-competitive move aimed at slowing entry of new broadband providers into the market.”