W.Va. PSC Clears Frontier Pole Attachment Pact

The West Virginia Public Service Commission approved a settlement proposal in a pole attachments case involving Frontier Communications, the PSC said Thursday. Frontier, Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison (Mon Power), Citynet, Micrologic and West Virginia PSC staff filed a joint stipulation on the pact June 9 (see 2306120038). The agreement responded to commission scrutiny about duplicative processes slowing pole-attachment application reviews. The order names MP/PE as the main point of contact to streamline the review process for attachments involving jointly owned communication line poles, the PSC said. Telecom carriers are currently applying for pole attachments amid “massive” broadband deployment, the agency noted. Under the approved pact, MP/PE will issue or deny permits, charge fees, perform billing and distribute payments and do required engineering work, said the PSC: The utility and Frontier will both invoice applicants for make-ready work. “While the Commission hoped that the parties would agree to a process for ‘one stop shopping’ with MP/PE as the only pole owner involved in the process, the parties have agreed that Frontier must be responsible for make-ready in the telecommunications space,” said the order in case 22-0885-T-E-SC.