FCC Establishes Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT)

From the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs:

Access to utility poles that support the wires and related wireless equipment that bring broadband to homes and businesses is a key component of the Commission’s commitment to ensuring nationwide access to broadband and expeditious deployment to unserved and underserved areas.  The discussions and interplay between utilities and telecommunications companies about the timing and cost of attaching broadband equipment to utility poles is a necessary part of broadband deployment, but disputes inevitably arise.

To facilitate the resolution of those disputes, in December 2023, the Commission established the Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT), an intra-agency team comprised of Enforcement Bureau and Wireline Competition Bureau staff with expertise in the FCC’s pole attachment rules, to make the pole attachment dispute resolution process quicker and more nimble.  With today’s launch, parties can avail themselves of the RBAT, which represents another step in the FCC’s ongoing efforts to facilitate speedy, nationwide broadband deployment. 

A link to the Public Notice can be found at: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-24-719A1.pdf

A link to the Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT) Review Assessment Home Page can be found at: https://drupal9admin.fcc.gov/enforcement/rapid-broadband-assessment-team-rbat-review-and-assessment.