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Verizon, Charter Urge NY PSC to Tackle Broadband Barriers

The New York Public Service Commission should strive to reduce broadband deployment barriers, said Verizon and Charter Communications in Friday comments in docket 21-02182. Verizon urged the PSC to tackle fiber right-of-way fees and multiple-tenant building restrictions. “While we recognize…

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that the Commission cannot eliminate these barriers on its own,” a 2021 law requiring the PSC to study broadband barriers “provides it with a ‘bully pulpit’ that it can use to urge the Administration and the Legislature to adopt appropriate regulatory and legislative reforms.” Charter said to urge legislators to pass S-7494, which would prohibit the Transportation Department from imposing right-of-way fees on fiber. And the PSC should update pole attachment rules, it said. Use the influx of federal dollars to bring “broadband access to the limited, remaining unserved and underserved areas, improve digital literacy and adoption, and connect more low-income households with high-speed broadband,” Charter said. “It would be a waste of limited resources to use the funds on duplicative building in already-served areas.” Make state grant programs simple and flexible with a “reliable challenge process,” it said.