FCC Streamlines Requirements for Utility Pole Replacements
The Federal Communications Commission acted to remove barriers to wireless infrastructure deployment by determining that replacement utility poles that have no potential effect on historic properties do not need to complete historic preservation review. Specifically, the Order eliminates historic preservation review when a pole is replaced with a substantially identical pole. Some of the conditions the replacement pole must meet include that the original pole is not a historic property, that it does not cause new ground disturbance, and that it is consistent with various other size, location, and appearance restrictions detailed in the rule. The Order also consolidates the Commission’s historic preservation review rules and procedures, currently in a variety of rules and orders, into a single rule, making it simpler to find, understand, and comply with the rules.
FCC Streamlines Requirements for Utility Pole Replacements