A long-running issue resurfaced recently asking if light poles should be made available for telecommunications. This idea that light poles might be telecom infrastructure comes from language included in Section 224 of the United States Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) code that says that a “utility shall provide a cable television system or any telecommunications carrier with nondiscriminatory access to any pole, duct, conduit, or right-of-way owned or controlled by it.”

The question was raised again recently when AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and the CTIA, the lobbying group for the cellular industry, asked the FCC to consider the issue. These companies are interested in using light poles to mount electronics and radios to support cellular service and FWA home broadband.

It’s an interesting question. It boils down to the question of whether telecommunications carriers have the right to use a pole that is used only for lighting and nothing else. The FCC’s rules have been clear for years that poles used for telephone, cable, or other wires are subject to the FCC rules. However, cities and utilities have resisted making light-only poles available.

This same question surfaced a few years back in the early days of the 5G craze when cellular carriers pledged they would beef up cellular networks everywhere by putting small cell sites on poles. This never materialized in most cities, and the majority of small cell sites have been deployed to serve high-rise buildings, often mounted on the roof and aimed downward through the building.

I suspect the resurfacing of this issue is due to the unprecedented success of FWA cellular broadband. The three big carriers now have grown to 9.7 million customers nationwide after having just launched the new broadband product in 2021. The three big cellular companies added 933,000 new FWA customers in the second quarter of this year.

The renewed interest in getting onto light poles is an indicator that the companies are exploring the idea of returning to the small-cell model for FWA wireless. Verizon launched a trial of this technology in parts of Sacramento and a few other cities a few years ago but is now concentrating on serving FWA from big cellular tower sites. Verizon also recently announced a successful trial of connecting people with FWA in downtown high rises from radios placed on top of nearby buildings.

The request for placing radios on light poles makes a lot of sense in this context. Urban utility poles are notoriously already overloaded with wires and often don’t have room to add a radio system. Pole owners don’t like having electronics on poles since it adds to the complexity and creates safety issues for technicians who work on poles, particularly after bad weather events when repairs have to be made. Light poles would be virgin real estate for wireless carriers since they know they would be the only one on the poles.

There are several issues with mounting radios on light poles. In many communities where other utilities are buried, light poles are often designed as an esthetic enhancement and are not traditional wooden poles. Cities with aesthetically pleasing light poles are going to strongly resist hanging electronics. These cities probably already forced other utilities underground to enhance the livability of neighborhoods. Light poles were often also not designed to bear the extra weight and wind stress that might come from mounting additional structures on the poles.

It will be interesting to see if the FCC takes up the issue. They have considered it before and never opted to bring light poles under their jurisdiction. I have to imagine there would be a court battle if the agency ordered it.