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Providers and municipal advocates push 1‑touch make‑ready and faster pole access to speed broadband builds
Summary
Open Cape, Go Net Speed and municipal speakers told the Joint Committee slower pole licensing and make‑ready processes are delaying fiber builds; they urged passage of bills to create predictable timelines and authorize one‑touch make‑ready to reduce months‑long delays.
Broadband providers and local officials told the Joint Committee that permitting and pole‑attachment delays are a major hurdle to expanding high‑speed Internet across Massachusetts and urged lawmakers to adopt a one‑touch make‑ready framework and faster permitting timelines.
Steven Johnston, executive director of Open Cape, said a recent project to license 29 poles took 14 months even though the physical build required three days. “A recent project to license 29 poles took us 14 months, yes, 14 months, for a 3 day fibre build,” Johnston said, describing how long licensing times undermine the economics of smaller competitive providers.
Witnesses from Open Cape, Go Net Speed and…
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