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Bill on pole attachments sparks contentious hearing as cooperatives and broadband providers clash
Summary
House Bill 695, addressing pole attachments for broadband deployments, drew sharply divided testimony from rural electric cooperatives, linemen and broadband backers.
The committee took testimony on House Bill 695, a measure addressing pole attachment agreements between pole owners (principally rural electric cooperatives) and broadband providers receiving public grant funds.
The sponsor described HB 695 as establishing that a pole owner ‘‘shall attach’’ consistent with Federal Communications Commission rules and that, when a pole owner or its affiliate has received broadband grant funding and offers service to subscribers, it must enter an attachment agreement or the aggrieved party may seek judicial relief in the First Judicial District, Lewis and Clark County.
Opponents argued the bill is narrowly targeted and punitive. Mark Lambrecht of the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association told the committee the bill is ‘‘specifically targeted at…
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