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Syracuse City study session reviews Verizon pole-attachment amendment to support broadband expansion
Summary
City officials discussed an amendment to the existing agreement with Verizon New York to allow additional pole attachments needed for a broadband expansion; funding is appropriated and will be reimbursed by a New York State grant, but the amendment was not voted on at the study session.
Syracuse City officials discussed an amendment to the city’s existing agreement with Verizon New York that would allow additional pole attachments needed to expand the city’s broadband system, city staff said at a study session.
The amendment would add a fee schedule for the kinds of pole attachments required for broadband expansion, Jen Div, director of strategic initiatives, said. “The amendment would also allow us to make certain attachments, that we would need to pursue for the expansion of our broadband system,” Div said. She said the funding for the work has already been appropriated and is being reimbursed by a State of New York grant, but Verizon will not accept the city’s pole-attachment applications until the amendment is approved.
Why it matters: the amendment would remove a procedural barrier to submitting pole-attachment applications to Verizon and is intended to let the city pursue attachments needed for broadband. Div said the city already has an agreement with National Grid that covers some pole attachments; some poles are co-owned by National Grid and Verizon, and Spectrum does not own poles inside Syracuse. Div described the typical residential attachment as “pretty small, it’s like the size of a cell phone.”
Councilors asked follow-up questions and requested visual information. One councilor asked for a photo of the residential attachment so members could better understand what is being installed; Div agreed to provide an image. The study session discussion did not include a formal vote on the amendment. Div said the amendment must be approved before Verizon will accept the city’s pole-attachment applications.
The item on the agenda was presented for discussion; staff said they would return with final paperwork and the council would need to take formal action at a later meeting. No motion to approve the amendment was recorded in the study session transcript.
Additional context: Div said the city already uses pole attachments for street lighting and other emergency equipment under existing agreements and that the Verizon amendment is intended to extend the scope to broadband-related attachments. She said reimbursement for the work is expected from a State of New York grant.
