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Partner Thomas Magee Quoted in Above Ground Level Article on Joint Use and Wireless Collocation

Tom Magee was quoted in an article in the March 2011 issue of Above Ground Level (AGL) magazine on the Utilities Joint Use and Wireless Collocation Summit 2011, held Jan. 12-14 in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Magee gave a presentation at the conference, titled, "Electric Utility Shakedown: Rate Proposals at the FCC."

The article explains that "joint use" generally refers to the sharing of utility-owned electric distribution poles to support fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, copper wires and, most recently, wireless antennas. Mr. Magee said that the term "shakedown" in his presentation describes the way electric utilities feel about the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed rates for pole attachments. The attaching entities argue for lower pole attachment rates as a means to promote broadband service in rural America. However, Mr. Magee explained that a problem with the FCC's proposed rates for pole attachments is there is no requirement specifying how the attaching entities must use the savings from lower fees. "The FCC has bought that argument so far, and electric utilities have had their work cut out for them to convince the FCC otherwise," Mr. Magee stated in the article.

Lower pole attachment rates will result in ratepayers spending more for electric service, Mr. Magee emphasized, without bringing broadband to rural America. "This idea of giving attaching entities money to spend as they see fit is just terrible public policy," he concluded.