CHARLESTON, W.Va. –The state Public Service Commission has made a decision regarding utility poles that will support broadband expansion across the state.

In a news release Wednesday, the PSC announced that it has ruled the cost of replacing ‘red-tagged’ utility poles must be covered by the pole owners. The PSC explained that red-tagged poles are those that ‘require replacement due to age, deterioration, safety violations, accident, or any other cause.

“We are concerned that continuing delays are jeopardizing the availability of federal funding for broadband expansion,” the Commission stated in their release. “This is unacceptable. We expect attachment requests to proceed without delay.”

Cabell County Delegate Daniel Linville said that when expanding broadband, there are many steps that must be taken before equipment can be attached to utility poles.

“It seems like whenever someone wants to build broadband you’ve got to reengineer it, figure out how old the utility pole is, how tall it is, all these various things, but it’s the same pole that it was 20 years ago, it’s largely got the same stuff on it as 20 years ago,” Linville said Wednesday on MetroNews Midday.

There are more than 2.5 million utility poles crisscrossing West Virginia, most of which are owned by electric power companies and telephone service providers.

Determining how third-party companies, those seeking to provide high-speed broadband, should coordinate with pole owners raised the issue of who would be responsible for replacing red-tagged poles.

Linville said it isn’t an easy job to do.

“Which you would think is a pretty easy thing, it doesn’t sound all that complicated but with all of the players and various items that are there that normally is the biggest holdup for a build, so much so it’s become cheaper and easier in some cases to launch thousands of satellites into outer space then attach wires onto utility poles,” he said.

The commission said its decision came down to whether utility pole owners have kept track of which poles need to be replaced.

“We are concerned that pole owners have not been consistent and aggressive in identifying poles that should be replaced,” the Commission said.

Linville said that residents want to have access to broadband in their area because of the benefits it brings.

“The ultimate thing is the public wants this built, they want this access, they want reliability,” Linville said. “It’s key to commerce, it’s key to healthcare, it’s key to quality of life and we’re working to make sure that gets accomplished.”

Also in their order, the commission clarified a ruling made on August 26, which also pertained to broadband.
In that order, the PSC ruled that utility companies cannot charge a third party the full cost of replacing a utility pole.

“The August 26 order served to expedite the expansion and end unnecessary disputes that not only slow the progress of broadband expansion in the state but also could jeopardize timely and complete receipt of federal funding, earmarked for the expansion of broadband in West Virginia,” the Commission said. “This approach aims to promote fairness and efficiency in broadband deployment, especially in underserved areas where infrastructure upgrades are critical.”