Dive Brief:
- The Supreme Court refused Monday to hear an appeal by a group of utilities over Federal Communications Commission rules that lower the fees telecommunications companies pay to attach lines to utility-owned poles. The FCC set the attachment rules in 2011.
- After being rebuffed by a federal appeals court in February, units of American Electric Power, Duke Energy, NextEra Energy, Southern Co. and Energy Future Holdings asked the Supreme Court to review the case. The utilities argued the FCC rules could shift costs of $350 million to ratepayers.
- The FCC rules are designed to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet service and are a big win for the likes of AT&T and Verizon Communications.
Dive Insight:
The Supreme Court refusal ends year of wrangling between electric utilities and telecommunications companies. Utilities lost the argument that the lower attachment rates for broadband providers could drive up costs for utility customers and that increased access to poles could adversely affect grid reliability.