On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 5:00 PM, John T. Yocum <john.yocum@fluidhosting.com> wrote:
That's probably a local requirement. It's not a Federal requirement. Though, some cable companies do provide wholesale services even when not required.
Bingo. On the flip side of the equation, if you want to be an overbuilder (a third communications infrastructure provider beyond the phone and cable companies) the owner of the telephone poles is usually required by the state to sell you an "attachment." An attachment is a connection to a pole at a specific height, reserved for connecting your cables. The power company is usually the owner, so they don't get too bent out of shape about the fact that you're competing with the ILEC. The last I checked, this ran about $5/year per pole. See http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/mdrd/PoleAtt.html There are similar rules for underground conduit on public right-of-ways but I don't know what they are. On private land, underground conduit becomes a fixture of the property. So even though Verizon installed the conduit for their own cable, you as the property owner have a right to use it as you see fit. Regards, Bill Herrin -- William D. Herrin ................ herrin@dirtside.com bill@herrin.us 3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004