Broadband providers would get local approval for highway work

Broadband providers would follow local requirements and get approval before highway work. These provisions cover broadband infrastructure in public rights-of-way, including highways, bridges, and culverts; private easements are excluded. Permit fees would be limited to reasonable review, inspection, and enforcement costs, and could not be charged as a tax on broadband service itself. Local authorities could set permit conditions, stop work, require removal or repair, and seek civil remedies for violations or damage. The rules concern rights-of-way and infrastructure; they would not regulate broadband rates or service terms. Approval would be needed before excavation, installation, or placement. The text gives no general start date.

Utility pole owners would move attachments to replacement poles and remove the old poles. This applies when an owner replaces a utility pole in a public right-of-way. A local authority could grant up to 90 extra days if the owner asks in writing and the delay was beyond the owner's control. A local authority could set a civil penalty of up to $100 per day for a violation that continues past the allowed period. The 90-day period starts when the new pole is installed; any approved extension may add up to 90 days.

Utility equipment owners would notify local authorities about future use; authorities could require abandoned equipment to be removed. These provisions cover utility equipment, such as poles, cabinets, and meters, in public rights-of-way and the owners who control it. An authority could declare equipment abandoned if it has been unused for at least 365 days without a required notice, or if it is an overdue extra pole. If the owner is known, the authority would give written notice requiring removal and site repair within 45 days. It could arrange removal if the owner does not act or cannot be identified after reasonable effort. An authority could recover reasonable removal and repair costs from the owner. Owners would send the first notice within 365 days after this section takes effect, then send later notices within 365 days after the authority receives the prior notice. After a removal notice, a known owner would have 45 days to act.