STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS
Re: Implementation of Section 224 of the Act, WC Docket No. 07-245, A National Broadband 
Plan for Our Future, GN Docket No. 09-51
There may be those who think the issues surrounding pole attachments are less than totally 
captivating and compelling, but that wouldn’t be us, would it? “In-the-weeds” though it may often 
be, good pole attachment policy is integral to ensuring ubiquitous and robust broadband 
deployment. I may not have been a believer when I walked through these portals nine years ago, 
but I’m a believer now.
I am pleased that the National Broadband Plan recognizes, and places a priority on, these 
issues. The Commission has had opportunities to get this done before and somehow we didn’t. So
I am pleased with today’s Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and hope that the 
Commission will move forward expeditiously with this proceeding.
The Order correctly clarifies the statutory right of pole attachers to non-discriminatory and 
timely access to poles. And I am pleased with the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking’s
thorough inquiry into pole attachment access, enforcement and rates. I look forward to quickly 
completing a record upon which the Commission can act, and I am pleased to support this item.