C!rnngr.ess nf tq.e Nnit.eh ~tat.es 423 ma.alfington, ilQI: 20.515 Received & Inspected May 25 , 2018 The Honorable Ajit Pai MAY~9Z018 Chairman Federal Communications Commission FCC Mai/room 455 Twelfth Street SW Washington DC 20554 RE: Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84 Dear Chairman Pai: < Access to high-speed broadband is essential to U.S. competitiveness, job creation, eaucadonal opportunity, and full participation in civic life. As such, we fully support Commission action to accelerate wireline broadband deployment to all Americans, particularly rural communities. Recognizing that pole attachments can be a key input for many broadband deployment projects, the Commission is currently reviewing its pole attachment rules, including consideration of One­ Touch Make-Ready (OTMR) proposals. One-Touch Make-Ready would allow companies seeking to add equipment to a utility pole to move the pre-existing equipment of telephone, cable, and utility companies already on the pole. While we recognize that streamlining pole attachment make-ready processes can be beneficial, we urge the Commission to ensure that any make-ready policy that it adopts include safeguards that would minimize disruptions in service to consumers, protect public and worker safety, and honor collective bargaining agreements. Existing attachers are in the best position to reduce customer outages, and have the skilled, trained workforce to ensure that make-ready work is done properly and safely. Moreover, as both unions and their employers acknowledge, concerns about delays are insufficient to justify impairment of the contractual obligations of existing attachers with collective bargaining agreements. Any Commission action on OTMR must respect those collective bargaining agreements while serving to protect and promote good, career jobs in communities across the United States. Sincerely, tJ. Jllt 7· ~· .....-- . McKinley, P.E. Darren Soto r of Congress Member of Congress PRI NTED ON RECYCLED PA PER Jw~ Member of Congress Member of Congress ~~ David Price Member of Congress Theodore E. Deutch Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress