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Verizon Says 'One-Touch, Make Ready' Could Accelerate Fiber Deployment, Small-Cell Efforts

Verizon said "one-touch, make ready" (OTMR) could speed fiber and small-cell buildouts. "Rapid fiber and small cell deployment can face obstacles, with often significant delays in getting access to poles for new fiber and small cell attachments," said a filing…

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Monday in FCC docket 17-79 on meetings with Commissioner Brendan Carr and aides, and with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai. Verizon said in some areas, electric utilities can take nine months to complete the pole-attachment process, with fiber attachments sometimes taking a year or longer. "The sequential nature of make-ready work means that one party’s delay in completing its make-ready work often delays other parties’ ability to begin their make-ready work," the telco said: "Make-ready is often not completed until well beyond" rule deadlines. Verizon repeated "strong support" for OTMR, "a proposal that would allow attachers, as well as pole owners, the option to use pole-owner-approved contractors to coordinate and do all work to add a new attachment."