This session will review the results of a survey by UTC regarding the current state of pole attachments. Issues it will cover are unauthorized attachments, pole parity, audits and inspections and processing of pole attachment requests.

Brett Kilbourne, Director- Regulatory Services & Associate Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council

This session will examine the latest developments at the FCC, Congress and the states affecting pole attachments. Specifically, it will discuss rates and access regulations, complaint cases, and state reverse preemption.

Thomas B. Magee, Attorney, Keller & Heckman, LLP
Charles Zdebski, Partner, Troutman Sanders, LLP
Russ Campbell, Partner, Balch & Bingham, LLP
Christopher Huther, Partner, Sheppard Mullin Ritcher & Hampton LLP

This session will debate the issues between electric utilities and ILECs related to joint use and joint ownership. Specifically, it will discuss pole parity, cost recovery and infrastructure maintenance and restoration.

Joseph Snyder, Manager- Telecom Attachments, Niagara Mohawk- A National Grid
Thomas St. Pierre, Senior Counsel, American Electric Power
TBD, United States Telecom Association

This session will provide insights into the engineering and make ready issues utilities and attachers are encountering to accommodate pole attachments. Specifically, this session will examine how utilities are implementing processes for make ready, including cost recovery.

Tom Jackson, Vice President, Utility Support Systems
Wil Schulze, President, IJUS, LLC

This session will explain the audit and inspection process and report on the rate of unauthorized and non-compliant attachments that utilities are finding.

John Sullivan, General Manager- Utility Asset Management, Portland General Electric Company
Karla Wenzel, Utility Asset Management, Portland General Electric Company
Jeff Myerson, Director- Land & Field Services, CenterPoint Energy

This session will provide an overview of the NESC provisions for pole attachments and discuss issues that are typically the subject of dispute between pole owners and attachers.

David Marne P.E., Marne & Associates, Inc.

Utilities are required to provide advance notice of modifications in order to coordinate the process. But they often find that attachers refuse to transfer their attachments. Find out more about this issue and how utilities are dealing with it.

George Foote, Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani

Joint use and pole attachment agreements tend to be old and utilities are looking at renegotiating them. But should they, and if so, what are the key issues if they do? This session will take a real world look at whether and how to revise your agreements.

Shirley Fujimoto, Attorney at Law, McDermott, Will & Emery

This session will examine some of the practical issues for utilities regarding pole attachments by utility linemen and contractors. Specifically, what kind of issues do they encounter, and how can they keep up with increasing demands for pole attachments while ensuring that safety and reliability standards are maintained.

Eric OBrien, Joint Use Department, Tampa Electric Company

Utilities are often first on the scene in the aftermath of a storm. How do they treat pole attachments? How do they recover their costs of reconstruction from attaching entities? This session will examine these and other practical issues for utilities.

Andy Russell, Manager- Joint Use, Duke Energy Company

Utilities are facing new regulatory requirements to improve the reliability of their infrastructure, and at the same time, they are implementing massive investments in new infrastructure build-outs and upgrades, such as smart-grid systems on utility poles. What does this all mean for pole attachments? What issues are utilities encountering in regards to cost recovery and reserving space on the poles for utility purposes. Find out during this informative session.

Ron Bilodeau, Staff Contracting Agent, Nevada Power Company
Kris Angiulli, Joint Use Contract Administrator, Tampa Electric Company

Although exempt from FCC regulations, cooperative and municipal utilities nonetheless face their own pole attachment issues. ILECs, CLECs and CATV attachers want cheaper rates; and wireless providers want access for telecom and broadband roll-outs. Find out the latest developments and the issues that are under debate.

Dave Predmore, Corporate Counsel, NRECA- Multispeak
Sean Stokes, Attorney, The Baller Herbst Law Group