Apartment Companies Oppose FCC Broadband MTE Rules; Others Back Regulation
Apartment companies asked the FCC not to propose rules restricting their ability to sign "exclusive marketing, bulk billing, revenue sharing or exclusive wiring agreements" with communications providers. AvalonBay Communities, Equity Residential, Related Cos., Trammel Crow Residential and others shared National…
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Multifamily Housing Council's concerns that regulating such agreements could "raise prices, result in degraded services, decrease competition and slow broadband deployment," said their comments, one of several that trickled in after others were posted this week in docket 17-142 on an inquiry into the multiple tenant environment (MTE) broadband market (see 1707250050). The 31 companies said they have about 1.29 million apartment homes; most of their buildings offer more than one video or broadband service option; and their "unique relationships with service providers that begin prior to building construction" partially "defray the multi-million dollar expense of installing and maintaining the wiring and other infrastructure necessary to provide broadband, video, voice, security and other services." But Public Knowledge urged the FCC to move quickly "to improve choice, competition, affordability, service quality, and deployment of broadband services" in MTEs, including by prohibiting exclusive marketing, bulk billing and exclusive wiring arrangements, revenue sharing agreements and other contractual provisions that limit broadband choice. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Next Century Cities backed local ordinances, such as San Francisco's Article 52, giving MTE occupants competitive choices.