The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved deregulatory measures to galvanize U.S. broadband deployment.

In two initiatives revealed this week, the FCC ruled on accelerating copper-to-fiber transition alongside reforming utility pole access in the nation.

In a ruling issued July 24, the regulators encouraged the “swift transition to IP-based networks and advanced communications services for consumers” with revisions to the commission’s network change disclosure rules.

Historically, providers looking to retire copper infrastructure were required to formally file public notices and undergo lengthy scrutiny.

“Just one of the communications providers in the country spends around $6 billion a year (yes, you heard that right) to keep its old copper line services running. This is despite the fact that only 5% of its customers still subscribe to copper phone service," Carr noted in a statement. “With today’s action, we are moving to free up billions of dollars for new networks … ensuring that Americans get the modern, high-speed networks they need and deserve.”

In another ruling from the same day the FCC approved updates to rules that service providers and pole owners follow when telecom crews attach communications infrastructure to utility poles.

“For too long, a lack of standard rules and timelines for processing large broadband deployment orders have slowed rollouts and led to costly disputes,” the agency ruling reads. “By encouraging communications companies and pole owners to collaborate on larger broadband deployments and by providing more concrete timelines, today’s action will remove barriers to deployment, encourage investment, and help achieve high-speed broadband availability for all Americans.”

The rulings tie in with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s “Build America” agenda, which aims to modernize infrastructure access and accelerate network upgrades through deregulation.

The agenda complements the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which was recently revamped with a “tech-neutral approach” that welcomes technologies such as fixed-wireless access (FWA) and satellite.

Analyst firms like NewStreet Research have warned that a preference for fiber could see wireline enterprises opt out of bidding processes, enabling satellite operators such as Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper to cherry‑pick easier-to-serve areas, leaving fiber out in the cold.

With satellite connectivity not especially lauded for its reliability – as evidenced by this week’s global Starlink outage – the faster deployments sought by the FCC may come at a risk to overall quality of service and coverage.

Whether this leaves the FCC under Carr’s oversight with pause for thought is arguable – the chairman is known for the "Delete, Delete, Delete" scheme that aims to cut the amount of regulation imposed across the telecoms, media, and tech sectors.

There is also doubt about the FCC’s prior concern with universal broadband deployment. Last week, the commission proposed to stop measuring progress toward the ambition to help providers gain agency approval when falling short of 100% broadband deployment.

A long-held goal toward 1 Gb/s download speeds with 500 Mb/s upload speeds was also abolished in the ruling.