by
Brian Mann on April 19th, 2011
The Plattsburgh Press Republican is reporting on a dust-up between firms working to expand broadband internet access in the North Country and the utility firm National Grid.
At issue is the price National Grid charges customers for the use of its utility polls.
Niagara Mohawk, which does business as National Grid, reached agreements with the network providers in December, and pole-usage rates were set.
The entities developed their build-out plans and customer rates based on those costs.
But they were told by National Grid in January that it was raising its usage rates, which they say will cost them an extra $3.5 million they didn’t count on.
The broadband firms have appealed the rate hike to the Public Service Commission.
Tags: infrastructure
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The people own the poles. Are they not rented to utilites for $1 each?
National Grid has a long history of gouging people.
Dave, the poles are owned by the company, they aren’t public property.
This is par for the course with the Grid.
If you’ll recall, National Grid recently wasn’t awarded the entire amount of the rate hike they requested from the Public Service Commission. Given they’re a monopoly disguised as a “utility,” they simply decided to break their agreement with the broadband firms in order to recoup the revenue they didn’t get from the rate hike request. As Bret said, this is par for the course with regard to National Grid. Yet another glaring example of how outdated and corruptible our distribution system is. I pray for the day when there’s enough of a groundswell in this nation to make reform of this system a priority for our politicians.
Whose property are those poles sitting on? Maybe the people should be charging National Grid rent.
I think most of the poles and all the transmission lines sit on public property.
They are easements on the property of whomever owns the land, that NG sometimes gets paperwork okays from landowners before they set their poles, and sometimes not.
What other response would you expect from a government authorized for-profit private corporate monopoly?