Cable companies blast Telus proposal to significantly increase pole attach rate

By Ahmad Hathout A consortium of large cable companies is blasting a proposal by Telus to significantly increase its pole attachment rate in British Columbia and Alberta, saying it will unjustly cost third parties millions of dollars in extra payments annually. In April, Telus filed a proposal to increase its rate per pole by just over 50 per cent, from $19.33 annually, or $1.61 monthly, to $29.83, or $2.49 per month. It said it needs to do this because of significant cost increases since the last approved tariff in 2010, which include a faster-than-average replacing of existing poles and increased...