USTelecom, NTCA back Lumos in Ohio permitting dispute

Industry groups USTelecom and NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association are backing a request from fiber operator Lumos for the Federal Communications Commission to override some permitting fees and requirements imposed by Stark and Mahoning counties in Ohio. But the County Engineers Association of Ohio is urging the FCC to exercise caution in its decision-making, while the counties themselves argue that Lumos' claims misrepresent the situation. The petition in question was initially filed by Lumos in June, claiming that the counties' permitting fees and requirements for fiber buildout projects violate section 253 of the Communications Act by erecting barriers to deployment. According to Lumos, these prohibitive requirements forced it to abandon fiber builds set to serve roughly 200,000 homes and businesses in the Ohio counties.