FCC Clarifies FTTH Rules for Apartment Buildings

The FCC issued an order clarifying fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) rules and relieving the incumbent LECs from certain unbundling obligations that apply to multiple dwelling units (MDUs), or apartment buildings. The FCC said its ruling increases the incentives for incumbent LECs to deploy next generation facilities.



In the Triennial Review Order released last year, the Commission concluded that the broadband capabilities of fiber loops that extend to a customer's premises, also known as FTTH loops, would not be subject to unbundling under section 251 of the Act. Today's action builds on the broadband principles of the Triennial Review Order by further extending the unbundling relief to fiber loops deployed to predominantly residential MDUs.



The Order concludes that determining what constitutes a predominantly residential MDU will be based on the dwelling's predominant use. For example, a multi-level apartment building that houses retail stores such as a drycleaner or a mini-mart would be predominantly residential, while an office building that contains a floor of residential suites would not. The Order further clarifies that a loop will be considered a FTTH loop if it is deployed to the minimum point of entry of a predominantly residential MDU, regardless of the ownership of the inside wiring. http://www.fcc.gov