One-Touch Make-Ready

New requirements per FCC order

PPL Electric Utilities requirements for the provisions of the FCC Order 18-111.

The effective date of Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Order 18-111 is May 20, 2019. For detailed information regarding the Order, please refer to the FCC's Third Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling released on August 3, 2018.

One-Touch Make-Ready

One-Touch Make-Ready (OTMR) is "simple" communications space work. Simple communications space make-ready involves rearranging communication space cables where there is no reasonable expectation of a service outage or facility damage, no cable splicing and no antennas. If power space make-ready work or work above the communications space is required, OTMR does not apply.

PPL Electric Utilities contractor requirements for OTMR:

A requesting attaching company must use one of the following approved contractors to complete the OTMR survey work:

  • Davey Resource Group - 207-944-0493
  • Katapult Engineering, Inc. - 717-432-0716
  • Westwood Professional Services, Inc. - 215-384-5362

A requesting attaching company must use one of the following approved contractors to complete the OTMR construction work in the communications space:

  • Celerity Integrated Services, Inc. - 215-538-1600
  • IB Abel, Inc. - 717-885-6062
  • Infrasource -264-314-1394
  • Primoris Electric, Inc. -264-767-5914

PPL Electric Utilities requirements for OTMR:

  • All applications for OTMR must be submitted through the PPL Application portal.
  • Approved survey firms are required to use Katapult Pro software for taking photos and obtaining measurements at the pole and mid-span. This will ensure consistency of information provided in the application process and a timely review of application for completeness.
  • Application must include ONLY "simple" communications space make-ready.
  • Application must include a completed pole loading analysis at each pole location.
  • New attacher can bifurcate work associated with a project into separate applications; one for OTMR and one for complex work.
  • Application must have no pole loading issues.
  • Antenna installations do not qualify for OTMR.
  • New attacher to provide advance notice and allow representatives of existing attachers and PPL to be present when OTMR surveys are performed. This can be accomplished through a virtual walkdown using the photos from the Katapult Pro survey.
  • The survey work must be reviewed and certified by a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Pennsylvania.
  • New attacher must provide 15 days prior written notice to PPL and all affected existing attachers prior to commencing construction activities. Written notice to include:
    1. The date and time of the make-ready construction work.
    2. A description of the make-ready work involved.
    3. A reasonable opportunity to be present when the make-ready work is being performed.
    4. The name of the contractor chosen by the new attacher to perform make-ready work.
  • New attacher must provide notice to PPL and existing attachers within 15 days of completing OTMR construction.
  • PPL will conduct a post-construction survey to ensure PPL Specifications are met.
  • New attacher is required to remediate any damage, code violations, or non-compliant attachments created during the OTMR process within 14 days at their expense.
  • Substandard, careless or bad faith conduct or the failure to comply with PPL requirements for OTMR may result in ineligibility for OTMR on future applications.

Over-lashing

  • Applications are no longer required for over-lashing on an existing authorized cable.
  • Notify PPL through the Pole Attachment Portal at least 15 days prior to beginning any project that involves over-lashing.
  • When requesting to overlash to an authorized cable not owned by Licensee, written permission must be obtained from the third-party attacher and submitted in the Pole Attachment Portal.
  • When overlashing to an authorized cable other than the Licensee’s own cable, it is considered an attachment at each pole location for which rental fees apply.
  • Information required includes pole numbers and the size of the existing and new cables to be over-lashed.
  • PPL reserves the right to reject any over-lashing project on the basis of capacity, pole-loading, reliability, safety or engineering concerns.
  • New attacher is required to remediate any damage, code violations, or non-compliant attachments created during the over-lashing process within 14 days at their expense. If PPL elects to complete the remedial work on behalf of the new attacher, the new attacher must pay PPL for the costs associated with remediation.