Franchising & Rights-of-Way Issues
Guiding You Through Private Use of Pubic Resources
The advent of competition in broadband communications markets has sparked renewed interest in ensuring fair, reasonable, and competitively neutral access to rights-of-way. Providers should be subject to the same local franchising and fee requirements as their competitors. In this increasingly competitive broadband marketplace, you need seasoned attorneys on your side to help ensure a level regulatory playing field. We’ll guide you through local authorizations, fee requirements, and other obligations that may affect your business.
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U.S. News and Best Lawyers®
Practice ranked National Tier 1 and Regional Tier 1 in Communications Law, "Best Law Firms" (2025)
Legal 500
Leading Firm – Media, Technology, and Telecoms – Telecoms & Broadcast: Regulatory
Our Approach
We have extensive experience counseling clients on a wide variety of cable and telecom franchising, rights-of-way access, and related matters. We regularly advise clients seeking access to government property to deploy their networks and help them ensure that local governments grant competitors access only on equal terms. We negotiate access rights with local governments and secure transfer approvals. We advocate on behalf of our clients before the Federal Communications Commission, federal and state courts, and state and local regulatory bodies on the permissible limits and terms of cable and telecom franchises and rights-of-way agreements and fees.
- Negotiate local franchise and rights-of-way access terms
- Strategize on level playing field issues
- Represent providers facing franchise fee audits
- Advise on preemption issues and conflicts with federal law
We represent communications service providers seeking approval from state and local authorities to transfer their rights-of-way authority in connection with mergers and acquisitions. At the federal, state, and local levels, we help you achieve your close — from formulating your arguments, to filing the applications and negotiating approval terms.
Our team advises cable operators on local rights-of-way access and competition matters.
Meet Mintz
Our attorneys have extensive experience counseling clients on cable franchising and rights-of-way access matters.
Member / Chair, Communications Infrastructure Litigation Practice
