Comcast sues Nashville over law that helps Google Fiber

Comcast has filed a lawsuit against Nashville in a bid to overturn a city law, One Touch Make Ready, that was primarily designed to help speed Google's fiber optic rollout. Much as with an AT&T lawsuit filed in September, Comcast maintains that AT&T-owned poles fall under the jurisdiction of the FCC, not the city -- Nashville can't let internet providers add their own wires without having AT&T move wires first, the cable giant says. The suit also claims that the city's Metro Council isn't allowed to regulate poles owned by Nashville Electric Service, and that the law violates Comcast's contracts with both pole owners.

Comcast insists that this isn't about protecting its market dominance. It's about the cableco's ability to oversee its network, "customer relationships and public safety," according to the company's Andy Macke. Google and other internet providers could theoretically cause damage or otherwise interfere with existing service. In the lawsuit, Comcast adds that One Touch Make Ready is "so intrusive" that Metro Nashville exempted its own poles from the new rule.