July 9, 2023
Recent reporting in the Wall Street Journal has made a range of claims about concerns related to legacy lead-clad telecommunications cables.
Get the science and the facts here: Telecomcablefacts.com
What you should know about the issue:
The U.S. telecommunications industry takes the health and safety of our workers, neighbors, and the communities in which we live and operate very seriously.
We have not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue.
- Any risks associated with legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are mitigated by the nature of the material, their location, coatings on them, conduits surrounding them, and other factors.
- When underground, underwater, or suspended from telephone poles, lead-clad telecom cables are not directly accessible to the general public.
- Further, many are either coated or surrounded by an additional protective layer, so they do not directly contact the environment (i.e., soil or water).
We have been unable to confirm the information reported by the Wall Street Journal because we do not have access to all the data or methodology underlying their conclusions.
- As is always the case, the U.S. telecommunications industry stands ready to engage constructively on this issue.
Lead-sheathed telecom cables were used starting in the late 1800s. The industry began to phase out placement of new lead-clad telecom cables in the 1950s when plastic forms of sheathing were developed.
- Some legacy lead-clad telecom cables still provide customer voice and data services such as connecting 911 service, fire alarms, and other central monitoring stations.
- U.S. telecom providers continue to invest in upgrading our networks, including by installing fiber optic cables.
Through the broadband industry’s generational investments totaling nearly $2.1 trillion over the past 25 years, we are closer than ever to achieving universal coverage so all communities can reap the benefits and the opportunities of connection.
- In 2022, broadband providers invested $102.4 billion into the world-class networks and connectivity infrastructure that has kept America connected through unprecedented times.
- This investment has enabled 92% of Americans to have high-speed internet to access healthcare, education, ecommerce, job training and more.
Get the science and the facts here: Telecomcablefacts.com
Statement from USTelecom:
“For more than 100 years, the U.S. telecommunications industry has connected people, businesses, communities, and first responders while supporting our nation’s economy and critical infrastructure needs. As part of this commitment, our members take the health and safety of our workers and the communities in which we live and operate very seriously.
“We have been unable to confirm the information reported by the Wall Street Journal because we do not have access to all of the data or methodology underlying its conclusions. We have not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue.
“As a highly regulated industry, we’ve implemented and maintained strong safety programs, and follow local, state, and federal environmental and public health and safety laws and regulations. Our industry also has a long tradition of closely following science and evidence as it relates to public health, environmental protection, and worker safety issues. And safe work practices within the telecommunications industry have proven effective in reducing potential lead exposures to workers. Legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables were deployed in the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, and placement of these cables then began to get phased out in the 1950s, after the development of a new type of sheathing.
“Regulators have been focused for decades on the primary and largest sources of lead in the environment like lead in motor fuels, industrial activities, lead dust from historic lead-based paint, lead in drinking water from historic distribution piping, and lead in household products, such as toys or jewelry. This regulatory focus has been highly effective, bringing national population lead levels in human blood samples down nearly 95% from the levels in the 1970s across all age groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The U.S. telecommunications industry stands ready to engage constructively on this issue.”
For media inquiries for USTelecom, please contact media@ustelecom.org.