how do I gain access to place equipment on telephone poles in pittsburgh, pa?

Look at the pole in question. You should find a small metal tag, or
some form of identification on this pole. If the ID tag is missing,
contact your local power company. It has been my experience over the
years that the local power company usually owns all the poles, and the
other utility providers pay them to get access to attach their
equipment to the said poles. I hope this little piece of info helps
you to find out what you want to know.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

I was actually looking for something more detailed.  I would like to
know what it would require including things like licensing, capital
requirements, etc.  If I wanted to take the time to collect that
information, I could certainly start with the local phone company, but
then I wouldn't need this service ;)

Since I am not able to officially answer a question, I will just leave
the links, but in general, the FCC regulates the fees and requirements
for "pole attachments"  A typical fee is $5-$5 per pole, but there
have been multiple companies that have attempted to raise these rates.

The companies regulate the attachments based on their category.
One site that has a number of good references is:
http://www.pplweb.com/delivering_energy/poleattachment/index.htm

Here is the official codes for pole attachments
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/47/224.html

Many break down the attachments to CABLE, NON-CABLE or SERVICE
qualifications.  

There are all sorts of fees from installation, inspection ect based on
what
you want to do. 

You should clarify what exactly you want.  Do you want access to every
house?
The ability to use select poles ect.


I will leave it to a researcher to post a formal answer.