As the wireless industry works towards network densification with small cells and the promise of 5G, towers will very much be a part of the future. Steve Traylor, Executive Director, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors said, “Towers are not going away. They play an important role” in the future. He spoke during a panel discussion on “Advancing Broadband Infrastructure for IoT and Smart Communities” organized by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
Nokia is looking to deploy some 300,000 to 400,000 small cells nationwide as it focuses on coverage and capacity to support streaming to autonomous vehicles and machine to machine applications in the future. But some cities make broadband deployment difficult. Describing problems his company sees, Nokia Americas Head of Policy and Government Relations Brian Hendricks, said some communities don’t have a master zoning agreement template, while others charge prohibitive siting or attachment fees, which can lead into “millions” of dollars for one small cell deployment.
Still others have a moratorium on the deployment of small cell infrastructure. Citing the FCC’s open proceeding to ease barriers on such deployment, he said the issue “is a major challenge in terms of cost and speed.”
Both Hendricks and Traylor believe the wireless industry needs to make a better case to municipalities about network densification. Crout suggested emphasizing to local officials they can get revenue from the companies that attach their equipment to poles and broadband can make “smart” sewer, water and electricity services more efficient, saving local municipalities’ money.
“The industry hasn’t done a particularly great job” of explaining “why we have a different model for deployment and why it’s important for densification and what will happen if we can’t deploy in that way,” said Hendricks.
September 28, 2017
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