Trade associations applauded the news that the FCC plans to vote at its September 26 meeting on an order to update the agency’s wireless infrastructure guidelines for states and municipalities. Specifically, the proposal would speed and lower the costs for small cell permitting and siting. See what the proposal entails here.
The National Association of Tower Erectors commended Commissioner Brendan Carr on the announcement from Indianapolis. NATE Executive Director Todd Schlekeway said, the association has played a prominent role providing all the Commissioners, including Chairman Ajit Pai, “with opportunities to visit sites and experience first-hand the role that wireless infrastructure and siting policies play in the deployment of macro towers and small cells that are both so critical to 5G.” The plan unveiled by Carr, “takes the successful tenets of small cell deployment legislation that have been passed by some of the states and standardizes them” in a way that will provide a broadband deployment “road map,” he added.
“Commissioner Carr rightly reaffirmed a balanced framework with localities over wireless infrastructure decisions where appropriate, while ensuring that commonsense guardrails apply to actions that inhibit broadband deployment,” said Wireless Infrastructure Association President/CEO Jonathan Adelstein. “The partnerships between the wireless industry and local communities remain crucial to 5G deployment and Commissioner Carr’s announcement strikes a positive tone to build upon them.”
Carr said an economic analysis released last week, suggests this FCC decision would cut about $2 billion in red tape, stimulate $2.5 billion in additional investment, and create 27,000 jobs. In response, CTIA President/CEO Meredith Attwell Baker stated: “We applaud Commissioner Carr for recognizing the importance of 5G leadership to our national economy and communities. We urge the FCC to support these proposals for modernizing outdated infrastructure rules which will spur billions in investment, millions of jobs and the innovations of tomorrow.”
September 5, 2018
