California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law two measures that will help wireless deployments. The Wireless Infrastructure Association says it worked closely with an industry coalition on both bills, meant to streamline rules for telecom infrastructure deployments.
The first, AB 537, updated California’s rules for the time-frame a municipality has to review an application for co-location or siting of wireless telecom facilities. Under the updated rule, the “shot clock” for a municipality to act on an application or notify the applicant that the application is deficient, is now harmonious with FCC rules.
Specifically, the application is “deemed approved” if the municipality does not act:
- within 60 days for an application to co-locate a small wireless facility or other facility on an existing structure;
- 90 days for an application to deploy a small wireless facility on a new structure; or
- 150 days for an application to deploy a facility other than a small wireless facility on a new structure.
This new law is the first time the rules have been updated in California since 2014, according to WIA. It brings the rules in line with the FCC decision made in 2018, and recently upheld in the 9th Circuit. Additionally, the Governor signed SB 378, a measure to harmonize rules across the state to allow for the use of microtrenching for fiber installations. Under the new rules, a local agency must allow applicants to use microtrenching for fiber deployments, unless existing rules would otherwise prohibit that activity.
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