Consistent Infrastructure Policies Are Key to Providing Advanced Mobile Services

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Annual Convention Sept. 20-22, Seattle, WA

Consumers rely on mobile connectivity all day, every day – often without even thinking about it. Mobile broadband delivers much more than access to the latest consumer apps.  Today, Americans depend on reliable mobile broadband services for critical health, educational, public safety, and economic reasons – not just to connect socially.

To meet this incredible demand, wireless carriers know they will need access to more spectrum, new innovative technologies and “5G” capabilities.  Wi-Fi access and virtualized network elements have emerged as  key technology strategies to help carriers keep up with ever-increasing consumer demand.   However, without sound physical infrastructure policies and backhaul services in place, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and new network capabilities are all but impossible to achieve.

As carriers grapple with providing the latest services, it is more important than ever to have consistent infrastructure policies in place. In North America, more than 100 wireless carriers provide service to customers, including those in unserved and underserved areas. No matter where we live, all Americans deserve access to the most robust wireless services, yet many competitive carriers experience challenges or delays when attempting to deploy, upgrade, provision, or expand their networks.  

Competitive carriers looking to expand and improve their network infrastructure have experienced lost or missing tower siting applications, unreasonable delays without a determination for approval or denial, inconsistent or undisclosed rules across agencies or even within the same agency, and redundant review, which cause unnecessary delays.  Additionally, some carriers’ initial tower site locations have been rejected, only to have them be determined months, or even years, later as the most reasonable location for that tower facility.  

Addressing these challenges through sound and consistent infrastructure policies can make a real difference for consumers in underserved areas. Policymakers must take action to help speed deployment by streamlining infrastructure processes.  

CCA and its members have been supportive of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congressional efforts to solve infrastructure challenges and continue to encourage policymakers to move forward to find solutions. Implementing shot clocks for applications on federal lands, standardizing and simplifying the application process, establishing responsive points of contact in government entities, and streamlining historical and environmental reviews are a few steps that can be taken to ease broadband deployment challenges and bring consumers the access they need and desire.

In addition to addressing tower-siting challenges, policymakers must also ensure that carriers have access to backhaul – another important component of establishing sound physical connections.  In recent months, the FCC proposed modernizing and reforming the business data services (BDS) market, also known as the special access market.  Competitive carriers depend on BDS for backhaul, and the demand for backhaul has only increased as consumers’ demand for mobile data has surged.  To meet consumers’ calls for more, carriers are prepping to densify their networks in order to move to 5G technology and beyond.  For the benefit of all consumers, including those in rural and remote areas, competitive carriers must have access to business data services on reasonable terms and conditions.  

For far too long, incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) have been able to charge exorbitant rates, taking advantage of other carriers that have no choice but to purchase business data services from the ILECs, who are also often their biggest competitors.  ILECs should not be permitted to continue this anticompetitive practice, which in the end hurts consumers most, as they end up paying unnecessarily high rates. In many cases, backhaul costs may compose up to 30% of tower operational expenses.   Policymakers must not underestimate the importance of ensuring competitive carriers have access to necessary backhaul resources.  With 5G deployments right around the corner, now is the time to act on this long-standing BDS proceeding.

With consumer demand for mobile broadband services at an all-time high, with no signs of slowing down, both policymakers and industry participants must look at every opportunity to ease strain on networks and provide consumers with the connectivity they need and deserve. It is absolutely essential to establish sound infrastructure policies and reasonable access to backhaul resources as quickly as possible, so that consumers can continue to enjoy the benefits of mobile connectivity across all aspects of their lives.

By: Steven K. Berry, President & CEO, CCA

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