Vital statistics: Carrier pays $1,995 permit fee per pole annually
For wireless carriers seeking to solve capacity issues, partnering with local municipalities is sometimes the answer to their problem. Verizon hopes this to be the case in its proposal to the City of Lincoln, Nebraska to replace 30 of the city’s utility poles to deploy small cells in the area.
Under the agreement, Verizon would pay to access the city’s fiber from the city’s conduit system, reports the Lincoln Journal Star. This would enable the carrier to equip 30 utility poles to provide better wireless service in the area.
The proposed agreement, which has yet to be approved by the city council, would have Verizon pay a $1,500 permit fee per pole to cover the city’s review process. After that, the carrier would pay the city $1,995 per pole on an annual basis.
Not only would the city collect monthly revenue from the agreement should it decide to approve the contract, but the utility poles will be constructed so that the city can install its equipment on them in the future.
The City of Lincoln already has a contract in place with Allo Communications to lease its fiber in the conduit system, which the company has used to deploy public WiFi downtown. Allo will also be able to use the new utility poles to install equipment for its WiFi network.
Verizon is the first wireless carrier to contact the city about leasing the fiber system, but others could follow. The City Council was planning to discuss the contract at a meeting it held on Monday night.
December 20, 2016
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