By David Witkowski and Dave Hodson
David Witkowski is Executive Director of the Wireless Communications Initiative at Joint Venture Silicon Valley. Dave Hodson is Partner and Director of Development at Skype/Microsoft.
The Bay Area’s current economic boom is based on the explosive growth in mobile apps and services that rely on reliable and robust wireless networks. Every company from the giants like Google, Apple and Facebook down to the smallest seed-funded startup is building its strategy around smartphone apps, cloud computing and mobile data — creating enormous demand on our wireless infrastructure.
Unfortunately, our wireless networks are not keeping pace with demand, and we rank poorly in both performance and coverage metrics. Local government and carriers need to do more to streamline creation of the vital infrastructure needed to meet the growing needs of our economy.
Reliable and robust wireless networks are critical resources for our citizens, and failing to provide them is no different than failing to provide clean drinking water, natural gas, sewage service or electricity. Yet we must also respect the need for minimalist, quiet, and aesthetically-considered wireless facilities. Care needs to be taken that wireless sites are designed to align with historical and cultural preservation efforts.
In the past, the thinking was that wireless networks are luxuries for the wealthy — the stereotypical multitasking businessperson with a smartphone. In fact, they are critical systems for our daily lives and a key tool to bridge the digital divide. Mobile devices have replaced laptops and PCs in many homes. Families in poverty, unable to afford both mobile data and wired broadband subscriptions, often opt for mobile data only.
To address this challenge, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, through its Wireless Communications Initiative, has formed a coalition among the wireless industry, local governments, businesses and residents working together to improve the wireless network infrastructure.
Lacking additional radio spectrum to meet demand and projected growth, wireless network operators have begun using technologies that augment the existing tower network with low-power wireless sites that cover only a few blocks. For every tower, there may be dozens of these low-power sites deployed along city streets on light poles, utility poles and building roofs.
Almost all cities have policies for tower site applications, but many have not modified ordinances and application processes to account for these new low-power technologies. Laws enacted by Congress and the California Legislature now require cities to respond quickly to permit applications for wireless sites. Unlike towers, the low-power technology involves deploying in multiple locations, which makes detailed application reviews a challenge. If the mandated state and federal time frames are exceeded, cities risk losing control over these projects — and/or being sued.
Leaders must embrace these new low-power wireless technologies, and quickly draft and adopt policies that allow cities and towns to retain control over their deployment while remaining compliant with federal and state laws.
Deploying a world-class wireless network is vital to ensuring that all of our region’s citizens have reliable and robust access to voice and data communications. Municipal leaders and wireless network operators should partner to build these networks in a way that supports both the technological goals while maintaining our quality of life and local aesthetics.
Our shared goal should be to go forward together in partnership between industry and local governments, to create a world-class wireless network in Silicon Valley that serves the interests and needs of all citizens.
We urge our region’s citizens to email or call their city council members and other local government leaders, asking them to swiftly enact supporting ordinances and create streamlined applications that will make these modern wireless networks a reality.
Contact the Wireless Communications Initiative here.
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