Access to broadband connectivity is critical for cities and towns, enabling their communities to work, learn, and engage in society. Small cells can provide and improve broadband access and coverage. However, regulatory processes for deploying small cells in many municipalities remain lengthy, complex, and costly.
The Small Cell Forum (SCF), based in Gloucestershire, U.K., has over 140 members around the world that include mobile network operators, neutral hosts, tower companies and wireless equipment manufacturers. To help municipalities and local authorities support timely deployment of small cells, SCF has published a white paper on the steps municipalities/local authorities can take to streamline the permitting process, promote policies for speedy deployments, and bring cellular connectivity and broadband services to their communities.
The regulatory guidance provided in the white paper titled, “Digital transformation for municipalities,” highlights the benefits small cells afford, including ease of deployment and maintenance, health and safety safeguards, energy and environmental sustainability, and reduced clutter from shared infrastructure. To help expedite deployment of small cells, SCF recommends a series of steps, policies, and resources to help facilitate the rapid rollout of small cell networks and address the needs and concerns of municipalities/local authorities.
These recommendations include:
- Establishing a single point of contact to work across departments to ensure alignment to support deployment.
- Providing necessary support and resources.
- Enabling access to existing structures for installation.
- Pursuing power and service alternatives to mitigate the cost of installing new connections.
- Streamlining planning/zoning processes.
- Supporting a lowering of the tax and fee burden.
- Developing innovative business models involving public-private partnerships.
- Promoting the use of value-funded sites.
View the white paper here.
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