Michael O’Rielly of the FCC also spoke at the CCA Annual Convention Wednesday. While O’Rielly stressed the importance of getting spectrum into the commercial marketplace, he noted that spectrum alone won’t solve our problems. “Everyone must accept the simple fact that you can’t have wireless networks and the services that result, including wireless broadband, without infrastructure,” the commissioner said. “Not only is infrastructure needed to deliver the latest innovations and offerings, but is also needed to maintain the economic growth of the wireless sector, along with its corresponding benefits to the U.S. economy, and the U.S. position as the leader in wireless and Internet technologies.”
O’Rielly went on to discuss how the FCC can facilitate this deployment. He explained that the Commission must provide a regulatory environment that promotes infrastructure investment and deployment by reducing regulatory costs and increasing market certainty. Later this month, the FCC’s Infrastructure Order will reach its one year anniversary. While the hope was this Order would end some of the practices used by local municipalities to impede the placement of towers, there are still setbacks.
“Unfortunately, resistance to tower siting continues,” O’Rielly said. “Some localities continue to place roadblocks in front of infrastructure deployment.” Just check out our Zoning and Moaning section every day. In addition to removing roadblocks, he explained the Commission must promote the collocation of facilities. “Generally, macro sites on average have 2.5 tenants per tower, but can accommodate between five and six tenants on average. It has also been estimated that 2,000 new physical tower structures will be built over the next three years, and this number does not include small cells and building locations, which could reach the tens of thousands.”
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