An FCC commissioner hopes recent agreements to install thousands of small cells in San Jose, Calif., could help more cities strike similar partnerships.
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel last month introduced model documents based on the agreements negotiated by San Jose officials with Verizon, AT&T and infrastructure company Mobilitie.
Under those deals, the companies are expected to invest more than $500 million across San Jose in infrastructure, fiber and small cells installed on about 4,000 city-owned light poles.
Rosenworcel, one of two Democratic commissioners, noted that the demands of 5G networks will require rationalizing the nation’s “legal tradition of local control” with the “more streamlined and uniform practices” needed to efficiently install small cell infrastructure.
She said in a statement that she hopes “these agreements can inform the work of cities and towns nationwide to support universal broadband deployment and expand the civic and commercial opportunities of the digital age.”
Republican FCC commissioners, meanwhile, hope to develop rules to prevent state and local regulations from delaying small cell installations or increasing their costs.
Filed Under: Industry regulations + certifications