The U.S. Federal Communications Commission meets later today to, among other things, vote on a proposal that will streamline small cell deployment rules and, if adopted, make it easier for carriers to build out small cell sites needed to deliver on 5G.
The meat of the proposed order would:
- Ban local regulations designed to prohibit wireless infrastructure deployment;
- Standardize the fee structure cities can charge for reviewing small cell projects;
- Establish a 60-day shot clock for attaching small cells to existing structures and 90 days for new builds;
- And sets “modest guardrails on other municipal rules that may prohibit service.”