Growing Number of States Seen Clearing Regulatory Path to 5G Rollout
Half a dozen states have adopted or are close to adopting laws easing the regulatory burdens of 5G deployment, and the hope is that more will follow suit this year, said CTIA Senior Vice President-External and State Affairs Jamie Hastings Thursday at a Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) 5G presentation. Ohio, Kansas, Arizona and Colorado passed such laws in the past 18 months, and bills in Iowa and Virginia are awaiting those governors' signatures, Hastings told us afterward, saying some other states are "in play," though she didn't elaborate.
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The legislation, while not identical in each state, generally covers the same territory of ensuring reasonable access to city facilities like utility poles, reasonable regulatory costs and streamlining of the regulatory process, Hastings said. "We are not saying 'don't regulate' -- just give us regulatory certainty," she said.
The presentation was the first of three MMTC has scheduled on 5G, with sessions also set for July and October on 5G misconceptions and differences between 5G and 4G. Much of Thursday's event involved infrastructure needs of 5G and how it might particularly benefit communities and entrepreneurs of color.
Infrastructure regulation is a chief priority since regulatory regimes nationwide are aimed at macro towers and are struggling to incorporate the very different needs of small cells, Hastings said. "Communities are just shutting down" when presented with small-cell permitting applications, she said. But she said CTIA and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) are continuing to work through organizations like NATOA and National League of Cities to get local regulators up to speed.
The FCC's 3-0 vote Thursday on an NPRM and notice of inquiry on wireless siting (see 1704200037) "is a very good start" on removing regulatory barriers, said USTelecom Vice President-Law and Policy Diane Holland. WIA Director-Government Affairs Zachary Champ said the FCC "teed up the right questions" to accelerate the 5G transition.
Amid all the 5G activity, digital divide issues still also need to be addressed, Holland said. "A bigger, faster, better [network] ... is very important," but it becomes moot if it or the tools to access it are unaffordable, she said. Champ said one of the big regulatory struggles now is modernization of programs like E-rate so wireless is a bigger part.
ITU standards setting is driving for an October 2020 deadline for 5G, but whether it meets that remains to be seen, said MMTC Vice President-Telecommunications and Spectrum Policy Rikin Thakker. But he said there's growing consensus non-backward-compatible radio access will be part of 5G, supported by the need for parallel evolution of LTE-Advanced.
Numerous companies are moving on 5G well before 2020, panelists said. Holland pointed to Verizon's announced buy of $1.05 billion in Corning fiber cable (see 1704180042) as being for both current 4G and upcoming 5G needs. Hastings said 26 separate 5G trials are underway across the nation.