The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently voted along party lines 3-2 to make it easier for operators to deploy small cell infrastructure in an effort to quicken network densification in support of 5G commercialization. This decision exempts small cell deployments from the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and National Environmental Policy Act review process and eliminates the requirement for environmental assessments solely based on a proposed location being in a flood plain. A report titled Impact of Federal Regulatory Reviews on Small Cell Deployment was released March 12 by Accenture estimated that operators could save over a billion dollars as a result of this decision.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- FCC voted 3-2 to make it easier to deploy small cell infrastructure
- The vote will quicken the deployment of network densification
- A report titled Impact of Federal Regulatory Reviews on Small Cell Deployment found 29% of deployment costs are related to NHPA/NEPA regulations
Meredith Atwell Baker, president and CEO of industry association CTIA, said the move “will help America win the global 5G race by significantly reducing the number of months to deploy 5G networks and decreasing the cost to build out new small cells by almost a third. The reforms will make a big difference in how quickly these more powerful networks can be installed for consumers and communities across the nation.”
Original source: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20180323/policy/fcc-votes-to-ease-small-cell-siting-rules-tag17
Additional information: https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0301/DOC-349528A1.pdf
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