Planning
Your community may not have seen small cells or evidence of 5G technology. Many communities may only have limited 4G service at this time. Rest assured, they are coming and sooner than anyone originally believed. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused everything to fast forward when it comes to connectivity. The pandemic has made clear that our wireless ecosystem needs serious upgrades. Communities know this and the industry wants to make it happen, but the industry wants it done at light speed and with few barriers to deployment.
Many local governments around the country have been angered by the various Federal and state regulations that have handcuffed them in dealing with the industry. That is understandable to a degree. However, many cities around the country have chosen to get out in front of the industry, or at least run in parallel, by developing plans and guidelines that layout conditions for equipment locations, aesthetic concerns and permitting requirements. They all have been done keeping in mind the parameters of the various Federal and state regulations that have been enacted. These communities have had relatively few issues in working with the industry as they install more infrastructure. For all of the local governments that have taken these measures, however, there are at least twice as many, if not more, that have done nothing in preparation for the wireless industry’s 5G and other technological advances
being deployed.
If you are a community that is choosing to wait until the wireless carriers and related entities get to you in full force, that is a mistake. The wireless carriers themselves will tell you that are more than willing to work with a community when they have clearly defined guidelines and expectations set forth. It is when
a community tries to improvise or tries to develop rules and regulations as they go that trouble arises in the form of lengthy and frequent meeting and even results in litigation that just costs everybody money and time.
The industry has been moving rapidly and now it will be moving even faster with even more work to do. The FCC estimates that there will be a need for millions of small cells across the country by many different players in the market. The recent T-Mobile/Sprint merger requires the new company to have 90% of the rural areas covered by the middle of the decade. DISH, the company expected to become the fourth major wireless carrier, has very aggressive timelines by which to deploy its 5G network in urban and rural areas. This does not even include efforts being made to get more broadband connectivity in underserved areas.
What all of this means is that there will be thousands of requests coming into your communities for permits, reviews and/or agreements. This volume of work will last well into the decade and after that, the next wave of new technology will be upon us. Urban Wireless Solutions can help you manage this work. Our staff of varied experts can work with you to develop a comprehensive “wireless master plan” that can include new ordinances, design guidelines and location aesthetic criteria. The plan can also include a clear and concise process by which to review such requests, applications and issue permits. This will help you and your staff stay ahead of the curve when working the advancements of the wireless industry.
Most cities and towns have witnessed large decreases in revenue over the last several years. This in turn has led to reductions in staff and other resources. As a result, many city staffs are not well suited to handle the volume or technical details of what is being asked of them. Urban Wireless Solutions and its staff can assist managing the workload and provide expert advice when problems arise. The workload often ebbs and flows, which makes it difficult to have full-time personnel in place when those slower times occur. With Urban Wireless Solution working for you, you won’t have to be concerned about underutilized staff and the worry of letting people go when the work is not there. In this capacity, we are happy to work with you, as needed.
Representatives of the wireless carriers and their related entities will be coming into your offices. They will be asking you about your requirements and procedures for deploying their infrastructure. They will offer to work with you in developing processes to make their deployments go smoothly and as pain free as possible. They will mean well, but they will be doing what serves their interests best. Furthermore, each carrier will have their own set of criteria for the optimal deployment of their equipment. Local governments and their staffs need somebody on their side to make sure the build out of wireless infrastructure in their community is done in a manner that helps the industry achieve its objectives but does not create chaos for the community. Urban Wireless Solutions and its staff can help you achieve those goals with proper planning and preparation.
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