May 19, 2017–The FCC should delay adopting further wireless siting regulations until the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) has had a chance to make recommendations, according to the National League of Cities, which also said it opposed any more “restrictions on local authority.”

The group submitted an ex parte filing yesterday in GN docket 17-83 and WT docket 17-79 reporting on a meeting with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Rachael Bender, his wireless and international adviser, and Mesa, Ariz., Vice Mayor David Luna as well as another NLC representative. “We commended the Chairman for his attempt to convene a wide variety of stakeholders within the framework of the BDAC to discuss common solutions for accelerating broadband deployment to all communities, but echoed the concerns raised by Mayor Sam Liccardo’s representative during the first BDAC meeting,” the filing said. “While additional highly qualified local representatives have been appointed to several of the BDAC working groups, the National League of Cities continued to urge the Commission to increase the number and diversity of local officials on the BDAC to a level comparable with the number and diversity of industry officials. NLC asked the Chairman to prioritize gaining input from local officials throughout the BDAC’s work.

“We also discussed the pending wireless item, ‘Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment,’ and NLC’s strong opposition to further restrictions of local authority,” the filing added. “We urged the Chairman not to further pursue regulation on wireless siting matters as they pertain to local governments until the work of the BDAC has progressed and the group has had a chance to convene and make recommendations to the Commission. We discussed the strong desire by local governments to ensure that their residents have access to reliable broadband service, and to work collaboratively with providers to ensure that service is made available. We encouraged the Chairman to work in the direction of partnership with, rather than preemption of, local officials, who share his goal of closing the digital divide.”- Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily