Cities Lose Lawsuit Against FCC’s 5G Rules

A federal appeals court upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s rules that limit municipalities’ ability to negotiate with telecom companies such as AT&T and Verizon that are seeking to deploy thousands of 5G antennas on city streets and neighborhoods. From a report: The ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is a blow to dozens of cities that sued the agency, claiming the FCC’s 2018 rules takes away their leverage and autonomy in deciding how the telecom industry can install “small-cell” antennas to build 5G networks. The FCC maintains that its rules — which prohibit excessive fees and permitting delays by municipal governments — will speed up the deployment of 5G networks throughout the country by removing burdensome barriers to telecom providers. “The wind is at our backs: With the FCC’s infrastructure policies now ratified by the court, along with pathbreaking spectrum auctions concluded, ongoing and to come, America is well-positioned to extend its global lead in 5G and American consumers will benefit from the next generation of wireless technologies and services,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a statement.