The FCC should not impose broad tower siting...

The FCC should not impose broad tower siting rules on local governments, said the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in comments filed at the agency. The comments are at odds with industry arguments in the same docket (CD Feb 5 p3). “The vast majority of wireless broadband infrastructure projects are processed and deployed in a timely manner, respecting not only the needs of providers, but also the desires of the communities they serve,” the groups said. “Therefore, Commenters urge the Commission to refrain from adopting formal rules that would impose a one-size-fits-all interpretation of Section 6409, which, we believe, could prove to be unworkable to the extent that such rules could hinder deployment.” Joseph Van Eaton, a lawyer from the Best Best firm who represents cities, said in an email late Tuesday he sees room for compromise on siting rules now before the FCC. “There is definitely room for common ground,” Van Eaton said. “That’s one of the reasons we suggested that the agency allow local governments and industry to agree on best practices. And even if rules are adopted, I think we'll see broad consensus that Section 6409 does not preempt all local conditions on placement. Some industry commenters conceded, for example, that localities could maintain stealth requirements and that local authority to protect public health and safety was not implicated by Section 6409.”