The FCC has the authority to exempt distributed...

The FCC has the authority to exempt distributed antenna systems and small cells from environmental and historic preservation review and should take that step as quickly as it can, CTIA said in a letter to the commission. “There can be no doubt that the Commission has both the legal authority and the record to support the creation of the requested categorical exclusion,” the group said (http://bit.ly/1r0sPMU). “The buildout of wireless broadband infrastructure -- both to provide more universal availability and to expand the bandwidth available to the public -- cannot be accomplished in a timely manner unless the FCC streamlines its processes, wherever it can.” The filing was posted Friday in docket 11-59.