Progress Outside of BDAC Reported on Industry-Government Discussions on Siting
A proposed ad hoc Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee working group held a single call after last month’s BDAC meeting, aimed at making sure wireless infrastructure gets built despite COVID-19. Citing complications of working within the rules, members told us they shifted to informal discussions between industry and local governments and likely won’t seek a charge from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to make coronavirus issues an official BDAC issue. Other WGs hold weekly meetings.
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BDAC Chair Elizabeth Bowles said she took part in the March 23 call (see 2003270060) and subsequent informal discussions. “Everyone is rowing in the same direction,” Bowles said in an interview now. “There’s a problem with the lack of broadband, particularly in rural areas, and that divide is an issue for education and telemedicine.” COVID-19 has “sort of brought it home,” she said: “It has become very stark.”
The CEO of Aristotle, a wireless ISP in Arkansas, Bowles said every current deployment is “coronavirus-related.” Industry needs to move “expeditiously” but carefully, she said, “not making decisions that will have permanent ramifications to deal with an immediate need.” Everyone understands the process needs to work differently during these times, she said.
“We’re engaged in active dialogue with municipal leaders and municipalities, and they have been really collaborative about this,” said Jonathan Adelstein, Wireless Infrastructure Association president, in an interview. “We all share the goal of keeping these communities open.” Local governments “are battling issues that are as difficult as any they have ever experienced,” he said. “The industry understands that this is a very difficult time for a lot of municipalities, and they have a huge list of priorities that sometimes top everything else.”
Wireless networks are also a “lifeline” for most, enabling a Facetime call with a primary care physician to determine if you need to go to the hospital, Adelstein said. “We need to move the network forward as best we can,” he said. “Early on, governments shut down, they had to work from home. Some had procedures that allowed the permitting process to move forward and others need to … get settled in.” Now, most are able to process permits, but the working group is focusing on what is working and what isn’t, he said. “Some communities are sort of under water with this problem, and we’re going to have to wait,” Adelstein said. The areas hit hardest by the pandemic aren’t necessarily the ones lagging, he said. New York City “has a very sophisticated regime for processing permits so they’re able to continue moving on,” he said: “We’re just trying to work cooperatively.”
“It has been helpful to have a forum where local government representatives and industry representatives can share their concerns and work to ensure providers address critical communications issues driven by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Nancy Werner, NATOA general counsel. “Most communities have successfully transitioned their processes to ensure work can continue.” The ad hoc committee can help “by directing resources to those communities that welcome some assistance with permitting processes during this time,” she said.
“Discussions are ongoing and there’s some good dialogue occurring, especially as it relates to COVID-related challenges,” said a Wireless ISP Association spokesperson.