CTIA hopeful for siting reform, says stakes are ‘huge’ when it comes to 5G

The US can still win the race to 5G—but it’s got to pass some significant reforms like those being considered by the Federal Communications Commission to make it happen. That’s the message from CTIA (a large wireless industry trade group) President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker, who’s calling 2018 the year for action, because, as she puts it, “The stakes are huge.” Baker said she wholeheartedly agrees with Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri’s assessment of the situation, where the US and China are neck-and-neck when it comes to 5G. Baker said she’s encouraged by the item on the FCC’s March agenda that seeks to clarify and modernize procedures for National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews of wireless infrastructure deployments.