FCC Commissioner Carr Lauds Ninth Circuit Decision Upholding Small Cell REforms

I am pleased that the Ninth Circuit affirmed the wireless infrastructure reforms we adopted in September 2018. I thank the Federal Communications Commission staff who carefully crafted the order, and I congratulate the Office of General Counsel for their successful defense of our work. Small cells that power 5G were threatened by exorbitant fees and unnecessary delays—red tape that was tolerated when building macro towers but would have brought small cell deployment to a halt. The FCC wisely right-sized review to reflect new technology, and I’m proud that over the last two years our reforms have resulted in more small cell investment than ever before.

Ultimately, the wireless infrastructure docket I’ve led is about 5G jobs, education, and healthcare— opportunities and services that we’ve valued all the more through the pandemic. Our sensible fee limits, shot clocks, and guardrails on approval already are making America home to the strongest 5G platform in the world. I’m glad that with today’s decision, the litigation is settled, and we can continue our pursuit of next-gen opportunities for all Americans.