FCC Commissioner Carr's Mobile World Congress Remarks on a Modern Regulatory Approach to 5G

I want to provide an update on the significant progress we’ve made in the US to update our infrastructure rules. And I want to share some of the results we’re already seeing, including Internet speeds that are up 40% and 5G networks that are being built in the US at an accelerated clip. I want to highlight two of the significant reforms we adopted in 2018. First, we updated our approach to the federal historic and environmental rules that govern the buildout of broadband infrastructure. Second, we examined impediments to infrastructure buildout imposed by city and state governments. We clarified that the fees governments charge for siting small cells in rights-of-way must not exceed a reasonable approximation of their costs, and we tightened the shot clocks for approving small cell applications so that we can get this infrastructure up more quickly. 

At the Federal Communications Commission, we have focused on spreading the opportunities from 5G to the maximum number of communities, under the mantra More Broadband for More Americans. We hope to continue executing on that goal with a modern regulatory approach: one that is inclusive, nimble, and attractive to investment and job creation.