Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Thune Eyes Packaging Broadband Deployment Bills

Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-SD) is eying ways to combine his STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act, S. 3157, with “several bills that have been filed” also dealing with “faster deployment of broadband services.” He says to expect another hearing on these and noted his STREAMLINE bill, which would ease deployment of 5G infrastructure, “is one we would clearly like to see move this year” perhaps along with “elements or features” of other bills “that could be incorporated into something that could move out of the committee.” One major bill that could hitch a ride: the AIRWAVES Act, S. 1682, which would free up more spectrum for commercial use. But opponents to Thune’s 5G bill are piling up. Desmarie Waterhouse, government relations VP for the American Public Power Association, said that her group has concerns with the bill taking away local control. “A national, one-size-fits-all approach from the FCC pertaining to utility pole attachments—especially small cell attachments—raises issues for our utilities in terms of security, safety, and creating a situation where our electric customers end up subsidizing communications companies’ input costs,” she said. And localities are lobbying against it.