Land Use & Sustainable Development Law Institute CLE

Planning and Permitting Mobile Broadband Communications Infrastructure: Is It Time To Amend Your Local Code?

Municipalities are seeing increased deployment of wireless communications infrastructure to address the explosion in data use and demand for mobile broadband. The need for in-building systems, small cells, towers and facilities will continue to result in wireless facility deployment. To harness these advancements and growth in technology, municipalities must fully understand recent developments in Federal law to ensure that their local codes are not only compliant with the most recent Federal policy, but properly balance their own administrative burdens with the nature of the infrastructure being deployed. Tools to aid in the deployment of wireless infrastructure includes as-of-right sites, town wide planning, amendment of local laws including zoning regulations, as well as development of ongoing policies at the municipal level including use of municipal rights-of-way and properties.