June 6 – Telecommunications

Understanding the FCC’s 2014 Order Implementing Section 6409(a)

The webinar covers the FCC’s 2014 Wireless Siting Order that preempts state and local approval for many changes to communications towers and antenna sites. In a new update, it will cover the Order’s relation to and conflicts with the FCC’s September 2018 5G/Small Cell Order intended to aid the installation of thousands of small cell sites in rights of way. The webinar should be of interest to many municipalities, because the Order covers all communications towers, including those for AM, FM, TV and cell towers, among others.

Specifically the webinar will describe the many legal and technical issues under the Wireless Siting Order, including describing the types of “Qualifying Changes” for which zoning approval is pre-empted, BUT the Order’s preservation of (i) safety code compliance, (ii) local zoning approval for camouflaged towers and (iii) zoning approval for towers on municipal property. It will go into detail on the differing rules for different types of “Eligible Facilities” such as small cell sites, antennas on buildings, antennas on highways, and on camouflaged sites. It will describe the Order’s application process, the 60-day shot clock to act on “Qualifying Changes” and the “deemed granted” remedy.

Also covered will be Federalism and Commerce Clause bases for questioning and challenging the Order and its application, such as due to blurring the lines of political accountability by making local governments take the heat for what in fact is Federal action.

Finally, the webinar will include numerous pictures of cell antennas and towers, to give participants a better sense of its practical impact and the types of problems it can create.

Speakers: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer

Click here to register.