With a broad boost from U.S. Reps. Anna G. Eshoo and Jackie Speier (D-Palo Alto, Hillsborough), a large coalition of Western cities and counties are waging a legal showdown with a shuttered federal government in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over control of 5G wireless installations. Eshoo's bill, H.R. 530 -- called the Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019, "essentially resets the clock on the FCC's new rules by erasing what the federal government has implemented in the under-the-wire maneuver." Eshoo noted "5G is essential for our country's communications network and economy, but it must be deployed responsibly and equitably."
Are consumers willing to pay (more) for 5G?
A recent survey from Matrixx Software concluded that "respondents revealed a willingness to open their wallets if 5G delivers an enhanced connectivity experience." Dave Labuda, founder, CEO and CTO of Matrixx Software, said "the feedback from consumers paints a very clear picture ...
Update: deployment of ‘small cells’ in Georgetown
Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG) Historic Preservation & Zoning chair Elsa Santoyo published an op-ed regarding the need for small cells in Washington, D.C., noting CAG is a small cells activist. Santoyo mentioned the small cells being proposed by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile/S...
Aspen takes proactive measures to prevent cellular blight
The Aspen City Council is rewriting its land-use code in response to the wireless networks moving toward 5G technology. Paul Schultz, the city's information technology director, said, "We feel this is a very important topic that we need to work as hard as we can … really do...
Broadband work nearing the end in Jonesborough
BrightRidge crews are nearing completion of work to the utility’s broadband infrastructure in downtown Jonesborough, TN. Stacy Evans, BrightRidge’s chief broadband officer, said last week that improvements to underground fiber optics along Main Street should be wrapped...
FCC Commissioner Carr talks infrastructure, spectrum and jobs needed for 5G
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the opportunity presented by 5G will come in three parts: better and faster performance on smartphones, more competitive home broadband and a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship. Carr said "there’s no question that 5G is going to be...
Deloitte predicts 50 operators will offer 5G connectivity by 2020
In its Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions for 2019, Deloitte found that 72 operators are currently testing 5G networks, and it predicts 25 will be launching 5G services this year. The report also found that the number of operators planning to launch 5G ser...