New FCC Guidance Impacts Local Control of Wireless Facilities (CM Law |1.5)

Recent federal legislation on collocations, FCC non-binding guidance and now state level legislative proposals could dramatically impact your community’s planning authority and local zoning of wireless facilities towers. In this webinar, BB&K telecommunications attorneys will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities facing local governments as they attempt to protect local interests while complying with federal requirements governing zoning of wireless facilities and to defeat damaging state legislative proposals that are sweeping the nation. The webinar will cover: Federal laws on siting wireless facilities; as well as the newly passed collocation law; the FCC’s recent efforts to preempt and limit local governments’ zoning authority, including the “shot clock” order; the FCC’s guidance about local authority over collocations, including one interpretation that could greatly expand what facilities the telecommunications industry may add to existing towers, poles and other platforms without any local oversight; what the guidance does not say about governments’ and special districts’ ownership of wireless communications facilities and their concerns for public safety and security; the FCC rulemaking, expected to launch this summer, which could transform this guidance into binding rules, fashion new “shot clock” requirements and develop national model siting rules; the newest threats being seen in state legislatures to further undercut local government zoning authority under the guise of promoting public safety; and how local governments can positively influence and shape the rulemaking proceeding.

Click here to register.