FCC’s Carr Pledges Continued Deregulation of Wireless Deployment at NATE UNITE 2019

By J. Sharpe Smith, Senior Editor

February 5, 2019

Carr

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, author of the FCC’s small cell streamlining order, said the commission will not slow down in its efforts to speed up the deployment of 5G infrastructure in a speech at NATE UNITE 2019, yesterday, in Grapevine, Texas.

“In 2019, I am taking another look at the Federal Rules governing wireless infrastructure deployment,” Carr said. “We will look to fully and faithfully implement the decisions that Congress has made to streamline the deployment of next generation technologies.”

Carr said the commission will push for governments to be more “pro-infrastructure by eliminating needless restrictions” on wireless siting. Additionally, he pledged more assistance to help with training.

“Put simply, we need more of you. People with the skills to build and upgrade wireless infrastructure, if America is going to win the race to 5G,” Carr said.

Carr noted the actions already taken by the FCC that have removed regulations that he said slowed down and added expense to small cell deployment, including updating environment and historic preservation rules last March and adopting the small cell streamlining order in September.

“For America to win the race to 5G, we must invigorate the free market by empowering tower crews. We need to put you, the builders of wireless infrastructure, in a winning position by freeing you from needless government regulation and red tape,” Carr said.

Winning the race to 5G is critical to America’s future economic prospects, Carr asserted, bringing about advances many industries, including autonomous vehicles, in-home wireless service, remote surgery and connecting an unlimited number of internet of things objects

“Being first matters. It determines whether capital will flow here. Whether innovators will begin their new businesses here,” he said. “China understands this. It wants to take the lead in the next decade, and they are moving aggressively to deploy the infrastructure needed for 5G.”

Competing with China is tricky thing, Carr noted, because of the different political system in place in that country, concerning freedom of speech, intellectual property rights and the free market. As the United States competes with China, it is important that our nation stick to the tenets of the free market system.

“When you build a network, it is not just about communications. It’s important to embed the correct values in its design and construction,” Carr said. “The Chinese government can snap its fingers and command a million small cells be built virtually overnight. Some view this as an insurmountable advantage. I don’t. A quick glance through the history books shows that central planning in industrial policy is no match for the free market.”