WHEREAS, mobile broadband access is critical in creating economically sustainable communities; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. leads the world in 4G LTE services – of which 99.6 percent of Americans have access to – providing broad coverage and wireless connectivity that offers unmatched consumer benefits in areas such as education and health; and

WHEREAS, the next generation of mobile connectivity, which promises more capable, efficient and intelligent capabilities, increases network reliability, reduces latency, provides consumers and businesses with higher speeds, and is capable of serving a greater number of wireless devices than current technology; and

WHEREAS, to ensure the success of next generation technology and the United States’ leadership in this next generation of wireless, wireless providers will have to deploy small antenna infrastructure connected via wireline fiber facilities; and

WHEREAS, next generation signals cover shorter distances thus requiring several times as many smaller cells than traditional cell towers and that next generation networks work only if deployed intensively; and

WHEREAS, in order for next generation networks to have maximum impact for consumers, wireless providers, state and local governments must work together to encourage deployment of this technology.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) encourages states to provide regulatory certainty for the deployment of small cell infrastructure, by streamlining local jurisdiction application processes, allowing access to public rights-of-ways and adopting a predictable and fair fee structure; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC encourages local governments to work with businesses to modernize laws and regulations in order to facilitate the deployment and timely placement of wireless facilities.