Currents
June 2017
> continued from page 4
Manager Michael Beedie expressed concern that the
proposals would preempt existing deals, noting his
city entered an agreement in 2015 with Verizon
regarding the location of small cells in rights-of-way
and on public structures. “They proposed a fee of
$2,000 per year, per location, and they would do a
supplemental agreement each time they did a loca-
tion,” Beedie said.
A House staff analysis said the state Department
of Transportation receives $1.8 million a year from
space leased on poles it owns. A
Senate analysis said JEA, Jack-
sonville's electric utility, charges
$1,236 a year for each small cell
site. At the same time, House
staff predicted that the more
favorable terms for wireless
providers could bring Florida a
“swifter influx of capital invest-
ment in small wireless facilities.”
The bill gives local govern-
ments some authority to approve
or deny applications on the place-
ment of devices, based on certain
zoning codes, including historic-
preservation regulations. Yet if no
decision is made within 60 days
of the paperwork being filed, the
application would be considered
approved.
Rep. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah,
said in supporting the proposal
the state needs to clear barriers
for the technology he called
“transformative.” “To strengthen
and expand a growing network, I
think we need to make sure that
5G technology is deployed in uni-
son across our state and not leave
it up to essentially local govern-
ments that may delay the
progress of something that is so
innovative and something that
would meet growing consumer
demands,” Avila said.
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