Want Better 5G Outcomes? Industry Reps Recommend Localities Plan, Cooperate
TAMPA -- Localities can get better 5G outcomes by proactively engaging with a wide array of stakeholders to get consistent and uniform policies, recommend NATOA panelists. Part of whether such smart city, fast broadband and digital divide narrowing technology succeeds and in an aesthetically palatable way depends on how far ahead communities plan for fifth-generation technology, industry representatives said Monday. Other suggestions included having published standards and encouraging collocating equipment including small cells with utilities and other carriers.
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Communities vary in cooperation on 5G gear deployment, panelists told us. Some are more welcoming, others much less so where shot clocks and FCC and other rules are invoked. While some communities "have been sort of proactively working with the industry to solve wireless connectivity issues," others are "refusing to collaborate" or to follow federal guidelines, said Wireless Infrastructure Association State Government Affairs Counsel Arturo Chang in an interview. Noting the FCC has acted in this area in the past 18 months, he said WIA "would like the cities to comply with the rules."
Collaboration with industry, and also within communities, such as with various officials and neighborhoods congealing around one approach, is a key to 5G success, wireless and consultant reps said. Such cooperation "among all stakeholders is the fastest way to get us to deploy the networks that consumers demand and will bring the technology of tomorrow -- no question," Chang said. "When industry and local officials work together, we see more positive results." City and county concerns "can be addressed if they are willing to work with industry on these issues," he added.
"Broadband master plans" can net more efficient rollouts, SmartWorks Partners Vice President-Marketing and Communications Angela Stacy told us in Q&A. "You’ve got to be proactive in your planning and what that really means to you," she recommended to NATOA members. "If you’re proactive and you’re prepared, your discussions with industry are going to be really positive." For such model plans, Stacy cited her past membership on the FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. BDAC has worked on such model codes.
"You’ve got to lead to succeed" on 5G rollout, Aero Wireless Group Chief Operating Officer Mike Hoganson recommended for municipalities. "Everybody has particular needs and interests in this entire massive infrastructure program" that he calls perhaps the biggest U.S. private infrastructure rollout. The federal government, carriers and localities have their priorities, Hoganson added. "Those are where the conflict points are." There's "the most success when people come together" to "try to find win-win solutions," he said. "I’ve seen the least success, where we have to start talking about bringing lawyers in the room, is when we are not willing to listen to each other’s interests."
Individual neighborhoods may gum things up, NATOA heard. Some places "are seeing some success, they are having good deployments," Hoganson told us. "In other cases, the administrations in those cities have had difficulties coalescing" among different factions and that’s where deployments are "probably not going as well," he continued. "We all recognize that the FCC has a big hammer."
Between a city waiting for a carrier to announce 5G plans for that area or approaching on its own such companies, Nokia's IoT sales head for North America Dev Khoslaa said in response to our query from the audience that he would recommend the latter option: "It will allow you to really get some exposure to what this really will mean" when such service is introduced. "If you take a proactive approach of devising a 5G strategy, you can also influence once 5G deployment is actually happening, what that deployment would look like," the executive said.
The executives said they're willing to work with municipalities on 5G. To reach the standard's potential requires range of stakeholders working together, Khoslaa told the conference. He wants to "embrace the technology without necessarily causing challenges from a city acceptance and aesthetics standpoint." That means making small cells, a significant number of which will be needed for 5G, as "aesthetic friendly options," he added.
Aero Wireless wants to work with policymakers to understand such telecom deployments, said its COO, who works with local officials on such things. "It’s going to try to find its way into your communities," Hoganson said of such technology. "Many of you have published standards, per the FCC," he told the community officials. "Those who manage to rope in a lot of the other participants in the community" also including utilities "are probably having an easier time" with fifth-generation introductions, he said. "Agreement is really hard." Collocation of telecom gear with infrastructure like streetlights and traffic signals "is going pretty well," and cohabitation between companies is "a little harder," he said. He likened it to adults living "with your brother."