9 Aug 2016, 1:31 p.m.
The Commission agreed to skip historic preservation review for small 5G cell sites across the US.
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday took another step toward the eventual deployment of 5G wireless service.
Sidestepping the usual bureaucratic red tape, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau agreed to eschew historic preservation review for small 5G cell sites across the US—as long as they don't adversely impact historic locations. The new exclusions, according to the FCC, are meant to help reduce the cost, time, and burden of building a nationwide 5G network.
"The agreement reflects the Commission's vigilant commitment to enabling swift but responsible deployment of wireless infrastructure," Jon Wilkins, head of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, said.
The agency is "open for business on infrastructure siting," he continued, welcoming input on how to further improve the process.
"The interconnected world of the future will be the result of decisions we make today," Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement. "That is why 5G is a national priority, and why [Monday's] agreement … will play a critical role in the successful deployment of next-generation wireless service."
Don't expect to start surfing the mobile Web on a super-fast cellular network any time soon, though. While there has been a lot of buzz about what 5G can do—power smart cities, provide gigabit speeds—the actual technology is mostly a hodgepodge of field trials and oneupmanship among US wireless carriers, chip makers, and even the FCC.
Verizon, however, changed that last month, when it announced the completion of its 5G radio specification. It tells the company's partners exactly what they'll have to do to build, maintain, and offer devices that play nice with Verizon's 5G network.
Other carriers aren't far behind: AT&T expanded its 5G trials with Nokia in June, and T-Mobile plans to start tests later this year. Meanwhile, European carriers are trying to get the EU to jumpstart 5G development by prodding communications agencies to promise dedicated spectrum—something the FCC recently did in the US.
For more, see PCMag's What Is 5G?