WASHINGTON — July 26, 2018 — Members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) voted today to adopt the “Model Code for Municipalities” framework for 5G broadband deployment. The following statement may be attributed to Angelina Panettieri, principal associate, Technology and Communications at the National League of Cities (NLC):
“The ‘Model Code for Municipalities’ has been one of the most challenging issues for the BDAC to tackle, and we appreciate the work the group has done over the past months on it. However, we are disappointed by the continued efforts by some BDAC representatives to use the development of resources for local officials as a tool to undercut local authority. Our goal has been to accelerate broadband deployment, yet some would like to use this as an opportunity to limit competition and responsible local management of infrastructure in the public interest. This hypocrisy will only harm our efforts to ensure all Americans have access to affordable broadband.
“While we approve of the majority of the Model Municipal Code, our support should not be read as an endorsement of every element in the code. In particular, the recent harmonization process by the BDAC was unable to address ongoing local concerns about the model code. The National League of Cities and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors plan to offer an alternative model that addresses these concerns and allows cities to prioritize their own needs.
“Under no circumstances should the BDAC model code be considered a mandate or used to punish cities for exercising their own discretion and pursuing a different model, by members of industry, Congress or the FCC. Use of a different approach should not be used to argue that a city is not acting in good faith and the best interests of its residents. No national code can possibly capture the unique needs of every community.”
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