SENATE PANEL PASSES LEGISLATION TO EXPEDITE DEVELOPMENT OF 21ST CENTURY INFRASTRUCTURE

On Wednesday (July 16), the Senate Governance and Finance gave its nod to AB 57, authored by Assemblyman Bill Quirk and supported by the Bay Area Council. This bill would provide that a colocation or siting application for a wireless telecommunications facility is deemed approved, if the city or county fails to approve or disapprove the application within the time periods established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

This past April, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute completed a study on 21st Century Infrastructure that outlined the vital role advanced energy and communications infrastructure will play in California’s future economy. The study found that the increasing reliance on advanced wireless services is creating a “data-tsunami” for which California’s existing communications infrastructure is ill-prepared.

To accommodate this soaring demand for wireless coverage, capacity and bandwidth, new and upgraded wireless infrastructure is needed. By enforcing the FCC timeline requirements for wireless infrastructure, AB 57 encourages the deployment of advanced telecommunications infrastructure that will spur California’s economic development.

Read the BACEI report on 21st Century Infrastructure report>>