Small-Cell Broadband Comes to Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg soon could become the next city in Virginia with super-fast broadband, reports the Free Lance-Star. City Council approved a deal last week granting Cox Wireless Access LLC a 10-year, non-exclusive franchise to install the small-cell facilities that enable the next-generation 5G telecommunications network.

That decision follows previous deals with ExteNet to install 14 facilities on utility poles around the University of Mary Washington campus, and with Mobilitie LLC to install around a dozen boxes in the city’s public rights-of-way.

“Small-cell telecommunications infrastructure has generally been found to be a win–win for the city,” Public Works Director Dave King told the council. “Small cells help the city to achieve its goal of being the fastest broadband city in Virginia while also minimizing the visual impacts that are caused by the massive monopole towers that you may be accustomed to seeing in different areas around the region.”

The small-cell equipment is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage. Its range is significantly shorter than typical cell phone coverage, however, so far more of the units must be installed.

Small cells are enjoying a global boom right now as wireless carriers compete to roll out 5G technology, the fastest, bestest broadband access yet. The Federal Communications Commission voted in April to limit the ability of local governments to tax and regulate small-cell deployment. Virginia got a jump start, however, thanks to legislation enacted last year, which curtailed the ability of local governments to impose special exemptions or special use permits for small cell facilities installed on existing structures where providers already have permission to co-locate equipment.