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Wireless Legislation Update:  New FCC Rules to Streamline Telecommunications Infrastructure Deployment

Posted July 21, 2026 at 7:56 AM

5G Wireless Infrastructure and Small Cells Zoning, Land Development, News & Events

As reported in Inside Towers on June 26, the FCC has proposed new rules to ensure “consistent, reasonable state and local regulations” for high-speed wireline infrastructure deployment. With this latest action, the FCC hopes to streamline rights-of-way for wireline (mostly fiber) deployments, which is the backbone to wireless towers connectivity. Specifically, the new rules address excessive processing times and limit fees to a “reasonable approximation” of government costs.

According to the FCC, obtaining authorization from state and local governments for wireline infrastructure can be challenging, with lengthy application wait times, sometime months or even years. This often results in providers scaling back deployment investments. As wireline services are critical to wireless connectivity, this new FCC action has been hailed by the wireless industry as “smart, common-sense policymaking” to prioritize public safety and other public interests. Eighty percent of all 911 calls nationwide are made from wireless devices.

“This FCC action is an important and positive step for enhanced connectivity and improved wireless services nationwide,” said Miller, Miller & Canby telecommunications attorney Sean Hughes. “Ultimately, facilitating more wireless infrastructure by eliminating barriers to wireline deployment is critical to maintain the reliability of essential, non-essential and emergency communications we all rely on every day,” he added.

About Miller, Miller & Canby
The telecommunications land use attorneys at Miller, Miller & Canby are experienced in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, assisting cell tower companies, wireless carriers, and property owners in processing conditional use applications and other land use/zoning entitlement applications relating to improved wireless and telecommunications infrastructure. Sean P. Hughes is an attorney in Miller, Miller & Canby’s Land Use practice group. His career spans three decades of focus in zoning and wireless telecommunications. He has represented clients in land use and zoning matters throughout Metropolitan Washington, D.C. To learn more about the firm’s telecommunications practice, click here.

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