A Major Milestone for U.S. 5G Leadership .

Last week, something important happened for our country’s 5G future: Nebraska became the 25^th state to modernize infrastructure rules and make their communities more 5G-ready. Half the states recognize the opportunities of 5G connectivity by adopting new siting reforms.

Enacted over the past three years—state capital by state capital, legislative hearing by legislative hearing—these reforms have become an important part of ensuring our country’s continued 5G leadership. These reforms also reflect a desire to bring 5G capital investment and more broadband connectivity to communities in their states.

Competing for 5G Investment Dollars. With the U.S. wireless industry leading the world in commercial 5G investment, these states are showing that they want to compete for 5G investment. As the wireless industry has begun investing a projected $275 billion to build out 5G, these 25 states have said they want their share of an estimated $500 billion economic growth and 3 million new jobs.

Bridging the Digital Divide. By lowering deployment costs, siting modernization will also enable more wireless service in more areas. Reducing deployment costs like these states have done could even free up to $2.3B in wireless investment for rural and suburban areas. These 25 states want to be part of the solution to bring connectivity to more Americans.

Enabling Tomorrow’s Innovations. 5G networks will enable innovations including the Internet of Things, smart cities and autonomous cars. To make these 5G-powered technologies a reality, we need to rapidly deploy modern wireless infrastructure. These 25 states are helping ensure that the industries of the future and advancements in health care, transportation and energy are not exported abroad by ceding 5G leadership to other countries.

Building on Key FCC Reforms to Secure Global Wireless Leadership. More than a year ago, the FCC took note of these forward-thinking small cell laws and enacted federal guardrails to promote timely state and local reviews of small cell projects. These guidelines addressed long delays, excessive fees and other regulatory barriers, while protecting states and municipalities’ rights to govern their property and recoup infrastructure-related costs.

These 25 states deserve praise for forward-thinking legislation that will benefit their communities. While we’ve come a long way, there’s more to be done. More states should consider taking steps to remove barriers to 5G deployment in their communities and help bring next-generation connectivity to more Americans. We’re ready to work with you.