5G Infrastructure Fight Between Cities, FCC to Continue in 2020

A fight between the FCC and dozens of cities over the placement of 5G infrastructure will continue to play out in federal court in 2020, with oral arguments scheduled for early in the year.

At issue is whether the Federal Communications Commission can restrict how much municipalities can charge wireless carriers like AT&T Inc. to attach pizza box-sized wireless antennas, or small cells, to light poles and other city-owned infrastructure. The FCC’s ruling, adopted in September 2018, also imposes shot clocks for local and state governments to approve or deny carriers’ small cell applications.

The ruling—aimed at speeding carriers’ ...