T-Mobile Scores Partial Win in San Francisco 5G Approval Fight

T-Mobile, facing pandemic-fueled growth and demand for faster connections, won its bid to force San Francisco to issue permits for transmission upgrades.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston agreed with T-Mobile’s arguments that the federal government’s push to expand fast internet access requires the city to treat the company’s applications to install equipment as legally approved.

Illston, in an order signed Friday, also granted in part the company’s motion for preliminary injunction, preventing San Francisco from “imposing penalties or in any way preventing T-Mobile from proceeding with installations” that are deemed granted under the law.

T-Mobile’s lawsuit ...