U.S court upholds FCC cap on 5G small cell fees in win for wireless carriers

WASHINGTON: A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a 2018 decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to cap fees for wireless carriers to deploy “small cells” essential to the adoption of next-generation 5G networks.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco largely upheld the three orders the FCC adopted in 2018 to speed 5G deployments, despite objections from dozens of U.S. cities.

The decision is a win for wireless carriers like AT&T Inc , Verizon Communications Inc and T-Mobile US Inc . AT&T said in 2018 that excessive fees sought by Portland, Oregon, were preventing it from deploying 5G small cells in the city.