Carr Applauds Mayor TenHaken and the Sioux Falls City Council for 5G Leadership
Their Cost-Based Fees Promote Small Cells and Next-Generation Infrastructure
	
WASHINGTON, January 9, 2019—FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr released the following after Mayor Paul TenHaken and the Sioux Falls City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that will help bring 5G and next-generation broadband to South Dakota by approving cost-based fees:

“I applaud Mayor Paul TenHaken and the Sioux Falls City Council for their leadership on 5G,” Commissioner Carr stated.  “Yesterday, they unanimously approved an ordinance promoting the deployment of small cells—the building blocks of 5G.  The city’s forward-thinking leadership gets it.  By charging cost-based fees, Sioux Falls promotes broadband deployment consistent with the FCC’s September infrastructure decision.

“Mayor TenHaken and the City Council understand the economic opportunity 5G will enable.  And their common-sense, cost-based approach solidifies Sioux Falls’ leadership in next-gen broadband,” Commissioner Carr added.

In voting for cost-based fees, Council Member Greg Neitzert noted the consequences of excessive charges, as reflected in the FCC’s decision, stating “if we gouged we’ll slow down deployment or it is just going to be passed on to the consumer . . . so you just imagine if every municipality did it, New York City and a couple big cities would end up with 5G” but it would not go everywhere else in the nation.

In approving, Council Member Janet Brekke also noted the global race to 5G—with countries like China competing for leadership—and the economic advantage the U.S. can secure by promoting broadband infrastructure through these types of efforts.

“I also want to commend Senator Thune for his commitment to seeing 5G deployed in communities across the country,” Commissioner Carr added.  “Senator Thune is a leader in freeing up spectrum and identifying common-sense infrastructure reforms that will spur even more broadband deployment.  I appreciated the chance to participate in the 5G field hearing he hosted in Sioux Falls three months ago.”

“At the October field hearing, Mayor TenHaken demonstrated his leadership on smart infrastructure policies,” Commissioner Carr said.  Rather than charging exorbitant fees that slow down deployment, Mayor TenHaken stated:  “We want to cover our costs and that’s it because we don’t see this as a revenue source for the city . . . the win is going to happen once we have the network, that’s when the money will come in, through those jobs, through the economic development.”
 
“With yesterday’s vote, the city paved the way for Sioux Falls and South Dakota to be a leader in 5G and the economic opportunity it will enable,” Commissioner Carr noted.

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
Twitter: @BrendanCarrFCC