Installation of Small Cell and 5-G Wireless Communication Equipment

Wireless communication technology continues to evolve, and private companies are beginning to install new equipment nationwide to make this new technology available to the public.  Many residents have questions about the new equipment and its deployment.  This webpage attempts to answer the most frequently asked questions and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Why is new equipment being installed?

The wireless communication industry is moving to 5-G and small cell technology.  That requires the installation of new equipment that is designed to facilitate that technology.

What is ‘5-G’?

5-G is the term the industry uses for this latest evolution of wireless communication.  It is short for the fifth generation—"5-G”—of wireless communication.  Presumably in the future there may be a 6-G, and so forth.

What is small cell technology?

Because there is an increasing demand for wireless communications, the industry has developed a technology that can increase capacity, particularly in high-use areas.  Small cell technology generally consists of antennas that are much smaller than the large antennas found on older, traditional “macro sites;” operates closer to the ground so they often are located on electrical or street light poles; and are closer to each other than macro sites. 

Why is this allowed in Kirkland?

The wireless communication industry is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  In recent years, the FCC has accommodated the interests of the wireless industry and has greatly reduced state and local government’s regulatory authority for wireless facilities.  The main stated reason for limiting local regulatory authority is to benefit the United States by allowing the industry to provide this technology to the public quickly.  No city in the United States can deny the deployment of this technology completely.  Further, the FCC specifies the length of time a local government is allowed to review a wireless permit, restricts the dollar amounts that can be charged for permits, and limits a local government’s discretion primarily to aesthetics.  People concerned about the FCC’s regulations should  contact their federal representatives because state and local governments cannot change them.

What role does Kirkland have in permitting this equipment?

While the FCC has preempted most of the fundamental aspects of permitting and deploying this technology, Kirkland does have limited regulatory authority to ensure the public’s health, safety, and welfare:

  • Telecommunication companies first must register with the City to identify the nature of their company, provide key contact information, identify their existing or planned facilities, and similar information.
  • They must apply for a Communications Master Use Permit, which describes at length how they intend to use the public rights-of-way and the facilities they plan to place in it.
  • For each individual installation of wireless equipment, they need to apply to the City for a Wireless Services Facilities permit, which requires:
    • Supplying detailed plans for the proposed facility;
    • Showing how it blends in with the existing characteristics of the site and streetscape;
    • Providing photo simulations; and
    • Providing a notarized letter that the facility will comply with all applicable federal and State laws and will not interfere with existing, adjacent communication signals.
  • If the provider want to locate on a City-owned pole, then the company needs to enter into a pole attachment agreement with the City and obtain individual permits that conform to the agreement for each City-owned pole the company wants to use.
Why are certain poles being replaced in the City?

Telecom companies identify where their equipment needs to be located to achieve the coverage they desire.  The majority of the poles in Kirkland poles are owned by PSE.  Based upon the telecom company’s analysis, the chosen location may have an existing pole that is not at the height the telecom needs.  At the telecom company’s expense, a replacement pole is placed very close to where the existing one is, wires and equipment are transferred to the new pole, and the old pole is removed.  The FCC requires the City to allow these modifications to existing poles and the FCC sets the standards for how high the poles can be.  If the industry’s application for a new pole to support its new 5-G antenna meets the FCC’s regulations, then the City must permit the new pole and its related ground equipment. 

 

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