Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve a Master License Agreement with Verizon Wireless for Small Cell Pole Attachment Installations and Approving and Authorizing the City Manager to Enter Substantively Similar Agreements with Other Providers
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Small cell antenna installations allow wireless infrastructure and wireless service providers to attach cellular antennas to existing infrastructure, such as City-owned streetlights and similar City-owned utility poles. Staff negotiated a Master License Agreement (MLA) with Verizon Wireless to govern the installation of small cells on City poles in the Public Right-of-Way. Staff recommends the City Council approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Master License Agreement with Verizon Wireless and authorize the City Manager to execute future Master License Agreements under the same substantive terms with other providers.
BACKGROUND
Mobile device usage has grown rapidly in recent years, requiring more bandwidth and placing heavy demand on existing network infrastructure. As a result, mobile service providers are beginning to supplement their current 4G networks with small cellular base stations ("small cells") to increase bandwidth and capacity on their networks. A small cell is similar to a mobile hot spot in that it covers a small area with high-density usage.
These 4G small cells, and the evolution to 5G wireless technology, depend on closely spaced antennas for which streetlights and similar municipal vertical assets are ideal for cost effective installations. Wireless infrastructure companies build and maintain this "neutral" small cell network infrastructure that they in turn can lease through partnership agreements to wireless service providers. Some wireless service providers choose to build, maintain, and operate their own small cell infrastructure.
Analysis
Under existing federal and state law, local mun...
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