It unanimously approved a deal Tuesday granting Cox Wireless Access LLC a 10-year, non-exclusive franchise to install and operate in city rights-of-way what’s known as “small-cell facilities.” These add additional wireless bandwidth to existing cell-tower networks, and are typically enclosed in a relatively unobtrusive cabinet mounted on existing infrastructure such as a street sign, streetlight or telephone pole.
“Small-cell telecommunications infrastructure has generally been found to be a win–win for the city,” Public Works Director Dave King told the council. “Small cells help the city to achieve its goal of being the fastest broadband city in Virginia while also minimizing the visual impacts that are caused by the massive monopole towers that you may be accustomed to seeing in different areas around the region.”
If the city council gives final approval at its next meeting, Cox Wireless Access will become the third company to have the right to install this type of service in Fredericksburg. It granted ExteNet a 15-year, non-exclusive franchise to install 14 of them on utility poles around the University of Mary Washington campus in 2016, and Mobilitie LLC a 10-year, non-exclusive franchise to install around a dozen boxes in the city’s public rights-of-way. Mobilite’s franchise and the one Cox is seeking come with three options for five-year renewals upon mutual agreement.
King said that ExteNet has installed about a dozen small cells so far, and Mobilitie is seeking approval for five, including one on Charles Street. He said a cell facility is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage, adding that most people driving by one don’t even notice it.
“Having robust and widely available broadband coverage is an important goal for the city of Fredericksburg,” said Bill Freehling, director of the Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development and Tourism. “Businesses and residents increasingly consider broadband as a necessary utility, and we want to meet and surpass their expectations.”
The city is asking residents and businesses to fill out an online survey about their broadband access and needs at fredericksburgva.gov. Survey results will be reported to the city council in July.
Small cell facilities are popping up more frequently in response to the growing demand for Internet access.
In Stafford County, three of the 56 permit applications for tower and new or replacement antennas since January 2016 were for small-cell facilities, according to county spokeswoman Shannon Howell.
Spotsylvania County has some mini or micro cells/small-cell facilities on its cell towers, but the number isn’t known because those less than 80 feet in height aren’t regulated and don’t require a special-use permit, said spokeswoman Michelle McGinnis.
©2018 The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
