WASHINGTON-Commercial wireless carriers last week fought off a challenge by two Virginia congressmen and local government officials to kill the antenna siting amendment in the House telecommunications reform bill.
The legislation, significantly revised at the request of House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., on behalf of the seven regional Bell telephone companies, was expected to be passed before lawmakers left town for the August recess.
The bill, which maintains a deregulatory structure for the wireless telecommunications industry, would let local telephone companies, long-distance carriers and cable TV operators compete with each other, as well as relax media ownership restrictions.
President Clinton, criticizing the bill as harmful to consumers and competition, vowed to veto it unless Republicans who control Congress address some of his concerns.
The antenna siting provision co-sponsored by Scott Klug, R-Wis., and Thomas Manton, D-N.Y., appeared safe until late last month when the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cites and the U.S. Conference of Mayors mounted an attack against it.
Under the Klug-Manton measure, representatives from wireless companies, local governments and public safety agencies would develop a uniform national policy to govern the placement of antennas.
The industry estimates cellular and personal communications services firms will account for more than 100,000 new antenna sites in coming years. Pocket phone companies say the patchwork of zoning regulations throughout the country frustrates Congress’ desire for competition in wireless telecommunications. The industry is working with lawmakers to make it easier for carriers to put cell sites on federal lands.
Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and James Moran, D-Va., took up the cause of local governments.
The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and the Personal Communications Industry Association tried to work out a compromise with Goodlatte and Moran, but the two sides failed to find common ground as the House neared a vote on telecommunications reform.
Goodlatte and Moran decided to seek approval from the Rules Committee to offer an amendment on the House floor to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from adopting regulations that pre-empt local zoning regulation of antenna tower siting.
The committee kept the Goodlatte-Moran initiative from going to the House floor by one vote.
“It’s [the antenna siting controversy] far from over,” said Thomas Wanley, top lobbyist for PCIA.
Thomas Wheeler, president of CTIA, agrees. “The fact that the issue is so contentious and the vote was so close means the other side will continue banging away.”
As such, local government advocates will lobby Senate members in hopes of derailing the antenna siting amendment when lawmakers from both chambers meet in conference to reconcile differences in their respective telecommunications bills.
“When the American public learns the House has taken away the authority of their local governments to decide where 180-foot towers will be located, we think we can get the attention of Congressman Klug on this issue,” said Robert Fogel, associate legislative director for the National Association of Counties.
