WASHINGTON—Opportunities for wireless carriers to more quickly depreciate the amount of wireless equipment installed between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 11, 2002, excluding towers stalled as the House and Senate bickered over a procedure on how to negotiate a $75 billion economic stimulus package.
At RCR Wireless News’ deadline, it was hoped serious talks would get under way Friday with an agreement reached by early next week. The current procedure appears to suggest the deal would then be passed by a simple majority of both houses with no amendments allowed. In other words, if the House and Senate leadership do not agree to keep the wireless equipment provision, which was passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate Finance Committee but not by the Republican-controlled House, it would not be included.
The change would help wireless carriers because the Internal Revenue Service today gives wireless equipment less favorable depreciation treatment than it gives other technologies.
Another provision to allow a tax credit to deploy Internet broadband equipment could help both fixed and mobile wireless carriers that deploy high-speed Internet access services in rural America.
Also being considered is a one-time business write-off for capital investment.
