Inside INdiana Business is reporting that Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr says “Indiana is our future” of the next generation of wireless telephone and date technology. At a presentation Tuesday morning at the Indiana Statehouse, the commissioner said the FCC will be unveiling “common sense” regulations to guide the roll-out of 5G throughout the country. Indiana’s existing policies on small-cell wireless deployments, Carr added, will help shape the future of 5G. In recent weeks, both Verizon and AT&T announced Indianapolis would be among the first locations for the higher-speed service.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business Reporter Mary-Rachel Redman, Carr said the technology has several advantages. “Take one aspect of 5G: a lot of people talk about autonomous cars — self-driving vehicles. If we can make that a reality sooner in more communities, think about the lives that can be saved,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a tremendous economic upside, as well. We want to see that spread through more communities.”
Carr said Indiana is one of about 20 states that have already laid a regulatory foundation for 5G and those state-based laws will inform the national framework. He says the specifics of the FCC’s new regulations will be unveiled this week and could reach a commission vote in the coming weeks. The four main components, Carr added, will involve: reaffirming local control, ensuring the burden of building out the infrastructure will be on carriers, creating reasonable timeframes for local regulatory approval and maintaining communities’ aesthetics while accommodating the new technology.