Local governments are struggling to keep up with the increasing volume of requests for new small cell permits.
Small cells (used to boost 5G networks) must be placed densely to support connectivity, and therefore telecom companies are requesting a much higher volume of permits than ever before... and the numbers will only go up. For a comprehensive overview of 5G/ Small cell issues and regulations, we recommend this extensive report developed by the National Association of Counties.
Because this influx of new permit requests was unexpected, and guidelines require that local governments approve these permits quickly, many communities aren't managing the permit approval process well.
If permits aren't approved within 60 or 90 days (per FCC regulations) those permits are deemed to be automatically approved. And to complicate matters further, permit fees are also limited by the FCC. Many government's existing permitting processes don't work that quickly. And because of the permit fee limits, governments need a low-cost, easy-to-deploy solution where the costs are in line with the potential permit revenue a local government can expect to see. That's where ClearForms comes in.
It's only with a streamlined, automated online permitting system like ClearForms that local governments will be able to manage the new volume of small cell permit applications. And because ClearForms is affordable and fast to set up, you can be processing more permits in just a few weeks, instead of waiting months or even years for other systems.
Get in touch with our team and learn about how ClearForms (formerly CityGrows) can alleviate your small cell permitting problems today.
Photo by Dylan Carr on Unsplash
