Chattanoogans soon could benefit from expanded wireless network capacity, but not through looming cell towers.
Instead, short-range "small cell" emitters, located on poles or other fixtures, stand to power the next generation of on-the-go bandwidth inside the city. The use of "smart poles," which do double duty as street lights and small cell antenna spots, play a key role in Chattanooga's evolving strategy.
In a recent meeting, the Chattanooga City Council reviewed a proposed ordinance that will allow some control over how small cell technology rolls out when cellular providers come knocking on the city's door to use its rights of way.
Crown Castle, a Houston-based small cell technology provider, has already approached the city. Federal law requires cities to offer right-of-way access to such providers, but lets them decide how they will do it.
"The ordinance that we present today balances the need of our citizens for cell [access], the provider's needs and the city's needs itself," Assistant City Attorney Keith Reisman said.
Council Vice Chairman Ken Smith, co-chairman of the council's new Innovation Technology Committee, has described the ordinance's development as a long, intense and focused process.
The exponential growth of cellphone usage in the community and across the world has driven the push behind small cell emitters over cell towers, Reisman said.
"The concept of the small cell allows for the providers to have a quick turnaround so that they can get their cells in place, while at the same time giving a standardized light pole to our city," Reisman said.
The council has voiced concerns about junking up utility poles with multiple, sometimes bulky, small cell equipment.
The city has hired CNX, a broadband strategy consultant company out of Bowling Green, Ky., to help navigate the best course.
Fast-tracking small cell providers who will purchase and lease smart poles from the city serves as an appealing incentive, Shannon Morgan, vice president of external affairs and general counsel for CNX, said. Each smart pole will accommodate a single cellular carrier. The smart poles will encase, or partially encase, small cell cabling and equipment.
The proposed ordinance calls for wrapping up the review and permitting process in about 35 days for willing cellular providers.
Otherwise, federal law gives the city 60 days to approve or deny a carrier's request to co-locate on an existing pole and 90 days to decide whether a cellular provider may place an emitter on an alternative structure not intended for small cell use, such as a water tank, billboard or electric transmission tower. The city has 150 days to consider whether to green light the construction of a new small cell pole in the right of way.
The city prefers to have the smart poles replace existing mid-block street lamps, Morgan said. The smart pole incentive plan supports a uniform approach and look for Chattanooga.
"The win here is to maximize functionality of the new fixtures that come into the right of way," Blythe Bailey, administrator for the city's transportation department, said.
The adoption of smart poles will place Chattanooga in a small group of cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, N.C., Morgan said.
"You're definitely going out on the front edge, so to speak, of innovation in terms of incorporating this into the city," he said.
The council is expected to vote on the new ordinance on July 11.
Last year, Chattanooga grappled with similar franchise concerns as its Economic and Community Development Department tried to work out how to regulate and charge for telecommunication company usage of the right of way.
In December, the council approved a deal with Zayo Group of Boulder, Colo., which uses underground cabling to boost wireless bandwidth.
The deal resulted from mediation after Zayo filed a lawsuit claiming obstruction of franchise rights in November.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.