Small Cell Wireless Information

The small cells that include 5G antennae will be used to provide spot coverage and added data capacity to relatively small areas. Small cells consume less energy than macro sites (towers), and they allow for a more precise installation due to their compact equipment size. Increasing the number of small cells within a community will lead to enhanced data capacity in highly populated neighborhoods, schools, and medical facilities. Deployment of small cell facilities also improves City emergency communications. Small cells are connected by fiber optics and can process large amounts of data – helping to bridge the gap of existing wireless infrastructure that is inadequate, and helping to serve neighborhoods with high technology usage.

The City publishes a Geographic Information System (GIS) interactive map that shows the locations of planned and permitted small cell facilities and provides the status of the permitting process, including compliance information. A link to the GIS interactive map is available on this website. 

Small cell facilities are equipped with cooling fans that typically generate very little noise. If an existing system seems to be generating excessive noise, please contact:

Wireless Master License Agreement

Mike Liang, IT Manager

mliang@redwoodcity.org 

The approval of a small cell facility is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review process. Every small cell application is reviewed to determine whether CEQA applies, and what level of review is required to comply with CEQA.

The RF emissions and limits are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits the City from setting its own RF emissions limits. Federal law (47 U.S.C § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv)) reads, in part: “No state or local government or instrumentality thereof may regulate the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the Commission’s [i.e. the FCC’s] regulations concerning such emission.” The City cannot make a permitting decision based on the perceived health or environmental effects of RF emissions. The FCC provides more information on the safety of RF emissions on its website.

https://www.fcc.gov/engineering-technology/electromagnetic-compatibility-division/radio-frequency-safety/faq/rf-safety

Under federal laws and regulations (47 U.S.C § 332(c)(7)(B)), the City may not prohibit or effectively prohibit wireless communication facilities. Essentially, the City may not establish rules, regulations, or processes that would prevent providers from installing small cell facilities anywhere within the city. Moreover, under state law telecommunications companies have a right to place facilities within the public right of way, subject only to limited time, place, and manner conditions that a city may impose. 

Small cell deployment, and the criteria for qualifying as a small cell facility, are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While the City is responsible for reviewing small cell applications, it must do so within a complex regulatory framework under state and federal laws and regulations, which limit the City’s discretion.

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A small cell facility generally consists of a small antenna, radio, and other accessory equipment and can be placed on an existing facility within the public right-of-way. The antennas will typically be mounted near the top of poles; other supporting equipment, such as a disconnect switch and smart meter, will be installed further down the pole. Each facility may differ slightly depending on the wireless provider.

“Public right-of-way” (ROW) means City-owned streets and easements. The public ROW generally includes the roadway, sidewalks, and a strip of land behind the sidewalk, depending on the neighborhood.

Small cell facilities include 4G/5G radio equipment that are small enough to be installed on streetlights, utility poles, or a separate pole within the public right-of-way. Small cells boost local internet signals and help provide coverage for emergency calls. Small cell facilities cover much smaller geographic areas than the traditional macro cell towers. Small cells must meet the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) definition of “small wireless facilities” in 47 CFR 1.6002.