Murrysville Council has approved an ordinance regulating small-wireless facilities, the infrastructure necessary to bring 5G service to the area.
5G is the fifth generation of cellular service, which companies began rolling out in 2019. The Federal Communications Commission in 2018 set out a timeline requiring towns to make space available within existing rights of way.
“It’s a capacity issue,” said Pittsburgh attorney Joseph Cortese, hired by the municipality to help develop the ordinance. “What’s going on today is customers need to be closer to the sites, whether that’s for 4G or 5G technology.”
Companies looking to build 5G infrastructure will be required to pay an application fee of $500, which covers up to five small cell facilities. Each additional facility is $200. They would also be subject to annual right-of-way and attachment rate fees of $270 for each facility.
The 5G equipment also can be mounted on existing utility poles where possible.
Municipal Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said staffers have received applications for rights-of-way along William Penn Highway.
Council heard a presentation from 5G infrastructure provider Crown Castle Communications in September 2019.
Harmar Township in Allegheny County developed a similar ordinance last year.
