After being added late on Tuesday to Wednesday’s Senate Voting session, the Senate held and did not consider S-2674/A-1116. This legislation seeks to preempt and supersede local regulation of small cell (5G) deployment within the municipal rights-of-way.
The League opposes S-2674/A-1116 because it provides broadband telecommunications providers with favorable and discounted access to public rights-of-way without requiring these cost savings be passed on to customers, or requiring broadband infrastructure buildout necessary to help bridge the digital divide. Further, recent amendments to S-2674/A-1116 expand the scope of the legislation beyond the bill’s original intention, further limiting safeguards for local communities.
The Assembly has already approved the measure. We thank our members who contacted their State Senators to oppose this legislation. We anticipate the bill will return when the Senate reconvenes after the election and encourage our members to continue to speak with their State Senators.
For more information please see the League’s blog post on the topic, and the recent op-ed written by Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark and Adrian Mapp of Plainfield.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.