Wireless

Bill: HB 1187

Sponsor: Rep. Zalewski

Status: Re-referred to House Rules Committee

Position: No Position

Description: Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Municipal Exemptions/Large Electing Provider

House Bill 1187 as amended by House Amendment 1 would exempt any municipality that has adopted an ordinance that regulates the collocation, siting or placement of small wireless facilities by the effective date the small wireless facilities deployment act from the provisions of the small wireless facilities deployment act. The legislation as amended also changes the definition of large electing provider to include any electing provider that reported that it provided at least 25,000 access lines to end users in its 2016 annual competition report filed with the ICC and that did not itself, or by an affiliate, receive funding from the universal service support fund.

Bill: HB 4767

Sponsor: Rep. Arroyo

Status: Re-referred to House Rules Committee

Position: Oppose

Description: Cell Phone Lemon Law

House Bill 4767 provides that if, within the period of a contract for wireless telephone service, a wireless telephone sold in conjunction with the contract requires repair or replacement on 3 or more occasions, the consumer may choose to cancel the contract for wireless telephone service without paying any early termination fee, penalty, or charge; or elect to upgrade or downgrade the telephone.

Bill: SB 1451

Sponsor: Sen. Link/Rep. K. Burke

Status: Public Act 100-0585 (Effective June 1, 2018)

Position: Support

Description: Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act

Governor Rauner signed Senate Bill 1451 into law April 12 and the new law takes effect June 1, 2018. Senate Bill 1451 is an initiative of the wireless industry to promote investment and facilitate the deployment of small cells in Illinois communities to bring advanced wireless services such as 5G technology to Illinois customers. The bill establishes the how local governments may regulate the collocation of small wireless facilities. It ensures that wireless service providers have access to public rights of way for installation and operation of small cell facilities on reasonable, non-discriminatory terms and conditions relative to other types of right-of-way users and provides the ability to attach small cells to utility poles and municipally-owned structures in the public rights-of-way. The law also establishes a non-discriminatory and streamlined small cell application/permitting processes to speed the deployment of advanced wireless services, such as 5G, to all Illinois customers and requires municipalities to allow the deployment of small cells as a permitted use in all zoning districts other than in areas outside of the public right-of-way that are zoned and used for single family residential use.