In 2014, the Hastings City Council granted a request from ACD.net, a broadband service based in Lansing, to install pole antennas in its street’s rights-of-way on the mistaken information that it was governed by the Metro Act and had to be allowed or the city would face a heavy fine.
However, the council learned that the company’s request was not covered by the Metro Act, which controls equipment in the form of wires, cables and conduits and specifically excludes antennas, structures supporting antenna, equipment houses and ancillary equipment.
Now, ACD.net has asked to relocate two of its eight distributed antenna system (DAS) pole antennas; one to another location in the city and one to Rutland Township, City Manager Jeff Mansfield said Monday.
Attorney Jeff Sluggett, who has worked with both the Grand Valley Metro Council (GVMC) and the city on DAS issues for some time, recommended that the company be required to get the permit required under a GVMC model ordinance and pay permit fees as a condition of relocating the antennas, Mansfield said. The broadband company has agreed to Sluggett's proposal in concept, he said.
A city ordinance based on the GVMC model, with a fee schedule, had its first reading Monday, with action expected at the second reading at the next meeting.
In the meantime, Sluggett will work with ADC.net on his recommendation. With an agreement, the move will bring ADC.net under the new ordinance. //
Background:
A DAS boosts cellular coverage and capacity and is cheaper than the macro towers used by giant telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon. The antennas, with different styles, are mounted on new poles or existing utility poles in public rights-of-way to bring more service to nearby areas.
Hastings has working on the changing technology for more than a year, and with the Grand Valley Metro Council’s cooperation, the city and other entities paid attorneys to develop a model ordinance to guide them when companies apply to install the new technology.
Officials agree citizens want maximum capabilities for their devices and they want to provide it. But, companies plans for DAS sometimes conflict with city controls on what the infrastructure will look like, where it will go and that it doesn’t interfere with what officials and residents want and need for their communities.
ADC.net is the first DAS user in Hastings, but the council expects more requests from other companies for the systems, since giant telecommunication provider Sprint, has said they will deliver its services by using DAS instead of the large towers. ACD.net, in business since the early1990’s, serves institutional, business, educational and residential customers in 22 cities in southern Michigan, according to its website.
