A. If the Commonwealth or a locality agrees to permit a wireless services provider or a wireless infrastructure provider to attach small cell facilities to government-owned structures, both the government entity and the wireless services or wireless infrastructure provider shall negotiate in good faith to arrive at a mutually agreeable contract terms and conditions.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 56-484.31

  • Co-locate: means to install, mount, maintain, modify, operate, or replace a wireless facility on, under, within, or adjacent to a base station, building, existing structure, utility pole, or wireless support structure. See Virginia Code 56-484.26
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
  • Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
  • Rate: means rate charged for any service rendered or to be rendered. See Virginia Code 56-1
  • Small cell facility: means a wireless facility that meets both of the following qualifications: (i) each antenna is located inside an enclosure of no more than six cubic feet in volume, or, in the case of an antenna that has exposed elements, the antenna and all of its exposed elements could fit within an imaginary enclosure of no more than six cubic feet and (ii) all other wireless equipment associated with the facility has a cumulative volume of no more than 28 cubic feet, or such higher limit as is established by the Federal Communications Commission. See Virginia Code 56-484.26
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
  • Utility pole: means a structure owned, operated, or owned and operated by a public utility, local government, or the Commonwealth that is designed specifically for and used to carry lines, cables, or wires for communications, cable television, or electricity. See Virginia Code 56-484.26
  • Wireless infrastructure provider: means any person, including a person authorized to provide telecommunications service in the state, that builds or installs transmission equipment, wireless facilities, or wireless support structures, but that is not a wireless services provider. See Virginia Code 56-484.26
  • Wireless services: means (i) "personal wireless services" as defined in 47 U. See Virginia Code 56-484.26
  • Wireless services provider: means a provider of wireless services. See Virginia Code 56-484.26

B. The rates, terms, and conditions for such agreement shall be just and reasonable, cost-based, nondiscriminatory, and competitively neutral, and shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws. However, rates for attachments to government-owned buildings may be based on fair market value.

C. For utility poles owned by a locality or the Commonwealth that support aerial cables used for video, communications, or electric service, the parties shall comply with the process for make-ready work under 47 U.S.C. § 224 and implementing regulations. The good faith estimate of the government entity owning or controlling the utility pole for any make-ready work necessary to enable the utility pole to support the requested co-location shall include pole replacement if necessary.

D. For utility poles owned by a locality or the Commonwealth that do not support aerial cables used for video, communications, or electric service, the government entity owning or controlling the utility pole shall provide a good faith estimate for any make-ready work necessary to enable the utility pole to support the requested co-location, including pole replacement, if necessary, within 60 days after receipt of a complete application. Make-ready work, including any pole replacement, shall be completed within 60 days of written acceptance of the good faith estimate by the wireless services provider or a wireless infrastructure provider.

E. The government entity owning or controlling the utility pole shall not require more make-ready work than required to meet applicable codes or industry standards. Charges for make-ready work, including any pole replacement, shall not exceed actual costs or the amount charged to other wireless services providers, providers of telecommunications services, and nonpublic providers of cable television and electric services for similar work and shall not include consultants’ fees or expenses.

F. The annual recurring rate to co-locate a small cell facility on a government-owned utility pole shall not exceed the actual, direct, and reasonable costs related to the wireless services provider’s or wireless infrastructure provider’s use of space on the utility pole. In any controversy concerning the appropriateness of the rate, the government entity owning or controlling the utility pole shall have the burden of proving that the rates are reasonably related to the actual, direct, and reasonable costs incurred for use of space on the utility pole for such period.

G. This section shall not apply to utility poles, structures, or property of an electric utility owned or operated by a municipality or other political subdivision.

2017, c. 835.

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