Wireless bill ready for Kasich’s signature

Article

Cell phone tower

UPDATE: On May 3, 2018, after months of litigation between Ohio municipalities and telecommunications companies, Governor John Kasich signed H.B. 478 into law. H.B. 478 gives municipalities more control over the placement and appearance of small cells than its predecessor statute.

Earlier this month, House Bill 478 (H.B. 478) was passed by the Senate and is now headed to Governor Kasich for his signature. The bill represents a compromise between the telecommunications industry and Ohio municipalities. If Kasich signs the bill, it will be effective 90 days later.

For the last year, over 70 Ohio municipalities have been involved in litigation against the State of Ohio. The lawsuits took place in five Ohio counties—Franklin, Summit, Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Lucas—and the outcomes of the lawsuit have been split. However, judges in four of the five counties held that the previous micro wireless bill (Senate Bill 331) violated the “single subject rule” of the Ohio constitution.

H.B. 478 gives municipalities more control over the placement and appearance of small cells than its predecessor statute. According to a recent Columbus Dispatch article, AT&T’s director of external affairs in Ohio has noted that the drafting of H.B. 478 was the result of “a lot of give-and-take by both sides.” 

Industries & Practices

Media Contact

Subscribe to Receive Updates
Jump to Page

Necessary Cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.