Cell Tower Regulation Changes?

Cellular carriers seem to be on a winning streak with federal regulators. In the Big Beautiful Bill, cellular carriers were able to insert language in the bill that mandates the Federal Communications Commission to auction 800 MHz of mid-range spectrum. That’s going to force the FCC to carve the spectrum from other uses, and it seems likely that most of the spectrum that goes to auction will be won by the big cell carriers. Late in 2025 the FCC opened a Notice of Inquiry Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments. In the NOI, the FCC asked the following questions.

• Should the FCC establish a new set of shot clocks that cover permitting and construction of wireless towers and other wireless infrastructure?
• Should the FCC consider a “deemed approved” rule that would mean that any proposed new tower project would be considered as approved if a local government doesn’t approve the project within a specified time frame?
• Should the FCC preempt local governments from setting fees related to permits, rights-of-way, and construction processes, and should the FCC set national fees for these efforts?

As someone who has read a lot of FCC documents, the tone of this NOI suggests to me that the FCC has already largely determined what it is going to order related to the shot clock and fees. It looks likely that the cell carriers will likely achieve another big win on their regulatory wish list.