Wireless communications facilities ordinances primarily apply to the current buildout of 5G communications infrastructure. 5G is the fifth generation of mobile telecommunications technology, bringing enhanced mobile broadband and optical-fiber-like speeds and data volumes. Benefits of deploying 5G networks include greater capacity and network speed, which can improve responses during emergency situations, helping communities prepare for automated vehicles and smart devices embedded into infrastructure, and being attractive to technology-inclined residents and businesses. Public concerns about 5G have centered on antenna heights; setback distances from homes, schools, historic buildings and districts; and the potential for negative impacts to health and the environment. Studies conducted to date have not found any health concerns from 5G networks’ electromagnetic fields. Other concerns include location near airports, worsening the digital divide due to higher-cost personal devices and difficulty of deploying 5G coverage in low population density areas, and cybersecurity risks.

Federal 5G regulations have been codified to streamline applications and access to public rights-of-way, set caps on costs and fees, and limit timelines for the consideration and processing of cell siting applications. In Pennsylvania, Act 50 of 2021 sets small cell infrastructure deployment standards while preserving local authority over rights-of-way. Wireless communications facilities ordinances can regulate location based on allowed uses, height, appearance, maintenance standards, setbacks from specific land uses, and noise within the restrictions set by state and federal governments. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 allows for local review of proposed wireless communications equipment that may impact historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.