A town in the heart of Silicon Valley looks like a pioneer in facilitating outdoor distributed antenna systems (oDAS). The city council of Mountain View has voted to allow AT&T and DAS provider ExteNet Systems to place antennas atop utility poles, even though it will put the poles above the height limits set by the city.
Unlike most states, California is able to regulate pole height without the direct involvement of the utilities. In other parts of the country, carriers that want to pursue this type of DAS model may need to work directly with utilities, some of which are subject to strict regulations that may limit their ability or incentive to do a deal.
Nonetheless, some DAS professionals are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a trend. California is a huge market, so even if antenna-top poles are easier to get approved in the Golden State than elsewhere, there will still be plenty of opportunities.
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