WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced April 10 that Sprint and Mobilitie will settle two separate but related cases regarding wireless structures that were allegedly built without proper tower registration or environmental and historic impact reviews.
“The law was clear and it is vital that carriers and infrastructure companies alike never duck their responsibilities,” Christopher Killion, acting deputy chief of the Enforcement Bureau, said in a statement. “Even as our rules are updated over time, companies must abide by the law whenever they are building infrastructure, operating wireless facilities or taking other actions under FCC jurisdiction.”
Sprint will pay $10 million to settle the allegations. Mobilitie will pay $1.6 million. Both companies agreed to strengthen their environmental and historic preservation review compliance moving forward, so as to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
Under these acts, applicants and licensees must assess environmental and historic preservation aspects of the properties they are building. Environmental and historic impact reviews include impact reviews on wildlife, flood plains, tribal historic sites and other sites of historic or cultural significance.