Verizon Wireless is suing the city of Rochester over regulations that have been enacted in advance of equipment that would be needed for the new 5G service.
Rochester City Council approved a new ordinance earlier this year to minimize the disruption that could occur when the new equipment is eventually installed for 5G.
That’s a new generation of wireless networks which promises things like faster speeds and better networking capabilities.
The lawsuit filed by Verizon last week claims that Rochester’s new regulations violate federal law. The company says the ordinance would result in unreasonably high fees for Verizon Wireless as it adds equipment that includes attachments to existing street poles.
In response, the City of Rochester issued a statement saying that it is dedicated to ensuring its infrastructure is protected and maintained to benefit taxpayers. The city says that the fees are comparable to what other cities have required, and officials maintain that other communications providers are complying with the law while building out their networks.
The suit filed by Verizon Wireless in federal court claims that the city’s ordinance effectively prohibits the company’s ability to provide telecommunications services in the affected area of the city.
