19-0917_NEW CINGULAR WIRELESS PCS, LLC_E9_Correspondence_1dIL
AT&T
VIAE MAIL
San Juan Capistrano City Council
San Juan Capistrano, CA
ANN AHRENS BECK
Assistant Vice President -
Senior Legal Counsel
September 16, 2019
9/17/2019
AT&T Services, Inc.
208 S. Akard Street
Room 3026
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214.757.5748
E -Mail: ann.beck@att.com
Re: AT&T's Comments to Municipal Facility License Agreement
Dear Mayor Maryott, Mayor Pro Tem Bourne, Councilmembers Farias, Reeve and Taylor, and
Mr. Alvarez:
I write on behalf of my client New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC (AT&T) to provide
comments on the proposed Municipal Facility License Agreement regarding wireless
telecommunications facilities (the "Agreement") for the City of San Juan Capistrano (the
"City"), which will license the placement of wireless telecommunications facilities on City light
poles. AT&T recognizes the City's desire to regulate placement of wireless telecommunications
facilities, as well as the need to carefully balance the City's interests with the rights of wireless
providers to access and place equipment on City light poles. AT&T has worked with other
jurisdictions to draft reasonable master license agreements similar in form to the Agreement.
With this experience in mind, AT&T feels there are a number of provisions/concepts in the
current version of the Agreement that are not reasonable and might prevent AT&T from being
able to move forward with finalizing the Agreement with the City. Accordingly, AT&T offers
the following comments with respect to the Agreement that outline the unacceptable Agreement
provisions/concepts and AT&T's rationale for such positions. AT&T respectfully requests
removal and/or revision of the unacceptable Agreement provisions/concepts prior to
presentation to City Council and welcomes the prospect of working with the City to improve the
Agreement.
AT&T Comments to the A
iKreement
-Definition of "Services" (Section 1.10) — The Agreement's definition of "Services" includes a
reference to the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA) that creates an
ambiguity as to the definition's meaning and scope within the context of the Agreement. DIVCA
is inapplicable to video services delivered wirelessly by a commercial mobile service provider
(i.e., AT&T, Verizon, T -Mobile, etc.). Specifically, Cal. Pub. Utilities Code Section 5830(s) states
as follows: "(s) "Video service" means video programming services, cable service, or OVS service
provided through facilities located at least in part in public rights -of- way without regard to
delivery technology, including Internet protocol or other technology. This definition does not
include (1) any video programming provided by a commercial mobile service provider defined in
Section 332(4) of Title 47 of the United States Code, or (2) video programming provided as part
of, and via, a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail, or other
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services offered over the public Internet." AT&T is a commercial mobile service
provider. The Agreement relates to installing facilities to provide wireless services to
consumers; not fiber optic or cable services to consumer. Therefore, including the
DIVCA reference in the definition of "Services" is confusing and vague, and could
potentially lead to litigation in the future over its intended meaning.
For the purpose of resolving this ambiguity and to further clarify the intent of the parties as to
what "Services" are to be provided by AT&T, AT&T would ask that the definition of "Services"
be revised to recite as follows: "Services" means the transmission and reception of
communications signals for the provision of wireless voice, data, video, messaging or similar
type of wireless service now or in the future offered to the public in general using spectrum
radio frequencies licensed or authorized by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC").
-Term (Section 2.1/2.2) — The Agreement currently provides that the term of the Agreement and
any Supplements thereto are to be coterminous (i.e., the term of each Supplement will end
simultaneously with the Agreement). This creates the problematic possibility that AT&T may
enter into a Supplement with the City that will not have an assured minimum term of five (5)
years. For example, as currently drafted, AT&T could install a wireless facility during the
eighth (801) year of the Agreement's Initial Term, and the Supplement that would govern that
facility would then only have a guaranteed term of two (2) years. Ensuring that each
Supplement has a minimum term of five (5) years is in the best interest of both AT&T and the
City. As the City is well aware, the installation of AT&T's wireless facilities is a costly process
that requires coordination between the City, AT&T and various third -party vendors. If AT&T is
going to make this substantial investment in the City's Right of Way (i.e., bringing fiber optics
and other facilities to the poles, building out the necessary infrastructure, installing the
wireless facilities, etc.), AT&T needs some assurance that the wireless facilities being installed
will be able to operate for a period of at least five (5) years before the applicable Supplement
terminates.
AT&T has previously requested that the City consider allowing Supplements to have
standalone terms of ten (10) years, with automatic renewals, similar to the Agreement. If the
City cannot agree to such terms, AT&T would suggest as a compromise that the City gives
AT&T the sole option not to renew the Agreement for the first five (5) year Renewal Term of the
Agreement, rather than such option being at the discretion of either party. Following the first
Renewal Term, the City and AT&T would then both have the option not to renew the
Agreement in their sole discretion. Such a compromise would at least provide AT&T with an
assured Agreement term of fifteen (15) years, while still having the Agreement and each
Supplement be coterminous.
-Damage. Maintenance_& Repair (Section 6.8.2) — Section 6.8.2 provides that if a Replacement
Facility needs to be replaced or repaired, that AT&T will conduct the work at its own expense.
The City has agreed to take some of the responsibility for clearing any Replacement Facilities
from the public Right of Way, but AT&T believes that City should also be responsible for the
replacement or repair of the Replacement Facility since City is owner of the pole and regularly
deals with such poles in the normal course of its business. AT&T is willing to provide
replacement poles to the City, as needed, and will agree to pay its share of the costs for
replacement and repair. AT&T is not, however, comfortable taking on the responsibility of
replacing or repairing the poles, as it believes the City is far better equipped to perform such
replacements or repairs in an efficient and timely manner.
-Indemnification (Section 7) — The indemnification provision as drafted is too broad and cannot
be agreed to by AT&T. The indemnification carve out should be revised to apply to the
"negligence or willful misconduct of the Licensor, its council members, officers, employees,
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agents, or contractors". Additionally, this carve out for the City's negligence should
apply to all indemnification language in the Agreement. For example, Section 6.13
(Risk of Loss) contains indemnity language. This would need to be adjusted as well.
See also, Section 6.14 (Hazardous Substances).
-Insurance Provisions (Section 8) — City rejected much of AT&T Risk Management's proposed
revisions to the insurance provisions. AT&T is open to discussing alternative insurance
language; however, AT&T cannot agree to the insurance provisions as currently constructed.
AT&T would suggest a direct call between the parties' risk management representatives to
discuss the issues and potential alternative language. AT&T appreciates the opportunity to
work with the City Manager and City Attorney to make AT&T specific changes to the insurance
provisions under the Agreement.
Conclusion
AT&T encourages the City to consider implementation of AT&T's comments to the Agreement.
AT&T believes the proposed comments and revisions are reasonable and consistent with
Agreement provisions agreed to in other similar jurisdictions. AT&T welcomes the opportunity
to work with the City to develop a more reasonable and workable Agreement.
Sincerely,
Ann Ahrens Beck