On behalf of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, the nation’s largest statewide business association whose members employ one million people in the State of New Jersey, I am writing to ask for your support for Senate Bill No. 2674 (Sweeney) and Assembly Bill No. 1116 (Murphy) – both of which are scheduled for a vote on Monday, January 10, 2022. These bills would facilitate the deployment of 5G technology in our state.
We are often asked what can be done to promote economic growth in the state and help New Jersey compete with our neighbors. Passage of bills like these is one major answer to that question. The deployment of 5G technology, through the strategic placement of small cells, will significantly enhance the competitiveness of businesses with operations in the state. It will allow our residents, many of whom are now working from home offices, to compete in the global marketplace and avoid the need to travel to work. This will allow tax dollars to flow to both state and local governments for the benefit of everyone.
In short, deployment of 5G will bring New Jersey residents and businesses the latest technology and allow them to compete. It will help our state to regain its place as the Innovation State.
I also want to highlight that New Jersey is unfortunately falling behind in this technological race. Thirty-two other states and Puerto Rico have already adopted similar legislation, including neighboring Pennsylvania and Delaware. A recent study on 5G deployment estimates that New Jersey can grow nearly $40 billion in GDP and create over 100,000 new jobs. We should not let these jobs and economic opportunities flow to other states because we failed to facilitate 5G deployment.
These bills have also been extensively amended to address aesthetics and other concerns of residents and our municipal leaders. They provide a balanced approach allowing for fair access to the public right-of-way in a neutral and non-discriminatory manner.
New Jersey is a high cost-of-living state, making it a challenge for businesses to grow here. Many of our businesses are still feeling the impacts of the pandemic. Facilitating 5G technology through the passage of this legislation is an easy way to enhance our business competitiveness and to help New Jersey lead this technological revolution. We urge you to vote “yes” on this legislation.
