Small cell facilities are low-powered antennas installed by private telecommunication providers, such as cell phone service providers, to improve cellular and data coverage to small geographic areas.

Boulder's Small Cell Facilities

Federal and state law requires cities to allow small cell facilities in the public right of way, which includes streets and sidewalks. In Boulder, small cell facilities will typically be installed on new poles on sidewalks.

The City of Boulder has been monitoring legislation and rulings at the federal and state level relating to small cell facilities. Small cell facilities are a wireless communication facility that is mounted on structures 55 feet or fewer and has an antenna enclosure of no more than three cubic feet and equipment of no more than 28 cubic feet and is otherwise referred to as a micro wireless facility.

Federal rulings in 2017, 2018, 2019 and recent states bills in 2025 have made significant changes to how local governments can govern small cell facilities, including but not limited to the size, implementation and processing of wireless communication facilities and small cell wireless facilities.

Updates to the city’s Boulder Revised Code have been done a number of times since 2017 and as recent as 2025 to comply with federal and state law. This memorandum includes a detailed description of the required changes (see page 178).

Additional changes to the small cell regulations to meet state law are also proposed in draft Ordinance 8745. Ordinance 8745 is set to be reviewed by City Council on May 7, 2026.

Find Small Cell Locations

Interactive map

  • Visit Boulder eMapLink for a list of locations that have been granted city permits.

  • Turn on the "Small Cellular Poles" layer in the left hand menu, and zoom into the area of interest in order to see the location markings.

Contact

City of Boulder Small Cell Permit Application Guide

  • Submission Schedule: Preferred application submittals are every Monday before 12 p.m. (noon).
  • Where to Submit: All applications must be submitted through SmallCell@BoulderColorado.gov.
  • Application Limit: We request that each applicant submit a maximum of five (5) small cell sites per week to ensure a thorough review process.
  • Design and Aesthetic Compliance:
    • All installations must adhere to City of Boulder Small Cell Design Guide and Standards and Boulder Revised Code 8-6-6.5.
    • Conduct and provide a structural assessment for any attachments to existing city poles to confirm compliance with safety standards.
  • Review and Approval Process:
    • Applications are reviewed in the order received.
    • The city will notify applicants of approval, required modifications or incomplete/rejections within the established review timeline.
    • Once approved, all construction must comply with city regulations, standards and utility coordination requirements.
  • Other Applications Required at time of ADR submittal: Before submitting your application, you must include the following:
    • Wireless Communication Facility (WCF) Permit: The Wireless Communications Facilities permit is an Attachment to the ADR (Administrative Review Application Form) and can be found in our Applications and Forms webpage.

    • Right-of-Way Permit: This is needed for any work within city-owned right-of-way or public easements. This includes, but not limited to, any Right-of-Way occupancy, Boring/Trenching, Traffic Control Devices and Booms/Cranes. Visit our Right-of-Way Permits webpage for more information.

      • If staging equipment in paid or managed public parking spaces, Parking Services approval must be obtained via their signature on the ROW Permit Application form.

    • Revocable Permit: This is required for any proposed stand-alone small cells. Visit our Revocable Permits & Leases webpage for more information.

      • Electrical Permit: Required for any electrical work or connections associated with meter installations. Visit our Building Permits & Inspections Webpage for more information.

  • Inspection & Activation:
    • Installations must pass all associated permit(s) final city inspections before activation.
    • Applicants must submit an As-Built Plan to SmallCell@BoulderColorado.gov or upload to the ADR case within 30 days of project completion.
  • For General Questions & Assistance: Contact staff via wirelesscommunications@bouldercolorado.gov
  • For Small Cell Permit Submittals Only: Contact and Submit to SmallCell@BoulderColorado.gov

  • Please note that the City of Boulder is in the process of updating code to comply with Federal regulations.

No. Small cell facilities are allowed in the public right of way per federal and state laws, just like other utilities. The City of Boulder has developed a permitting system to ensure that small cell facilities are placed in a way that minimizes their impacts within the areas that the city is allowed to regulate.

Small cell facilities are low-powered antennas that provide cellular and data coverage to smaller geographic areas, supplementing the larger cellular network and improving service for wireless customers. They are installed and operated by private companies.

Small cell equipment will initially meet current 4G (LTE) voice and data demands, but city staff understands it may be modified with future 5G higher speed equipment as technology changes.

Research shows that mobile data traffic in North America has grown significantly, and is projected to continue increasing at a rapid rate with the proliferation of mobile devices. Wireless companies have indicated that existing infrastructure is becoming congested and cannot continue to meet the demands of their customers.

Wireless carrier companies have indicated that until recently, wireless phone service, in general, has been managed using large antennas mounted on towers located on both public and private property. Those antennas serve relatively large areas, or “cells” that may include several miles. According to wireless carriers, existing cell sites are already becoming congested, and installing more cell towers covering large areas will not keep up with projected demand for high-speed wireless data. To meet demands for wireless data, carriers have begun using new lower-powered antenna technology to “offload” data traffic from the larger cell towers. Each of these smaller antennas serves a much smaller area (1-2 blocks) but with much higher data volumes. This type of wireless infrastructure is referred to as “small cell.”

The city has developed regulations to provide for architectural compatibility of small cell facilities, including using the same colors for poles as others in the area, camouflaging equipment where possible, and prohibiting ground-mounted cabinets

Generally, existing poles do not have the structural capacity to handle the weight of the small cell equipment. The size of existing poles also does not allow for the camouflaging of the equipment within the pole so additional cabinets would be strapped to the pole. The city’s current regulations provide incentives for the industry to replace existing poles with new ones that can meet both the small cell and other needs.

While the City of Boulder is not a public health agency, city staff track information provided by other agencies and organizations, such as the Federal Communications Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These resources may be helpful to people who wish to understand more about public health in relation to radio frequency (RF) radiation.

The industry's intent for deploying small cell facilities is to improve its reliability and coverage. Each site is usually connected to a specific provider.

In addition to the compatibility standards set forth in Section 8-6-6.5, “Small Cell Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way,” B.R.C. 1981, the city has guidelines that are intended to ensure wireless carriers minimize the visual impact of all proposed small call equipment. Refer to the design guidelines for more information.

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