Athens Cellular Inc. v. Oconee County, Georgia

TJOFLAT, Circuit Judge:

Congress enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ("the TCA") to "promote competition and higher quality in American telecommunications services [and] encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies" by, among other things, "reduc[ing] impediments imposed by local governments" to the installation of wireless communications facilities. City of Rancho Palos Verdes v. Abrams , 544 U.S. 113 , 115, 125 S.Ct. 1453 , 1455, 161 L.Ed.2d 316 (2005). Although state and local governments retain "the authority ... over decisions regarding the placement,…