Los Angeles is close to having the first-ever seismic standards for building cellphone towers in the United States, as leaders gave preliminary approval on Friday to regulations intended to ensure residents will be able to communicate following a major earthquake. The rules, which still must be approved by the Los Angeles City Council on a second vote as early as next week, are the first seismic standards for cell phone towers in the United States, officials say. The regulations call for new, freestanding cell phone towers to be built to the same standards as public safety facilities, able to withstand the vigorous shaking that accompanies a major earthquake.

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