5G mast will be a ‘blot on the landscape’
PLANS TO BUILD A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER ON THE EDGE OF TOWN HAVE SPARKED CONCERNS OVER ITS VISUAL IMPACT, RADIO WAVES AND DATA SECURITY, BUT THE FIRM BEHIND IT SAYS THE TECHNOLOGY IS VITAL
PLANS for a huge 5G phone mast at a busy Burton roundabout have been described as a “blot on the landscape” .
UK mobile network Three has put in a planning application to build a 18m-high mast on the corner of the Tutbury Road roundabout on the A511.
John Anderson, chairman of Outwoods Parish Council, said he was worried the mast would “become an eyesore”.
5G networks have been steadily rolling out in the UK and high-profile phone manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei and Google have launched devices which support the high-speed networks.
The networks are capable of transferring data at much higher speeds than existing 4G networks, meaning users are able to browse the web, play games and use other apps much more rapidly than previously.
But 5G is also able send larger amounts of data, making more complex tasks more accessible, such as streaming higher quality video and playing console-quality video games on a mobile device.
Councillor Anderson said: “I’ve been contacted with some concerns; some residents have flagged up health concerns with the 5G radio waves.
“It’s still a new application and I’ve been communicating with the Institute of Engineering and Technology, who have provided documents assuring that the mast is safe.
“We have also received more than one concern about data security for the tower.
“As far as I’m concerned, the biggest thing for me is the visual impact. I’d rather see it placed out of sight. It should be tucked away for the risk that it may become an eyesore.
“I think there needs to be a balance struck between the two, as I do have reservations about the visual impact of the mast, but we all want to use the 5G technology.
“I think it probably would’ve been better to just tuck it outside and not just place it on the busy roundabout.
“I don’t know why they couldn’t put it somewhere it can’t be seen. I
BEHIND PROPOSAL
just don’t understand. It’s always going to be a blot on the landscape.
“I acknowledge the fact that it’s a very new application, but I’ll be having a conversation with residents about the proposal.
“We’ll have to wait and see what comments we get back from residents. We have to wait and see what people have to say first before we go back to East Staffordshire Borough
Council with our views.”
A spokesperson for Three said: “5G roll-out is vital for residents and businesses of Burton on Trent.
“We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this new site will be critical to making that happen.
“While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.
“We invest a lot of time in the security of our customer data and this mast will not impact that.
“The 5G rollout by all UK mobile network operators complies with all global standards on health and safety which have been developed since the early 1990s.”
A spokesperson for Mobile UK, the trade association for the country’s network operators, said: “For 30 years, mobile operators, and the digital standards they deploy, have an extremely strong record of providing customers with secure communications. Security will remain a top priority.”
Three UK’S application will be heard by East Staffordshire Borough Council’s planning committee on a date yet to be decided.
Technology experts have highlighted how, in years to come, 5G networks will be used to power things such as autonomous cars and surgeons carrying out surgery remotely via robots, where instant connectivity and the rapid processing of vast amounts of data are vital to success.