Wireless 5G brings speed — and unsightly poles

Industry wants zoning rules pre-empted for faster rollout

The next big thing in cellular technology, 5G, will bring lightning-fast wireless internet — and thousands of antenna-topped poles to many neighborhoods where cell towers have long been banned.

Wireless companies are asking Congress and state lawmakers to make it easier to install the poles by pre-empting local zoning laws that often restrict them, particularly near homes. The lobbying efforts have alarmed local officials across the country. They say they need to ensure that their communities do not end up with unsightly poles cluttering sidewalks, roadsides and the edges of front yards.

They also are hearing from residents worried about possible long-term health risks. Until now, much of the cell equipment that emits radio-frequency energy has been housed on large towers typically kept hundreds of feet from homes. The new “small cell” technology uses far more antennas and transmitters that are smaller and lower-powered, but clustered closer together and lower to the ground.

“We want to see the future of wireless infrastructure happen, but we want a say in how that happens,” Montgomery County (Maryland) Council President Hans Riemer said.

Riemer said the county anticipates more than 600 applications for new small cell facilities over the next several years, including in neighborhoods with underground utilities. He called the state legislative proposals “a giveaway to the industry.”

“Companies could put a lot of junk on telephone poles and light poles in our neighborhoods and change the appearance of the communities we live in,” he said.

Industry leaders say they cannot meet the surging demand for faster and more reliable Internet service unless local governments streamline their 1990s-era zoning regulations written for the far fewer, and much larger, cell towers.

Over the next several years, they expect to deploy as many as 300,000 small cell sites nationwide — about the same number of cell sites installed over the past 35 years, according to CTIA, the industry’s trade association.

In addition to meeting the soaring demand for data, they say, 5G — or fifth-generation wireless broadband technology — is needed to operate self-driving vehicles, “smart cities,” and the growing number of web-based home appliances, electronics and other devices.

“It’s important for us to get this network out there,” said Charles McKee, vice president of government affairs for Sprint. “I understand the sensitivities cities have and we understand their concerns. We want to work with them. Our goal here is not to force them to do things, but we need to deploy this, and we need to deploy it fast.”

Industry-backed legislative proposals introduced this year in 18 states, including Maryland and Virginia, would pre-empt most local zoning laws for small cell poles up to 50 feet tall. They would limit residents’ input on applications for small cell facilities and restrict local governments’ ability to reject them.

Thirteen states have adopted such laws since 2016, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The industry has found a sympathetic ear at the federal level. The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on a proposal to no longer require companies to outline the environmental and historical impacts of proposed small cell facilities. The FCC has said the regulations create unnecessary expense and delays. The agency also has appointed an advisory group to recommend other ways to expedite the 5G network, including by “removing state and local regulatory barriers.”

Congress also has held hearings on the issue.

“In order to spur investment in these states, we need regulatory certainty for our members,” said Jamie Hastings, a CTIA senior vice president.

Many local officials say they want 5G — their businesses seek hiccup-free video conferences, and residents complain when their screens freeze while binge-watching shows on their favorite streaming service. But they say they should not be forced to cede so much control over publicly-owned right of way to profit-driven companies.

“I don’t think any of us want to say no” to small cell networks, said George Homewood, planning director for Norfolk and a point person on the issue for the American Planning Association. “We’re just saying these decisions are best for localities to make.”

PAU BARRENA/GETTY-AFP The wireless industry is lobbying lawmakers in an effort to pre-empt local zoning laws and speed up its 5G deployment. The lobbying efforts have alarmed local officials across the country.