U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) recently wrote FCC Chairman Ajit Pai about the nearly 300 applications for small cell infrastructure deployment that Montgomery County, just outside Washington, D.C., officials have received. He’s working with the county to address constituent concerns about potential health risks and wrote to ask for guidance on local zoning flexibility.
“Considering the quantity and proximity to residences of these small cell antenna applications,” Delaney asked if federal law supports denial based on aesthetic concerns. County law seems to indicate that’s okay but federal law is less clear, according to Delaney. “As you know, aesthetic concerns are often linked to possible decreased home values, which is of concern to my constituents.”
Pai responded with: “To meet the extraordinary growth in demand that will be placed on mobile networks by 5G technologies and services, providers will need to densify their networks. While facilities used for these networks are smaller and less obtrusive than traditional cell towers and antennas, they must be deployed in many more locations to function effectively.”
In short, the agency is working on it. Pai noted the Commission is working with industry and local governments to develop and encourage “sensible” siting regulations. The chairman cited the creation of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. One of its tasks is to create state and local model codes covering local franchising, zoning, permitting, and rights-of-way regulations.
As far as RF exposure guidelines, he referred Delaney to the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, which have both issued recommendations. The FCC’s guidelines are based on suggestions from the EPA, the FDA, and other federal health and safety agencies. The FCC guidelines were derived from exposure limits recommended by the NCRP and IEEE to ensure that Commission-regulated transmitters do not expose the public or workers to potentially harmful RF levels.
May 25, 2017
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