In a move that might include more than 100 municipalities across Connecticut, Mobilitie, a telecommunications infrastructure company, has proposed building a 120-foot monopole on state-owned land on the west side of Route 7, about a half-mile north of the Route 35 intersection. This is another application out of more than 100 that have been received across the state, according to the NewsTimes.
Mobilitie said in its application letter that it aims to improve connectivity in the area by “deploying a hybrid transport network that provides high-speed, high-capacity bandwidth in order to facilitate the next generation of services and data-driven services.” The letter, which included drawings of the tower and location, also stated that the utility poles and facilities are available to multiple customers, and that nearby towns could decide to co-locate. NewsTimes said that the letter had not yet been submitted to state regulators, which has state lawmakers concerned.
Melanie Bachman, executive director for the Connecticut Siting Council, told NewsTimes that after reviewing information sent to municipalities she “is concerned about the lack of detail, including information about which mobile providers would use the towers and data proving the need for a tower.” She said that she is unclear about “how Mobilitie came to the conclusion that the sites they are proposing in all of the towns are needed.” Since Mobilitie holds a Certificate of Public Necessity and Convenience issued from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to “provide certain telecommunications services in Connecticut,” Bachman told NewsTimes that “the company might try to circumvent the application process by arguing that wireless service is a public utility that it is already licensed to provide” simply by having the certificate.
Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi also voiced his concerns to the new site, stating that the tower’s proposed location is in a major thoroughfare with a high level of traffic accidents. He also said that municipalities have a lack of control when it comes to mobile infrastructure, but hopes to be an active participant when formal applications are made to the siting council.
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