Redlands Is All Talk and No 5G

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The town of Redlands, California has spent years challenging the incursion of cell towers and now finds that it has finagled itself out of 5G connectivity. A coverage map published by Redlands Community News shows that although there is a smattering of active towers, many other facilities are listed as either expired, or pending approval. Chris Boatman, Facilities and Community Services Director for the city of Redlands, confirmed that there are currently no stand alone towers, and no connections between some of the active locations.

In the town’s last major cell tower scuffle almost two years ago, local authorities granted their reluctant 3-to-2 approval to tower construction along the town’s right-of-way. The mayor at that time, Paul Foster, acknowledged the FCC’s superior jurisdiction and warned the city council that blatant defiance could result in costly fines and legal fees. Foster adopted a quiet stance, sending a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on behalf of Redlands residents wanting more local control over broadband deployment.

With Foster advocating through diplomatic channels, former councilman and current mayor, Paul Barich suggested that it was “the perfect time for civil disobedience,” and urged a push back against the FCC. “The issue is not about advancing technology, which we know is beneficial to our community,” said Barich. “In fact, they’ll probably be coming up with 6G before long. The issue is about local governments representing our citizens and providing solutions to alleviate their concerns.”

Despite a wealth of evidence from reputable agencies like the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Association attesting to the safety of cell tower transmissions, dissenters in Redlands continue to cite potential safety concerns. Sweeping aside these findings, Barich commented, “Nevertheless, our local government should have the right to address our citizens’ concerns. We should be able to make sure these facilities are placed at a proper distance from residences and, especially, schools.”

Meanwhile, Redlands risks being left behind as other communities move forward with 5G development. Verizon reports that so far, it has 67 cities with 5G connectivity, five of which are in California.

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