Bowing to concerns from a small group of local residents, the town of Easton, CT has enacted a ban on 5G progress that it recently extended until the end of 2023. As CT Insider reports, both the FCC and World Health Organization continue to state that cell towers pose no health risks for humans and animals. However, the Easton Board of Selectmen point to a pending lawsuit that challenges the accepted wisdom, saying that the town is on a 5G moratorium for the next year and a half.
“There was a group in town that felt strongly that the data on 5G was at the very least unclear, and they came to us with a proposal that we ban the installation of 5G,” said First Selectman, David Bindelglass. “We’ve done it [banning] in smaller chunks because we’re expecting more data to come out.”
Bindelglass, a doctor who specializes in joint replacement surgery, noted, “In my physician hat, I’ve said this every time we’ve done this, I am not convinced of the science that this is bad. But, I do think that there is some room for question.”
While 5G rollout remains on hold, the CT Insider noted that fiber delivery by Frontier and Optimum has continued. The 4G fiber connectivity has kept Easton online, but does not offer the same level of service that 5G can deliver, prompting the CTIA to reach out to Bindelglass and the Selectmen. The wireless trade organization urged Easton to reconsider the ban, saying it will “hamper the industry’s ability to meet our customer’s expectations for superior wireless service.”
Nearby towns of Fairfield and Westport have already embraced 5G. Bindelglass told CT Insider that ultimately, decisions fall under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Siting Council, which has thus far remained silent on the subject of Easton’s 5G moratorium. “No one has confronted us and said, ‘You can’t do this and we’re putting this stuff up anyway,’” he said. “[The moratorium] has been effective in that regard.”
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