In an effort to improve 4G signal, Mobilitie LLC is working with the town of Chillicothe, OH to construct two new 40-foot-tall utility poles to hold cellular antennas. According to the Chillicothe Gazette, the two shorter utility poles, requested by Sprint, will be constructed in lieu of one larger tower. Central Ohio permitting manager for Mobilitie LLC, Dave Minger, explained, “What that does is, it allows those small cells to absorb the calls in the immediate area to a radius of about 200 meters and to 150 simultaneous connections and free up space on the existing towers to handle the other stuff.”
Chillicothe residents, as well as its Engineering Committee, had reservations about the new towers’ potential for holding 5G equipment due to health concerns, the Gazette reported. Minger assuaged those concerns, advising that the two antennas would have a 20-watt power output, while the FCC’s threshold for safety is 1,000 watts. Minger also assured residents and the Engineering Committee that Chillicothe is unlikely to require 5G infrastructure for several years.
According to the Gazette, Committee members also worried that approving the project might result in an unwanted influx of new utility poles, but members were able to mitigate those concerns with infrastructure-sharing requirements imposed on utilities and a discussion about the cost and effort associated with new pole construction. Now that the Engineering Committee and city planning commission have approved the project, the city council must hold a vote on the proposal, including approving the use of public right-of-way for the poles’ installation.
March 1, 2018
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