August 22, 2005
Cell-Phone Tower Debate Grows
In years past, cell towers and antennas stood anonymously in farm fields, on remote hilltops, on water towers. As cell phone use continues to grow, companies must find new places to keep up with demand, reports Wired.
"To keep up, cell "sites" -- towers and antennas mostly -- have increased tenfold, from fewer than 18,000 in 1994 to more than 175,000 now. Without additional towers, calls are lost and reception suffers.
"Our companies are always running into this conundrum, which is, 'We want cell phone service, but don't put that tower here,'" Farren said. "When you're dealing with communications through the air, you have to have antennas and towers."
To meet demand, companies are increasingly turning to nontraditional sites -- fire houses, churches, schools, even cemeteries and national parks. A cell tower now sits near Yellowstone's Old Faithful, despite strong opposition.
Opposition is just as strong in residential areas. Washington attorney Ed Donohue, who represents several cell phone companies, estimated that more than 500 cases have been heard nationwide involving efforts to stop cell phone towers and antennas. In most cases, the cell phone companies have won.
That's in part because federal law eliminates one of the key arguments against cell sites -- the health factor. No studies have shown conclusive evidence that radio-frequency emissions are harmful at levels allowed by the Federal Communications Commission. As a result, the law prohibits rejection of a tower based on health risk.
Yet fear of the uncertainty remains.
...Cell sites can be a financial boon to those who provide space for them. Cell companies won't discuss rent, but Donohue said companies typically pay $800 to $2,000 per month, depending on location, the size of the tower or antenna, and other factors. That can be a significant amount for a struggling school district or a church with stagnant or declining membership".
Related:
-- Cell-phone companies want towers in cemeteries
-- Fire Fighters Seek Study of Cell Phone Tower Radiation
-- First Come Cellphone Towers, Then the Babel
-- Gallery of fake trees that disguise cellphone towers
-- Cell Phone Tower Search USA
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