Health risks, safety among concerns as NJ prepares for 5G rollout

Marsha A. Stoltz NorthJersey.com
Published 4:06am ET Jun 25, 2021

Get ready, 5G is coming.

Throughout New Jersey, towns are updating their ordinances in anticipation of extensive antenna installations by carriers such as Verizon and AT&T to enable 5G wireless technology.

Heavily populated towns in eastern Bergen County such as Fort Lee, Edgewater and Cliffside Park, Bayonne in Hudson County, and Belleville and Irvington in Essex County have already signed on, enacting ordinances and overseeing installations.

In Saddle River, telecommunications attorney and consultant Peter Lupo told public officials and residents that having ordinances in place lets the municipality exercise some control over where equipment goes and what it looks like. 

"It's coming," Lupo said. "Preparation is key."

But what does it the arrival of 5G mean for residents?

What is 5G? Is it safe?

Carriers are touting the fifth generation of wireless for its speed, capacity and reduced transmission time. Cellphones with 5G capabilities are heavily marketed. But residents are not always as enthusiastic, expressing concern about the proliferation of poles needed to hold its antennas and concerns about the impact of radio waves on health.

A widely read 2019 article in Scientific American questioned the safety of radio frequency radiation (RFR) used by 5G, but regulatory agencies generally deem it safe.

A black small cell 5G antenna atop a utility pole on Oakland Avenue in Union.

"We cannot challenge this," Mayor Albert Kurpis told 36 frustrated residents in attendanceat a meeting in Saddle River. "What local government can do is establish in the form of an ordinance a reasonable framework that governs 5G rollouts."

"Edgewater has already approved several applications for these installations without any issue to speak of," said Edgewater Borough Administrator Gregory Franz.

While Saddle River's relatively low density makes it a less pressing target than high-density towns such as Cliffside Park (24,500 residents in one square mile), Lupo predicted the borough would be approached by a carrier "in the next year."Saddle River retained his firm, Hoplite Communications, to guide its decisions.

"The current 5G technology rollout involves the intersection of land use laws, right-of-way laws, utility laws and telecommunications law at the federal state and local levels," Lupo said. "In some instances municipal attorneys take a go at it, but it is a highly specialized field with many factors to consider."

Many, many more antennas for 5G

While 5G may be faster, its antenna reach is limited to a quarter-mile maximum. This means instead of one large cell tower serving a town like Saddle River, 30-40 antennas or nodes must be installed at key transmission points over Saddle River's five square miles to reach all customers from utility poles, street lights, even traffic lights. In some cases, new poles will be required if there's no suitable pole, and they may be close to homes and schools.

Irvington, which is three square, miles required 91 sites, Lupo said.

While these smaller (under 2 feet long) antennas can be placed more strategically to minimize dead spots, their number and placement create other concerns to be addressed by ordinances, Lupo said. 

He said there as steps towns can take to protect residents, but the time to act is before carriers apply for installation permits.

What to do to prepare for 5G

Among the things towns can do:

• Keep the devices from proliferating. Require carriers to share poles whenever possible.

• Make them look good. New poles should match existing poles or light fixtures to minimize their visual impact.

• Don't let companies abandon their junk. Companies must pay for dismantling and removal of equipment when it becomes obsolete.

• Don't allow monster poles. Limit height to 38-42 feet.

• Monitor for 5G safety. Require carriers to post the most recent data on emissions at each antenna.

Towns should also regulate the placement so poles don't obstruct lines of site or block sidewalks or handicap ramps, and collect maintenance fees for each pole

Where towns are powerless against 5G

What municipalities can't do is block the installations. "You can try, and you may win the first round, but ultimately the carrier will win," Lupo said.

They also can't dictate health standards. "The FCC decides whether these are safe for human exposure," Lupo said. "The FCC says this range of frequencies is safe."

Nor can they drag out the approval process. Installations are on "shot clock time frames," Lupo said.  "Local governments have 90 days to approve a new small cell site with a new utility pole, and 60 days to approve a small cell site installed on an existing pole, traffic light, street lamp, etc." 

And finally, they don't get to say where the pole goes. "The carrier calls the shots where it goes," Lupo said.  "There may be a little wiggle room, but mostly poles are set where they want."  They can't prohibit installation on utility poles.

The good news? "Once you have it, you'll appreciate it," Lupo said.

He will address the Northwest Bergen Mayors' Association July 5.

Marsha Stoltz is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.