By Drew FitzGerald, Sept. 13, 2018 } Original Wall Street Journal article here.
City officials also complain they don’t have enough staff to handle the applications. But state and federal authorities are in the carriers’ corner.
Small cells, essential for 5G service, include the conspicuous, as in Santa Rosa, Calif. , where the box on the ground was removed after complaints but those on the pole remained; and the less conspicuous (center) and well camouflaged (right), both in Nashville.
Residents of Denver’s Riviera apartments were surprised earlier this year when a roughly 30-foot-tall green pole appeared a few feet in front of their building entrance. The pole, installed by Verizon Communications Inc. and laden with cellular antennas, was designed to improve cellphone service in the area, but the residents complained about the placement.
Months later, it was gone. But that was just a small taste of what’s to come across the country: Millions of Americans will soon encounter similar poles or notice antennas sprouting on existing structures, like utility poles, street lamps and traffic lights, all over their neighborhoods. All four national cellphone companies are pushing to build out their networks with a profusion of small, local cells to keep their data-hungry customers satisfied and lay the groundwork for fifth-generation, or 5G, service.
Those plans face pushback in many places, and not just from residents. Officials in some cities say they don’t have enough staff to process applications for dozens or even hundreds of new installations. In some smaller towns, officials say they lack the expertise to review the new technology, though they’re working fast to get up to speed.
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