We should be a part of the decision-making process for changes that impact our neighborhoods, our homes, and our safety. However, ZTA 19-07 removes public notice and hearings, allowing a company to replace our street lights and utility poles with “small” cell towers 30 feet from our homes without any warning or input.

Proponents claim that fast-tracking 5G will help bridge the digital divide and lead to digital equity. However, ZTA 19-07 in no way guarantees that low-income communities, or those historically underserved, will gain increased access. 98.8% of Montgomery County already has broadband access. In most of the county, the digital divide is about affordability, not accessibility. One of the main reasons that low-income communities are at a digital disadvantage is that they cannot afford home broadband connections and thus have few options for getting online other than using their cell phones. Creating more, fancier 5G “smart” services doesn't actually do anything to help, and in fact, might push broadband out of reach for those who need it most. The Communication Workers of America have issued severalreports on “misleading” “5G Hype” and how new network deployment paired with sweetheart deals and “only exacerbates the digital divide.” A Center for Public Integrity investigation highlighted Montgomery County in “FCC says small cells will close the digital divide. Most say they won’t.” CNET headlines read “5G hype won't close the digital divide.” NPR explored this issue in “Who Gets 5G — And Who Gets Left Behind — Has Some Worried About Digital Inequality” ZTA 19-07 is a give-away to the billion-dollar telecom industry. It will only further exacerbate existing inequity. When the cell towers have all been built in front yards, the families that are unconnected today, will still be unconnected.

The ZTA shifts costs from companies to taxpayers as documented in Montgomery County’s fillings to the FCC. Review and enforcement costs are subsidized by resident taxpayers. (Read more)

Research shows that cell towers negatively impact property values by up to 20% because few buyers desire living next to a humming cell tower. Montgomery County acknowledges this in their legal filings, stating that, “the addition of facilities of this size diminish property values.” (See 2018 Ex Parte for 17-79)

“Small” cell towers have equipment cabinets attached to the side of the expanded utility pole that can be as large as a refrigerator. There are no limits to the number of cabinets per pole, and there are no restrictions on how many wireless facilities may be clustered on a street. While current language requires a distance between the same company’s poles, it does not prevent multiple providers clustering on the same block. This could lead to neighborhoods littered with cell towers and wires, turning quiet communities into technology-ridden monstrosities.

Adding cell tower poles up to 50 feet tall in neighborhoods will require cutting down trees. ZTA 19-07 has no protections for the tree canopy nor accountability for tree trimming and root disturbance. Cutting down trees can have a detrimental impact on climate change and the health and aesthetics of our community. Read more from the Sierra Club of Washington DC on why it’s essential to protect the trees.

Hundreds of scientists are calling for caution with 5G infrastructure because of published research showing that cell towers emit harmful radiation levels---even though they are below current limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC cell tower radiation limits have not been updated in 25 years, and are the subject of an active lawsuit EHT et al. v the FCC, which is awaiting a court ruling (See WTOP News Coverage).