Alternative plans sought for cell tower


CORNWALL — The public discussion on cell tower siting in Cornwall continued at the Nov. 20 Board of Selectmen’s meeting.

More signatures were received on petitions by residents asking that the town seek as much input as possible. Concern was sparked by a proposal by Verizon to construct an 80-foot telecommunications tower on a Popple Swamp Road ridgeline.

Nevton Dunn, a local resident and retired designer of telecommunications systems, was asked to attend the selectmen’s meeting and give his opinion on the best approaches to local cell service coverage.

Dunn said that the aim in rural areas should not be to provide coverage to every home, but on the roads, where people typically use their cell phones.

More importantly, that particular coverage approach would be the most beneficial to emergency services.

"Unless Verizon’s objective is something we’re not addressing, aiming for homes doesn’t make sense. There’s a hole in their proposal. Who are they trying to serve? People turn their cell phone off in the house, and you’re never going to get a good signal into homes, especially when the leaves come out or it rains. Drive time should be the aim. That’s when people want a reliable signal."

Dunn offered insight into an approach that has been discussed before, and that is becoming increasingly intriguing: a system of signal boosters on existing utility poles that would effectively cover the vital road corridors. Fiber optics and antennas would carry the signal around corners.

It all makes sense to Dunn, who designed a similar system that was installed from Portland, Ore., to the Pacific Coast. In the end, it was much cheaper than constructing a tower and tower site. The power company, he said, was happy to get the rent.

That was about six years ago, and the system is a proven success.

For service providers, big towers are costly, and the only way to break even, according to Dunn, is to lease space on them to other cell service providers. That leads to tower heights increasing as other providers install equipment.

It is one of the points the selectmen addressed in a letter to Verizon attorney Ken Baldwin. Baldwin and other Verizon representatives met with the board in October. At that meeting, Baldwin stated the company’s aim was to cover the main roads. They also spoke of the potential for tower-sharers that could push the tower higher.

Last month, the board looked at the result of a balloon test for the Popple Swamp tower, and a letter from Baldwin proclaiming it a success in terms of the visual impact of the tower. A test balloon is sent up to the same height that a tower would attain.

The selectmen made it clear that they are doing their own research and expect more information from Verizon that includes how it might use existing towers.

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