What is the problem?
5G towers have begun to pop up all over Tampa in residential neighborhoods, far away from any busy roads, commercial properties, or areas of public gatherings. The homeowners are receiving no notification before a 5G tower is installed in the “right-of-way”/their front or side yard (if corner lot). This means in some properties, a 5G tower could be as close as 15ft-20 to your home. There are many other states and municipalities that have ordinances in place that require 5G poles to be at least 500 meters (1,650ft) from a residential property or school!
Why is this allowed?
In 2017, The Advanced Wireless Infrastructure Deployment Act was signed into effect at the state level. It essentially gave complete and unrestricted access to our right-of-way (easem*nts) to the telecommunication companies to install 5G where they see fit. Our city council members and local elected officials are unable to do anything as they must adhere to this state legislation. Many of our local officials have voiced their own concerns on the matter but they are handcuffed by this state legislation.
Why are we concerned about 5G?
Lack of Restrictions:
In other states and municipalities around the country, there are restrictions in place as for the placement of these 5G towers. In Florida, they have virtually none. We need restrictions modeled after these states/municipalities that protect our property, our families and our neighborhoods.Part of the legislation allows for fair competition amongst providers. Multiple telecommunication providers are in the process of installing these towers around South Tampa. There are multiple competitors installing towers near each other to compete with one another. We do not want “gardens” of 5G towers in our yards as they compete for our business. Similar to how there are CVS by Walgreens and Burger Kings next to McDonalds.5G emits high frequencies but only travel a small distance. 5G towers are effective at a range of 500ft-1000ft. Eventually we will be either littered with these towers OR a monopoly will take effect where we are forced with the provider with best coverage in our neighborhood.These are residential neighborhoods within city limits not busy commuter areas, areas of public gatherings, or a rural area lacking High Speed options. We are home, using our home (current) WiFi. They want to drive new business to their home 5G services that are being pushed all most major cell phones provides regardless of impact to homeowners. We need restrictions that push these towers to commercial and business districts (much like the current tall 4G towers have had to adhere to).Department of Homeland Security has noted several risks of Cybersecurity amongst other risks.It is known within the City of Tampa that there are areas of outdated and undersized power supplies coming into homes. These poles will take away additional power from homes that are already potentially have an undersupplied power source. The telecommunication companies should be required to ensure the additional draws of power to these new poles will not impact the surrounding neighbors and if so, take financial responsibility to upgrade the corresponding transformers. If not required, this cost would be at the expense of our energy companies and passed along to the consumers.
Property Value:
City of Tampa was allowed to ban them from installation on Bayshore Blvd because it’s a “scenic route”. We admit here we know they are an eyesore to our neighborhoods, homes and city. They do not belong in ANY of our beautiful residential neighborhoods.As a Realtor of 10 years, I can attest this will decrease our property values. Earlier this year, I sold a home with a cell tower in the yard. 9 of 10 showings provided negative feedback about the tower but otherwise loved the home. We had to deeply discount the property to finally get an offer.Below are the results of a poll I created for fellow Realtors in an online forum. 72% of (Realtor) participants stated they feel a 5G tower in the yard will decrease the property value of a home.
Health Impact:
Currently, there are no long-term studies on the health impacts of 5G on humans.World Health Organization Official Release on 5G: Radiation: 5G mobile networks and health (who.int): “Given that the 5G technology is currently at an early stage of deployment, the extent of any change in exposure to radiofrequency fields is still under investigation”.More than 3,500 physicians across preventive and environmental medicine, toxicology and other specialties have united against 5G, citing main associated risks of nonionizing radiation—according to peer-reviewed scientific literature—including cancer, cellular stress, genetic damage, reproductive changes and deficits and neurological disorders. Link to Forbes article citing this data.Below is a photo of the sticker on the top of the ATT pole installed nearby in South Tampa. Note the sticker is completely out of eyesight but possibly fulfilling their legal obligation “….above this point you are entering an area where radio frequency (RF) fields may exceed the FCC General Population Exposure limits…” Are we really to believe the radiation only goes up although the cell phone user is on the ground?There are increasing amounts of studies, including peer reviewed studies, showing 5G can be harmful to humans, wildlife and even vegetation in close proximity. One recent study shows bees won’t even pollinate when one is nearby!(see link to Environmental Health Trust website for more on these studies).
Has anyone challenged this at a state level?
Yes! The Florida League of Cities is a non-partisan group representing over 400 Florida cities. The League represents municipal government interests at the state and federal levels with a dedicated team of legislative advocates that help ensure local voices are making local choices in our cities. The League along with several Florida municipalities filed an official complaint for state ligation alleging that “…..the Florida statute that, in part, preempts municipalities’ ability to control the use of their own property, namely utility poles installed, owned and maintained by municipalities for lighting, traffic control and signage, in public rights-of-way, to allow for the collocation of certain wireless communications infrastructure by private wireless providers violates the Florida Constitution”. Unfortunately, this was dismissed. Let's let them know through this petition South Tampa stands with them and encourage them to keep pushing back!
What are other states and countries doing in regards to 5G towers?
Our Florida representatives have failed us when they signed The Advanced Wireless Infrastructure Deployment Act. They imposed little to no restrictions on the placement of these poles and stripped our city officials of any ability to do anything to address our concerns whereas others states and municipalities are pushing back! There are many other municipalities that have ordinances in place that require 5G poles to be at least 500 meters (1,650ft) from a residential property or school!
The most recently,New Hampshire Bipartisan Bill HB1487 which would impose these distance minimums state wide (already in place in several municipalities) as well as require home inspectors to test for RF, make Public Services Announcements on radio, television and internet to warn with the health risks associated with radiation exposure, including warnings concerning newborns, children, and pregnant women, publish a statewide updated RF map (used from the data collected from the home inspectors) AND impose safety limits that shall protect trees, plants, birds, insects, and pollinators from damage by RF-radiation exposure. WOW. This is what NH is doing meanwhile Florida and is allowing telecommunication companies to put them anywhere they'd like?
Environmental Health Trust: Link to all US Ordinances and Pending Bill/Acts
What can we do?
We need restrictions either through our state laws and/or we demand our state elected officials give back the right to our local cities to have the right to determine what is best for the residents of Tampa.
#1- Sign and share our petition! We will send this to Senator Jay Collins and our House Representative. We will also share it with the telecommunication companies trying to put them in. Change comes with numbers and we need you!
#2- Let them hear from you too! Contact our elected state officials and demand action. We want them to propose a Bill/Act similar to New Hampshire HB 1487!
Click for contact info for our senator and state representativesTell our senator: Collins.Jay.web@flsenate.gov
#3- Contact your local Neighborhood Association to share this petition, raise awareness and help collect your neighborhoods support.
Bayshore Beautiful: info@bayshorebeautifulna.comSunset Park: SPAHA.org@gmail.comBeach Park: info@beachparkhoa.comParkland Estates: Hyde Park: (they may be exempt due to historical zoning)??Virgina Park: Virginiaparkna@gmail.comPalma Ceia: palmaceiana@gmail.comDavis Island: president@dicivic.orgBallast Point:South Seminole Heights: sshca@gmail.comOld Seminole Heights: involved@oldseminoleheights.orgTampa Heights: tampaheightscivicassociation@gmail.comRiverside Heights:
#4- Pledge to turn off 5G off on your phone until we have change! Let's send a message to Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile and the others that we will not use their service unless they hear where WE want them.Steps to turn off 5G for iPhone:
Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data Options ->
#1 Voice & Data -> Switch to LTE
#2 Data Mode -> Standard
Steps to turn off 5G for Samsung/Android
Setting -> Connections -> Mobile Networks -> 5G Standalone -> switch toggle from on to off
(*Note that some providers have disabled Samsung ability to turn this feature off in the US but not abroad)
#4- Boycott home 5G services being pushed by the major cell phone providers. They are trying to monopolize their new technology before the competitor moves in. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai made the following statement following the 2021 auction of C-band spectrum: “This historic FCC auction is already a record-breaking success. Bidders have won all of the 5,684 spectrum blocks that were up for bid. And gross proceeds have exceeded $80.9 billion, shattering the prior FCC auction record of $44.9 billion. These results represent a strong endorsem*nt by the private sector of the service rules and transition plan put in place by the FCC to quickly make the C-band a critical part of 5G rollout in the United States". They don't care about our properties, families or even how effective the technology is, they just need their technology adopted immediately to recoup the above investments.
Sources/Links for further research on 5G:
Link to City of Tampa 5G map5G Introduces Cybersecurity Risks, Department of Homeland SecurityForbes: "Evidence for health effects of 5G goes both ways"5G - Environmental Health Trust (ehtrust.org)Tampa City Council moves ahead with new rules for 5G wireless antennas, but blasts Legislature because it can't do more (tampabay.com)Airline CEOs warn of ‘catastrophic’ disruption from 5G rollout | WFLAUS Senator Blumenthal Raises Concerns on 5G Wireless Technology Health Risks at Senate Hearing - YouTubeRadiation From Cellphones, Wi-Fi Is Hurting the Birds and the Bees; 5G May Make It Worse (newsweek.com)
