Verizon plans to install 5G poles near famous Jersey Shore sparks uproar

Jersey Shore residents and Verizon Wireless representatives will clash Tuesday evening over a plan to install 5G towers on the popular beach.

Officials in Spring Lake will hear public comment on a request from Verizon to install small 5G cell service poles along Ocean Avenue as part of the telecom giant’s push to expand its 5G network in New Jersey with many residents clamoring. Locals say the construction of a 35-ft. The towers will disrupt coastal activities and threaten the environment, and be an unwanted eyesore on a popular beach.

Verizon says more wireless capacity is needed along the coast and that the 5G towers, designed to look like streetlights, will ultimately benefit the municipality.

“During the summer months there is a dramatic increase in visitors to the Borough’s beaches. That increased demand for Verizon Wireless’ network far exceeds available capacity, which has hindered the ability of residents and visitors to make and receive calls or text messages or use their devices to access the Internet,” said Verizon in partnership with Spring Lake to install 5G towers. “This app will help fix this huge wireless capacity problem.”

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Spring Lake Councilman Edwin Hale told FOX Business he’s “remaining open” to Verizon’s proposal, but he expects several residents and other city officials to oppose the plan at Tuesday’s Mayor and Council Meeting, which opens at 6 p.m.

“This night is a test to see what kind of objections our citizens have,” said Hale.

Verizon did not respond to a request for comment.

Opponents of Verizon’s proposal formed the group Spring Lake Against 5G Towers, represented by Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit led by former president Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Children’s Health Defense is also involved in a similar effort to stop Verizon’s 5G. towers in nearby Belmar.

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An image provided by Verizon shows an example of one of its 5G towers, designed to resemble street lights. (Verizon Wireless)

“One of the things we’re concerned about and the impact on people is the impact on the environment,” Children’s Health Defense attorney Scott McCollough told NJ.com earlier this year.

Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican whose district runs along the Jersey Shore, told FOX Business that his office has heard from some who have expressed concern about “the potential harmful effects of 5G towers on the aesthetic quality of their landscapes, the local environment and wildlife. , the values ​​of life and property.”

“The implementation of 5G is intended to improve telecommunications networks, but it cannot and should not be done at the expense of the installation of space or under unreasonable time constraints,” said Smith.

He introduced legislation, called the Securing Local Communities Input in Broadband Development Act, which aims to change federal laws that critics say unfairly favor the telecommunications industry against residents when the community opposes infrastructure projects.

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Plans filed with Verizon Wireless show the proposed location of a 5G tower pole on Prospect Avenue in Spring Lake, New Jersey. (Fox News Weather)

Spring Lake Mayor Jennifer Naughton said the municipality is in “open discussions” with Verizon about its request for a waiver that would allow the company to install 5G towers. Naughton said in June that the council is “strongly opposed” to the poles on Ocean Avenue and Prospect Avenue, although officials are willing to hear other proposals from Verizon, The Coast Star reported.

Hale also expressed a willingness to hear about any “other options” available to expand Verizon’s 5G network while preserving residents’ view of the coast.

“Was there a need for towers in the first place?” Hale said when asked what concerns he and other council members would like to address at Tuesday’s meeting. He suggested that other plans might involve placing 5G towers on the oceanfront or perhaps using Cellular on Wheels, or COW vehicles during times of peak demand on Verizon’s network.

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The councilman noted that Verizon will also need approval from Monmouth County before the project can move forward.

“What worries me is that the municipality and the residents will oppose something like this,” said Hale. “There may be other ways to make him less angry.”