After learning about a new franchise agreement between my city and a telecom corporation (for 5G cell sites on public rights-of-way), I sent the following letter.
For more info, visit www.OurWeb.tech. Please note that smart meters are also electrical equipment. To decrease their fire hazards, public utility commissions should also require professional engineers to evaluate and mitigate their fire hazards before they go live.
-Katie Singer
Dear Mayor and City Councilors:
I understand that the City is considering awarding NTS Communications, LLC, DBA Vexus Fiber a franchise to place telecom facilities on public-rights-of-way (PROWs) throughout the City.
Telecom facilities are electrical equipment. They pose fire hazards.
If the City issues Vexus Fiber a contract, will it require that state-licensed subject matter experts (professional engineers/PEs) evaluate each PROW for fire and collapse hazards AND certify that all hazards have been mitigated BEFORE new equipment is installed or goes live?
If not, why not?
In the event that a PROW with telecom gear does catch fire or collapse, will the contract clarify who will be liable: the City, Vexus Fiber, or the property owner?
If not, why not?
To view photos of cell sites that have caught fire or collapsed, please visit: www.OurWeb.tech/fires-and-collapses.
FYI, in April, 2021, Malibu, California enacted an ordinance that requires a professional engineer's report that all hazards on new telecom installations have been mitigated before any permit is granted. Any municipality that prioritizes safety can enact an ordinance like this one, a protocol that reinforces the assumption that no electrical equipmentincluding cellular antennas, smart meters, Wi-Fi systems, solar arraysis safe until it is proven safe. No permit is granted until a state-credentialed subject matter expert who holds a license and liability provides a sealed report showing that all hazards have been evaluated and mitigated. Click Here
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