Telcos must notify owners and occupiers in the surrounding area – something Telstra recently failed to do, resulting in a formal warning from ACMA – and respond to submissions from councils and the public during a ‘comment’ period.
Acknowledging the "public concern" about the roll-out ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin in May urged telcos to "keep affected communities in the loop" and consider their feedback.
Although telco’s installing small cells enjoy a ‘low impact exemption’, the exemption doesn’t apply in residential areas, heritage areas, or if the cell makes the pole or fixture significantly larger. Owners of land where a small cell is to be installed can also object on limited grounds, and escalate their complaint to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in certain circumstances.
Any windows for public opposition in the low impact exemption rules could soon be filled if the likes of Optus get their way. The telco in April called for new rules to replace old regulations which are geared towards the deployment of large, expensive macro towers, not hundreds or thousands of small cells, they argue.
The government has acknowledged such concerns in the past, and made amendments to regulations recently. Reforms have been made in the US and Europe to make small cell rollouts easier – such as the US FCC’s ‘5G FAST Plan’ and the European Commission’s ‘5G Action Plan’.
David and Goliath
The anti-5G groups are now raising funds for their fight and figuring out a course of action. A Northern Rivers region group is seeking to secure $30,000 for flyers, events, radiation readers and legal support via GoFundMe. They have raised $1166 so far.
Another Australia-based fund – started by Brisbane-based crypto-currency consultant Paul Seils – is hoping to raise $100,000 on the platform to spend on awareness, education and to lay “the groundwork for a legal class action”.
Telstra is nevertheless handling the campaigners concerns with care.
“At Telstra we take our responsibilities regarding the health and safety of our customers and the community very seriously. We also acknowledge that some people are genuinely concerned about the possible health effects from electromagnetic energy and we are committed to addressing those concerns responsibly,” a spokesperson told Computerworld.
At the very end of the Addison Road Community Centre, after more than four hours of talks, the Stop5G Australia group admin Steve Galvin addressed the remaining audience.
“A lot of people say to me it’s pointless, you’re up against the telcos and the governments and there’s billions of dollars behind it. Okay I’m not confident because it is a huge uphill struggle. This is the mother of all David and Goliath battles,” he said.
“Everything we do is a step forward. It’s gaining traction. People are starting to wake up. I truly believe Stop 5G is that event that is going to make people sit up and say, that’s it, enough is enough,” he added.