If you rely on cell phones for connecting with your family, work, friends, in case of emergencies, or to find local businesses or a map of your current location, then this is your opportunity to get better wireless service for you and your community.
Voice your support with the City so they know you care about this issue.
If you live, work or drive in Palo Alto and rely on your cell phone to connect with your family, work, friends, in case of emergencies, to find local community facilities or to map your current location, then this is your opportunity to support better wireless service for you and your community.
Voice your support to the City so they know you care about this issue. Take action towards improving Verizon Wireless service in Palo Alto by:
If you value improved Verizon Wireless service in Palo Alto and you support Verizon Wireless’s small cell network enhancements, then the City needs to hear from you. To show your support and let your voice be heard, take a moment to email the City. You can click to select any of the sample messages, or create your own.
January __, 2017 8:30 a.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94301
Prior to the hearing, call Verizon Wireless’s representative __________ at (___) ___-____ for updates on meeting time and agenda item number.
Advances in wireless technology allow for the miniaturization of radio equipment to be placed in Palo Alto rights-of‐way.
For installations on wood utility poles in existing locations, Verizon Wireless will place a single 14.6-inch diameter by 48-inch tall antenna on top of the utility pole. Verizon Wireless will also mount three small radio boxes on the side of the pole along with low‐profile fiber and disconnect boxes. Battery backup for emergencies will be provided by either two small boxes mounted to the pole or one ground‐mounted cabinet.
For installations on metal streetlight poles, Verizon Wireless will place a single 14.6-inch diameter by 24-inch tall antenna on top of the utility pole. Verizon Wireless will also mount two small radio boxes on the side of the pole. Battery backup will be provided by a ground‐mounted cabinet.
Photosimulations of the small cell designs are shown below.
Since the launch of the smart phone nearly 10 years ago, Verizon Wireless has been introducing new technologies to meet service capacity demands. Today, reliable Verizon Wireless service and in-building coverage are essential to the everyday lives of Palo Alto residents, students and workers. Over the past year, the demand for Verizon Wireless voice and data services has nearly doubled and network enhancements are required to keep up with this ever‐increasing demand. Maintaining a highly reliable, high-speed, high-capacity network is also critical to emergency communications. Palo Alto residents, students and workers depend on this reliability of the Verizon Wireless network, especially to communicate with emergency professionals during times of crisis.
The Verizon Wireless small cells proposed for Palo Alto are currently being reviewed by the Palo Alto Utilities department and Planning Division.
Answers to frequently asked questions regarding Verizon Wireless’s proposed small cell network can be found HERE
Drawings and photosimulations for sample proposed applications for small cells are available for the following addresses:
[Address]
[Link]
[Address and link]
Use the above links to see photosimulations for any of the above locations.
1. Why is Verizon Wireless proposing small cells for Palo Alto?
The demand for wireless data services is expected to have grown 650% between 2013 and 2018. The increased use of smart phones, tablets, health monitors and other wireless devices in every-day life relies on the Verizon Wireless network. A small cell network will add capacity and improve in-building coverage in Palo Alto neighborhoods experiencing high call volume and data usage. Small cell networks will improve voice quality, reliability and data speeds for Palo Alto residents, businesses, first responders and visitors using the Verizon Wireless network.
2. What is a small cell?
A small cell is a single antenna placed on existing utility poles or street lights along with small pole-mounted radios and emergency backup batteries placed on the pole or nearby on the ground. Verizon Wireless small cells on Palo Alto utility poles would typically consist of one 48-inch tall 14.6-inch diameter antenna mounted on top of the pole and three small radio boxes plus a fiber box and disconnect switch further down the pole, with battery backup provided by two small boxes mounted to the pole or one ground-mounted cabinet nearby. Verizon Wireless small cells on Palo Alto light standards would typically consist of a 2-foot tall 14.6-inch diameter antenna mounted on top of the pole, two small radio boxes further down the pole and a ground-mounted battery cabinet nearby.
3. Are approvals required by the City of Palo Alto?
Yes. Small cells in the Palo Alto right-of-way are regulated by the Planning Division and Palo Alto Utilities. Verizon Wireless’s small cell design requires review by the Architectural Review Board as well as a conditional use permit approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. Planning Division staff will evaluate the small cell project under the California Environmental Quality Act. Palo Alto Utilities staff will review encroachment permit applications.
4. Are small cells safe?
Yes. The FCC, in consultation with numerous other federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has developed safety standards designed to protect against adverse health effects. The standards were developed by expert scientists and engineers after extensive reviews of the scientific literature related to radio frequency (RF) biological effects. The FCC explains that its standards “incorporate prudent margins of safety.” It explains further that “radio frequency emissions from antennas used for cellular and PCS transmissions result in exposure levels on the ground that are typically thousands of times below safety limits.” The FCC provides information about the safety of RF emissions from cellular base stations on its website at: http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/rf-faqs.html. In general, due to their small size, low wattage and limited coverage area, emissions from small cells are a small fraction of FCC-ˇpermitted levels in any publicly-accessible area.
5. Are small cells reviewed for compliance with FCC safety guidelines?
Yes. The City will review reports prepared by independent engineers that confirm the small cell design complies with FCC guidelines.
6. Where in Palo Alto are small cells proposed?
Verizon Wireless proposes to place small cells in residential areas of Palo Alto where its network is currently affected by heavy call volume and growing data demands.
Since the launch of the smart phone nearly 10 years ago, Verizon Wireless has been introducing new technologies to meet service capacity demands. Today, reliable Verizon Wireless service and in-building coverage are essential to the everyday lives of Palo Alto residents, students and workers. Over the past year, the demand for Verizon Wireless voice and data services has nearly doubled and network enhancements are required to keep up with this ever‐increasing demand. Maintaining a highly reliable, high-speed, high-capacity network is also critical to emergency communications. Palo Alto residents, students and workers depend on this reliability of the Verizon Wireless network, especially to communicate with emergency professionals during times of crisis.
