Cell tower concerns: New Florida law limits infrastructure control

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WEAR) — Several cell phone carriers are rolling out 5G technology in Northwest Florida.

That means you could soon see faster speeds and have better service on your phones and computers.

However, it also means there needs to be more towers to carry the signals.

On Thursday, John Herron's neighbor walked outside to find workers surveying his front yard in East Hill.

"They had told me the flags went up in their property in the right-of-way, right in front of their property and that was their first notification that poles were going up," said Herron.

He learned a cell tower would soon be put up in front of his neighbor's home.

Workers said a cell phone company was expanding 5G infrastructure in the area.

His neighbor didn't have any choice, and neither did the city.

"I think it's terrible. I think it's terrible abuse of authority and it's tipping power away from local government, which is where it belongs," added Heron.

On June 25, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1000, which stops local governments from creating or enforcing regulations on communications services.

Channel 3 News asked Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson what that means for the city.

"The Florida legislature basically eliminated local government, cities and counties, from having much say other than a little bit of aesthetic control," said Mayor Robinson.

Mayor Robinson said the cities do have a little say in the aesthetics of the cell towers.

For example, in historic areas like Seville Quarter, the infrastructure there would have to be consistent with the poles they already have there.

"If it's within the right-of-way, we don't really have an ability to say anything in regards to location or where it is," he added.

That means one of the carriers could install a pole in your front yard, as long as it's in the city's right-of-way.

"What is important to them is the coverage and the maps. What would be more important to us is placing them on existing infrastructure so that we're not interrupting and putting new poles in people's yards," said Mayor Robinson.

Neighbors said the poles are eyesores and the companies are not listening to their customers.

"They're just not taking into account our opinions at all. These corporations, multi-billion dollar corporations they can't just trample over local governments and neighborhoods," said Herron.