Small Cell Facilities

No. Small cell facilities are allowed in the public right of way per federal and state laws, just like other utilities. The City of Boulder has developed a permitting system to ensure that small cell facilities are placed in a way that minimizes their impacts within the areas that the city is allowed to regulate.

Small cell facilities are low-powered antennas that provide cellular and data coverage to smaller geographic areas, supplementing the larger cellular network and improving service for wireless customers. They are installed and operated by private companies.

Small cell equipment will initially meet current 4G (LTE) voice and data demands, but city staff understands it may be modified with future 5G higher speed equipment as technology changes.

Research shows that mobile data traffic in North America has grown significantly, and is projected to continue increasing at a rapid rate with the proliferation of mobile devices. Wireless companies have indicated that existing infrastructure is becoming congested and cannot continue to meet the demands of their customers.

Wireless carrier companies have indicated that until recently, wireless phone service, in general, has been managed using large antennas mounted on towers located on both public and private property. Those antennas serve relatively large areas, or “cells” that may include several miles. According to wireless carriers, existing cell sites are already becoming congested, and installing more cell towers covering large areas will not keep up with projected demand for high-speed wireless data. To meet demands for wireless data, carriers have begun using new lower-powered antenna technology to “offload” data traffic from the larger cell towers. Each of these smaller antennas serves a much smaller area (1-2 blocks) but with much higher data volumes. This type of wireless infrastructure is referred to as “small cell.”

The city has developed regulations to provide for architectural compatibility of small cell facilities, including using the same colors for poles as others in the area, camouflaging equipment where possible, and prohibiting ground-mounted cabinets

Generally, existing poles do not have the structural capacity to handle the weight of the small cell equipment. The size of existing poles also does not allow for the camouflaging of the equipment within the pole so additional cabinets would be strapped to the pole. The city’s current regulations provide incentives for the industry to replace existing poles with new ones that can meet both the small cell and other needs.

While the City of Boulder is not a public health agency, city staff track information provided by other agencies and organizations, such as the Federal Communications Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These resources may be helpful to people who wish to understand more about public health in relation to radio frequency (RF) radiation.

The industry's intent for deploying small cell facilities is to improve its reliability and coverage. Each site is usually connected to a specific provider.

In addition to the compatibility standards set forth in Section 8-6-6.5, “Small Cell Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way,” B.R.C. 1981, the city has guidelines that are intended to ensure wireless carriers minimize the visual impact of all proposed small call equipment. Refer to the design guidelines for more information.