300 cell tower sites rejected

The Ministry of Planning and Development, in a release yesterday, said 333 applications were rejected: 133 for East Trinidad, 73 for the West, 87 for South Trinidad and 37 for Tobago.

The ministry reiterated that cellular service providers must comply with guidelines outlined in the cell tower policy which came into effect in May. The ministry promised to remove all unauthorised and non-conforming cellular facilities as announced on Tuesday by Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis at Town and Country’s planning and approval process held in Westmoorings. Robinson-Regis said legal action will be taken and the towers would be torn down with help from the Army if 16 illegal cell towers around the country are not removed within 28 days of the notices issued by the ministry.

In separate releases, both TSTT and Digicel explained cell towers were put up without approval because TCPD did not respond in a timely manner when applications were made.

TSTT stated it was reassured by TCPD’s move to step up the evaluation process, but knocked the divison for being on an “apparent hiatus” for the last three years when TSTT made several applications for permission. TSTT said it got no response then because the policy was still being developed.

TSTT said it was pressured into erecting the towers as customers were demanding better mobile services and needed more cellular towers to achieve effective nationwide coverage.

As for the public’s safety concerns, TSTT said, even in the absence of the policy, it ensured its radio frequency emissions were as much as a thousand times lower than the recommended emission levels of the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

Digicel, in their release, said it had no choice but to erect towers as it was stipulated in the terms and conditions set out by the Telecommunications Authority (TATT), that it must provide coverage to 50 percent of Trinidad and Tobago by June 30. Failure to do so would have resulted in Digicel’s forfeiture of a $5.25 million performance bond. Digicel’s tower provider, Site Acquisition Services Limited (SAS), therefore erected towers while the applications were still pending.

The company said it did so in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act which permitted approval for unauthorised developments at a later date once such developments comply with planning requirements.