More coverage coming but no 5G with latest cell tower in Worland

WORLAND - Installation of a new Verizon cell tower began earlier this month more than three years after getting approval from the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees.

The tower is being installed at Warrior Stadium. One of the wooden light poles on the south end of the stadium has been replaced by a 93-foot steel pole where the cellular antenna has been installed, along with the bank of stadium lights formerly on the wooden pole.

Construction for the tower and antenna is being handled by Vikor Teleconstruction out of South Dakota. According to the Vikorinc website, "What is now VIKOR, was founded in 1989 as Sioux Falls Tower & Communications and continues under the same ownership and management today. We are a full-service wireless infrastructure construction company. Our customers include all of the national and many regional wireless carriers, public utilities as well as wind energy developers, oil and gas, and government agencies." According to a spokesperson, Vikor's work should be completed in the next week or two and then Verizon will begin integrating the new site into the Verizon system.

Verizon Consumer Group Public Relations Manager Heidi Flato said, "The new cell site will provide 4G LTE coverage and capacity to Worland and the surrounding area. This is particularly important now, as many residents depend on reliable broadband service to enable distance learning and working from home."

According to the Verizon website and coverage map, there are no cities in Wyoming with 5G Ultra Wideband and only a limited area with 5G Nationwide capability, this on the far west border of the state near the Idaho border.

"Verizon's network provides the broadest coverage, best speeds, and unsurpassed reliability.

"We consistently invest in our network so that we can offer our customers the quality experience and the reliability they expect and deserve – today and in the future. 

"As more people are doing more things, in more places, with more mobile devices, we've seen a dramatic increase in voice and data traffic on our network. We only expect that trend to increase.

To support the growing demand, it's often necessary to build new wireless facilities (cell sites) where customers want and need to use our service."

She added that Verizon anticipates construction will be complete and the service will be activated by early spring of this year. They have no other new facilities planned for this area at this time.

There are two other cellular antennas within the city limits.

The school district was approached about using a pole at the stadium in 2017 and a motion to approve the site was approve in June. In April 2018, the Worland Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission approved a special exemption for the cell tower for up to 100 feet. The overall height of the tower at Warrior Stadium is 93 feet. 

During discussion by the school board and the BAPC, health concerns about radio frequencies were discussed.

According to the American Cancer Society, "At this time, there's no strong evidence that exposure to radio frequency waves (RF waves) from cell phone towers causes any noticeable health effects. However, this does not mean that the RF waves from cell phone towers have been proven to be absolutely safe. Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term effects.

"At ground level near typical cellular base stations, the amount of RF energy is thousands of times less than the limits for safe exposure set by the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and other regulatory authorities ... Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. At this time, there is very little evidence to support this idea."

According the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, "RF energy has never been classified as a carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies whether substances are known to cause cancer, probably cause cancer or might cause cancer. In 2011 IARC listed RF energy as a possible carcinogen, alongside pickles, coffee and aloe. This classification applies to all forms of RF energy, including broadcast television, broadcast radio, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, and signals from baby monitors, garage door openers and other everyday items. The classification means that IARC believes scientists should continue to research RF energy."

In 2018, Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health on the National Toxicology Program's report on radiofrequency energy exposure, wrote, "Based on our ongoing evaluation of this issue, the totality of the available scientific evidence continues to not support adverse health effects in humans caused by exposures at or under the current radiofrequency energy exposure limits. We believe the existing safety limits for cell phones remain acceptable for protecting the public health."