Answer to Question #511 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

Is there any standard for a distance between a cellular base station and residential area?

A

The two main constraints on siting cellular base stations near residential areas are government exposure limits and local zoning ordinances. Various governments have limits for human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) energy that must be complied with in the siting of cellular base stations and other transmitters. In the United States, the relevant limits are those of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Cellular base stations use low-powered transmitters, and RF signal levels are invariably below FCC limits at any distance more than a few feet from the antennas. Thus it is entirely feasible to locate cellular base stations on rooftops of apartment buildings and to locate communications towers within residential areas and indeed these are both common practices. Local zoning ordinances are a different story. Local governments commonly restrict the location of communications towers through zoning ordinances, and they may have provisions that restrict cellular base stations in residential districts. Local attorneys or government officials should be consulted for advice about local requirements, which vary greatly among jurisdictions. Kenneth R. Foster Professor, Department of Bioengineering University of Pennsylvania