MAITLAND, Fla. – The City of Maitland Monday night is set to discuss how to roll out new 5G technology, as mandated by the state.
In 2017, Gov. Rick Scott signed the Advanced Wireless Infrastructure Deployment Act, allowing for small cell devices to be installed in cities across the state - including devices that could provide 5G technology through big cellphone providers such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T.
"The legislature decided that this was a state priority, that the state would be out front to allow 5G," said Mark Reggentin, assistant city manager for the City of Maitland. "It's happening very quickly."
Reggentin said cellphone providers have already been in contact with the city and are ready to roll out 5G. The city, however, must pass an ordinance on how the small cell devices for 5G would look. It's the only real authority Reggentin says cities have when regulating the rollout.
"Of the 100 percent of the things you can do to regulate these, we are allowed to do about 5 percent," Reggentin said. "We want it to look good."
Unlike the big cellphone towers that provide the current service and 4G, 5G devices will be smaller, on street corners, lamps and poles. The City of Maitland wants the antennas to match the aesthetics of the city.
"As you drive down the street in Maitland, we want you to not notice they are there versus having a giant cell ray standing on top of a pole," he said.
Monday night will be the first reading of Maitland's ordinance and Justin Harvey with We Are Change Orlando hopes to be there.
The local group recently spoke against 5G at Orlando's City Council.
Harvey sent News 6 several studies researching the impacts radio frequencies can have.
"I just don't want it to be at the expense of our health," Harvey told city officials in Orlando. "I just want to make sure this is a safe technology that we are going to be rolling out."
Though city officials say taking them away or not having them is out of their hands.
"I haven't heard anything about that, but there's nothing you can do about it anyway," Reggentin said. "I think once it's here, everybody will be happy it's here."
- Officials from several other communities said they have 5G ordinances.
- Winter Park's ordinance can be read here.
- Altamonte Springs adopted an ordinance on Jan. 15. Read it here.
- A spokeswoman from the city of Orlando provided a document overviewing the city's code changes as it related to communication technology. Read it here.