No reception: Mayors and authorities want to dismantle cellular antennas - residents will be harmed

If you too are suffering from absorption problems - it probably is not likely to change any time soon.

Mayors and authorities refuse to renew contracts with cellular companies, and even demand that some of them dismantle existing sites.

Chairman of the Cellular Companies Forum: "The conduct indicates an escape from responsibility."

And what is the rate of deployment of 5G in Israel?

Yinon Ben Shoshan

31/05/2022

Tuesday, 31 May 2022, 13:40 Updated: 14:05

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Mayors demand - remove cellular antennas (Photo: ShutterStock)

The cellular companies and the Ministry of Communications receive thousands of complaints a year about cellular reception problems.

Contrary to speculation or assumptions, communications companies want to set up additional mobile sites around the country to improve reception - but often encounter the refusal of local authority heads.

Cellular antenna sites are located on land or private buildings, or on the property of local authorities.

While setting up a website on a private structure or business is less of a problem, setting up in the properties of the authorities is complex and has become impossible in some cities.

It turns out that in the name of political play, populism and poor understanding of the issue of radiation, heads of authorities prevent companies from entering their territory, refuse to renew expiring contracts, seek to remove existing sites, do not promote meetings, answer in the negative and reject proposals.

And how critical is this?

The places that are most important to provide good absorption are residential neighborhoods - and there you can mainly find properties of authorities.

In the end - it hurts the resident.

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Cellular antenna (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Opponents - and collaborators

These objections are one of the reasons why in quite a few localities around the country there is insufficient cellular reception.

Last December, Communications Minister Yoaz Handel addressed the issue, saying: "In the coming year I will go wherever there are not enough antennas because of opposition from the authorities. I am going to face the heads of the authorities head to head."

According to information received by the Walla!

Technology and according to the cellular companies, since the entry of Haifa Mayor Einat Klish-Rotem, it is not ready to renew agreements.

It was also claimed that the Kfar Saba municipality is also seeking to dismantle existing sites - something that will harm the cellular reception of residents.

Another opponent is Shalom Ben-Moshe, the mayor of Rosh HaAyin, who refuses to renew an agreement with the media companies.

Other heads of authorities who oppose (partial list): Givatayim, Herzliya, Bnei Brak, Majdal Krum, Araba, Taibeh, Ein Mahel, Kfar, Manda, Elad, Segev Shalom Local Council, Umm al-Fahm and Beer Yaakov.

Not ready to renew agreements: Einat Klish-Rotem (Photo: Shlomi Gabay)

In contrast, there are cities that understand the need and importance and cooperate.

Many of them allocate lighting poles in favor of the layout, for example: Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Rishon Lezion, Ness Ziona, Hod Hasharon, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, Jerusalem and Modi'in.

a severe phenomenon of intentional sabotage, which causes heavy damage to infrastructure and economic damage.

Many sites undergo arson, bruising, burglary and theft of equipment, cables, air conditioners, diesel, backup batteries and more.

Deployment of cellular antennas in Israel (Photo: Walla! Technology)

* PHI is a partner of Partner and Hot Mobile.

The two companies set up physical sites together, but each company has its own network equipment on the mast.

That is, a Partner customer does not "share" reception with a Hot Mobile customer.

Fifth generation?

Israel is lagging behind

The cellular companies promise us mountains and hills with the entry of the 5G into Israel, downloads at insane speeds ("Series flying in the air" was said in one of the commercials) - but the reality is much less glamorous.

The state will continue to be lagging behind even this time, if the authorities do not understand the importance.

Layout of Generation 5 (5G) network in Israel by regions (Photo: Walla! Technology)

Each antenna has maximum transmission ranges and maximum capacity of services provided simultaneously.

As consumption increases in a particular area, the number of antennas required for the communication supply increases.

Therefore cellular communication technology requires a number of broadcast sites according to consumption.

In fact, in contrast to Generation 4, Generation 5 requires a much broader site set-up, but contrary to popular belief - in a state of multiplicity of radiation antennas actually decreases.

Unlike the 4th generation (LTE) network, the 5th - or 5G - has additional advantages: The device provides a high data transfer rate, which can reach a download speed of 2 GB per second, compared to the fourth generation which provides 200 MB per second.

"A way is found to bypass mayors"

Communications Minister Yoaz Handel tells Walla!

Technology that "for a decade, since the reduction of cellular prices, telecommunications companies have stopped investing in infrastructure. At the same time, the use of mobile devices has intensified. This has created a traffic jam and in practice difficulties in reception and coverage."

"When I entered the Ministry of Communications, I discovered gaps in the supervision of companies on the subject and a basic obligation to cover only 75% of the State of Israel. In order to reduce the gap, we increased the coverage obligation to 95%, by February 2023," Handel added.

According to him, in the latest Arrangements Law, "bureaucratic procedures for the construction of small sites have been reduced, and in the tenders for Generation 5 frequencies, an investment in infrastructure was considered for a discount on fees."

The Minister also explained the efforts with mayors, "Beyond that we have a challenge with mayors who delay the construction of antennas for unjustified fear of radiation. The main sectors in which we have a gap are the ultra-Orthodox and the Arab. Personally, wherever there are delays "In places like Beitar Illit and Jerusalem, new antennas are being set up now after many years of stagnation. Mayors who will be a barrier to absorption and coverage are finding a way around them to reach out to the public and set up antennas. .

"Mayors who will be a barrier to absorption and coverage are finding a way around them to appeal to the public and set up antennas."

Minister of Communications Yoaz Handel (Photo: Reuven Castro)

"The conduct indicates an escape from responsibility and submission to populism"

Lior Verona, chairman of the Cellular Companies Forum in Israel, explains in a conversation with Walla!

Technology that "according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health, it is mandatory to set up antennas in the centers of the settlement in order to remove radiation from both the mobile devices and the broadcasting facilities themselves.

"One must distinguish between heads of authorities, there are those who understand the importance of cellular infrastructure and allow companies to establish infrastructure on municipal institutions and there are those who prevent the establishment of cellular infrastructure and even work to dismantle it, harming residents' interest in optimal and safe reception," explains Verona.

"Unfortunately, this conduct indicates an escape from responsibility and submission to populism that goes against the positions of government ministries and professional bodies."

"There are those who understand the importance of cellular infrastructure."

Illustration (Photo: ShutterStock)

"In recent years, for example, we have encountered absorption problems due to the lack of cooperation of the municipality in localities such as Rosh HaAyin, Netivot, Ashdod, Haifa, Tiberias and quite a few localities in the Arab sector," adds Verona.

"Full cooperation is required between the cellular companies and the local authorities and mayors who support and promote the establishment of advanced cellular infrastructure create for the city's residents a supportive environment with advanced technologies. Anyone who works against the establishment of the infrastructure harms this natural process."

What is the solution?

According to Verona, the Israeli government and decision-makers in the State of Israel should make the cellular infrastructure a national infrastructure for everything: "Israeli heads of authorities should encourage and enable the establishment of cellular infrastructure on top of municipal institutions as a personal example and in the public interest."

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