Cell phone towers/antennae

[DSC]

Does anyone know if the City has by-laws about where cell phone antennae can go? (I think there are rules about new free-standing towers, I'm really asking about antennae 'bolted onto " an existing building.) Can antennae just be put onto a building with no permit? Do cell phone companies share these antennae or must each new company go out and erect their own?

It would also be interesting to know how much rent is paid to the building owner - though clearly this would depend on location and 'field of view".

 

[The Mad Navigator]

I can't seem to find anything in Toronto's New draft ZBL, and I seriously doubt there is any reference to cell towers in any of the old ZBLs either.

But I did find this: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/290944

It should answer your question, but only vaguely.

Says the towers are federally regulated, so maybe the city doesn't have to draft regulations for new towers?

 

[EnviroTO]

I would imagine they can be bolted onto any existing structure if they meet federal criteria for radio emissions and safety and have the property owners permission. I can't see why it would be any different from attaching satellite dishes to a house or other buildings which requires no permission from the city at all. New structures would need building permits and zoning. Probably each land owner gets different deals and would be approached by the cellular company needing to improve coverage in a location and not the other way around. If your condo corporation hasn't been approached by a cell company then there is likely no revenue opportunity. Without being in a condo which has cellular equipment bolted onto it there is likely no way to find out how much revenue it can generate at a specific location.

 

[DSC]

Thanks guys! If I discover more I will post info here, of course. I did find a company who deal with this kind of thing: http://www.fonturinternational.com/fontur/about

 

[AGTO]

I can't see why it would be any different from attaching satellite dishes to a house or other buildings which requires no permission from the city at all.

Satellite dishes don't transmit high power microwaves, cell antennas do.

 

[EnviroTO]

Satellite dishes don't transmit high power microwaves, cell antennas do.

Yes, but both are covered by CRTC and Industry Canada, not municipal governments. Municipalities don't do research into radio wave safety, handle bandwidth allocation, or have anything to do with radio transmissions. The federal government agencies would set the safety standards. If satellite dishes are permitted from a building code and zoning perspective then there should be no issues with cell antennas.

 

[AGTO]

If satellite dishes are permitted from a building code and zoning perspective then there should be no issues with cell antennas.

I'm glad that you wouldn't mind having a high power microwave transmitter outside your window, most people, who understand the difference between transmitter and receiver, would.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

City of Toronto Planning:

http://www.toronto.ca/planning/telecommunications.htm

AoD

 

[EnviroTO]

I'm glad that you wouldn't mind having a high power microwave transmitter outside your window, most people, who understand the difference between transmitter and receiver, would.

I fully understand the difference between the two but the fact they are different doesn't affect the city zoning because they are equally insignificant building structures and the safety and use of both of them is not studied or regulated by the city. Just because the city doesn't control the location of communications equipment in zoning doesn't mean they can be located anywhere, simply that the rules are not based on zoning and are based on federal regulations related to safety and bandwidth allocation and not density, land use, or anything else regulated by zoning. The federal government decides the rules related to electromagnetic emissions and communications and as long as those rules are followed any related equipment not requiring a structure to be built (which would require zoning) can be located anywhere. If it is unsafe to locate a microwave transmitter near a bedroom window then that would be reflected in federal safety rules.

 

[kEiThZ]

Given that the dishes are facing away from the building and that radiation is proportional to the square of the distance between the transmitter and the object being subjected to the radiation, most people probably get fried more by the cellphones beside their head than the cell transmitter located beside their apartment.

 

[AGTO]

I fully understand the difference between the two

base on your posts, I'm doubting that very much.

 

[EnviroTO]

base on your posts, I'm doubting that very much.

I think you have a problem understanding the difference between a significant structure and an insignificant structure, and the difference between city zoning and federal regulation.