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House hearing draws sharp divide over bill to let towns decline 5G towers
Summary
House Bill 501 would let municipalities decline siting small wireless facilities; supporters cited a state 5G study and gaps in monitoring, while industry, business groups and technical witnesses warned the change would hinder deployment and may conflict with federal law.
House Bill 501, sponsored by Representative Diane Kelly, would amend RSA 12‑K to make clear that municipalities may adopt rules to decline siting personal wireless service facilities, including small wireless equipment installed on utility poles. The bill follows the recommendations of a 5G study commission that reported in 2020 and suggested the state should examine environmental and public health effects of evolving wireless technologies and improve measurement and tracking of ambient microwave radiation.
Representative Kelly told the committee the commission found limits in state agency monitoring, cited concerns that the insurance industry treats microwave radiation as an uninsurable pollutant, and argued that local governments should have clearer authority to accept or decline wireless facility siting…
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