Petersburg residents press Title Network on three proposed towers; company says towers are needed for fixed wireless broadband
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Summary
At a Petersburg Borough informational session, residents raised safety, health, zoning and process concerns about three proposed Title Network towers. The company representative said the towers will use Starlink backhaul and 5G fixed wireless to deliver broadband (about a 2.5-mile radius), offered heat maps, and agreed to work with the borough on alternate sites and timelines.
Title Network representatives and borough officials met with residents in Petersburg to discuss three proposed utility towers intended to expand fixed wireless broadband across parts of the island.
The session featured extended public comment. Residents asked why Title Network is building new towers rather than using existing infrastructure, raised concerns about a Mill Road tower’s height and proximity to homes and the airport, questioned how maintenance and leases will be handled, and cited health and property-value fears. Chris Cropley, speaking for Title Network, described a hybrid system using Starlink backhaul and fiber redistributed over a 5G fixed-wireless network and said the company will provide predictive coverage maps and work with the borough to seek less intrusive sites.
The meeting began with ground rules and an invitation for five-minute public presentations, followed by multiple resident questions. Tom Kowalski asked how Starlink fits into the project when federal rules have treated Starlink differently; Cropley replied, “We are using Starlink backhaul,” and described a service-level agreement and high-performance terminals that the company bonds together to support up to “1 gig” redistributed by 5G. Greg Browning requested the project’s heat maps and whether grant conditions required a measurable service increase; Cropley said the maps were included in the project packet and that the company uses predictive heat maps and drive-mapping to plan sites.
Several residents raised safety and siting concerns. Judy Ulmer noted conflicting height figures in materials and inquired about fire response near remote sites; Cropley acknowledged an error in one presentation and confirmed the Mill Road tower is 150 feet and that antennas “will not add any heights to it.” A local pilot and assembly members asked about FAA coordination and visibility; Cropley said the company submitted FAA paperwork and offered to add lighting or other visibility mitigations if needed.
Health and zoning also animated speakers. Heather O’Neil cited national disputes over RF emissions and asked whether Title Network would relocate towers if health concerns emerged; Cropley said the company is open to relocating, building roads and running power where needed, and will work with borough officials. Residents questioned whether borough code or assembly review could limit who may lease space on the towers; Cropley said leasing and equipment are governed by federal rules enforced by the FCC but that the company intends to accommodate public-safety users (police, fire) without charging a profit margin for those placements.
Support for the project also came from local voices. Will Ware, who identified himself as having been chief development officer for Tlingit and Haida, said the towers address dead zones that hamper emergency response, telehealth and education across Southeast Alaska and described the work as tribal infrastructure investment. Carrie Peterson, a librarian and resident, said the grant program brings broadband to rural libraries and communities without service.
Assembly members and the borough manager pressed Title Network to share coverage maps and to collaborate on possible alternate sites and timelines. Cropley agreed to provide heat maps “within a week” or by month-end and said grant deadlines require projects be under contract to secure funding, making timely site decisions important. The assembly said it is pursuing zoning and ordinance updates that could affect future tower regulation but noted that already-advanced projects may be grandfathered.
No formal vote or land sale was completed at the meeting; the borough manager was authorized earlier to negotiate a potential sale or conveyance, and several assembly members said they remain open to negotiations if residents’ concerns are meaningfully addressed. The assembly closed the session after agreeing to pursue ordinances, request maps from Title Network, and continue negotiations and site review with company representatives.
