Article by Robert McCartney

Original publication date July 12, 2021

The telecom giants promise that 5G technology will thrill us with dramatically expanded, ultrafast wireless service. But they don’t mention that it also means installing vastly more equipment, including cell towers, in ugly and intrusive ways.

Property owners and local governments across the country are pushing back with a surge of grass-roots objections pressing the industry not to erect poles that spoil a view or crowd a home and potentially reduce its value.

Such a protest in Dewey Beach, Del. — summer playground for thousands of Washingtonians — has drawn national attention. The resort has emerged as a champion of the movement after persuading Verizon to promise to remove three of five towers that marred the scenery along the dunes.

“It’s very positive to see a success story in Dewey Beach,” said Elizabeth Ellis, a lawyer representing clients opposed to 5G towers in the seaside town of Hull, Mass. “Maybe if we all band together, these local municipalities that are experiencing this may have a better chance.”