Preserve Orlando's Neighborhoods

Support Responsible Citing of Cell Phone Towers

There is insufficient evidence to support the necessity of cellular coverage at the designated site or in the surrounding community. As outlined below, the cellular coverage already available in the Starwood PD aligns with the standards set forth by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Moreover, according to page 9 of the applicant's "Engineering Necessity Case," the proposed site currently boasts the highest coverage rating, with the entire Starwood property enjoying at least the minimal required coverage. The coverage data presented on page 9 suggests that a tower could provide optimal coverage within a radius of 1-2 miles, indicating that towers spaced 2-4 miles apart could establish a grid of maximum coverage. This is consistent with the strategic alternatives presented on the alternate sites page.

The Cell Tower Lacks Necessity

Residents residing farthest from the existing cell towers, and closest to the proposed site, have not reported any cell phone reception issues and are opposed to the use of the proposed site. Additionally, the applicant's "Engineering Necessity Case" confirms that the proposed site currently enjoys full reception, with almost all areas within the Starwood PD having "on-street" and "in-vehicle" coverage.

Considering the presence of the county landfill to the North and extensive wildlife preservation land outlined in the master plan, a considerable portion of the Starwood PD and adjacent lands are devoid of homes or businesses. Coupled with the existence of three cell phone towers to the West, South, and East, along with the provision of 1 gigabit (Gb) fiber internet with wireless capability in each home (and likely in the school), substantial doubts emerge regarding the necessity of the proposed cell phone tower. Omitting a tower at the proposed site will not preclude cell service to local users.

Furthermore, the proposed location is approximately 1.3 miles, 1.5 miles, and 4.0 miles away from current cell phone towers. If the wireless network's requirements, considering population density, usage, and other factors, suggest that an additional cell tower would benefit the community, a potentially superior location considering all the factors could be to the East of the proposed site by several thousand feet, potentially on the land in the master plan slated for future retail. This would optimize the spacing of cell phone towers supporting the area and potentially reduce the number of cell phone towers in the vicinity, minimizing long-term impacts on the community. Furthermore, locating the proposed tower on the existing Orange County pump operations site, the adjacent electric utility site, or the landfill may enhance provider coverage as desired.

For more information on potential alternate sites see the alternate sites page.

Vast Green Space at Site Reduces Cellular Load Need Coverage of Existing Towers Makes Proposed Site Non-Ideal and Unnecessary

FCC Coverage Maps Verify Coverage

The 4G LTE coverage maps provided by the FCC show that 4G coverage exists throughout the Starwood PD.

FCC Voice Coverage in the Starwood PD FCC Data Coverage in the Starwood PD

Verizon Coverage Maps Verify Coverage

The 5G and 4G coverage maps provided by Verizon show that 5G and 4G coverage exists throughout the Starwood PD, that the proposed tower site itself already has the maximum coverage, and that alternate sites are more central to areas without 5G (should that be an objective of providers).

Verizon coverage in the Starwood PD