Edinburgh is set to see another controversial 5G antenna put up in the city, promising better connectivity.
Edinburgh Council recently published the proposal on its planning portal, showing the plans to put up the 16 metre high phone mast in Morningside.
It is hoped that the mast will improve the local network and internet coverage for people in the area.
READ MORE - Edinburgh Hibs fan gutted after having to fulfil promise to take son to Hearts game
Mobile operator Three, in conjunction with CK Hutchison Networks, will be leading the project if the planning application is granted by the council.
The site is proposed to be on Falcon Road, in the Morningside area of the city. It will be installed on the pavement outside the Kwik fit next to Morningside Road.
The proposed installation will be 16 metres tall and planners say the site has been chosen specifically because it is situated near a number of lamp posts of a similar height, so the proposed build can cause as little disruption as possible.
Local residents who may be affected by the development will be informed by a neighbour notice leaflet.
The development is currently in the pre-consultation phase and therefore open to comment from members of the public. Anyone who wishes to make a comment or objection to the development can do so via the council’s planning portal.
The reason so many new 5G antennas are currently being proposed is because much of the current 4G infrastructure is unsuitable for the new technology.
As part of the application, the developer said: “New sites will be needed for many reasons, including the higher radio frequencies used for 5G, which do not travel as far as those frequencies currently in use. In addition, not all existing sites will have the capacity for being upgraded.
“The very nature of 5G and the network service it provides, means the equipment and antennas are quite different to the previous, and existing, service requirements. In particular, the design of the antennas, and the separation required from other items of associated equipment, is such that we cannot utilise certain structures that provide a means of support for another operator, most notably in a street works or highways environment.”
The application was validated on Tuesday, May 17 and is currently awaiting assessment. The last date for the public to comment is Tuesday, June 7 and the application will be determined by Tuesday, June 12.
