Nearly 200 “small cell” towers, each 42 feet tall, will be deployed across East Hampton Town, with over 150 slotted for Northwest Woods and Springs alone. The large majority, 129, could be operational by the end of the year.
To start, they would carry only T-Mobile technology, but up to three providers could eventually fit on each pole.
Because small cell towers are subject only to administrative permits, no public comment will be heard on the plans.
When the East Hampton Town Board released its wireless telecommunications master plan in April 2024, it analyzed existing infrastructure capacity and identified dead areas. The town developed a tiered structure for adding facilities. “Tier one” facilities, such as those discussed at Tuesday’s town board meeting, are new or replacement poles in the town’s right of way. These are largely seen as having the lightest aesthetic footprint. In some circumstances, along the Napeague stretch, for example, equipment could be mounted on existing utility poles. This sort of small infrastructure often facse the least public opposition and is preferred by the town.
The downside is that their range is limited to between 500 and 1,000 feet. (Large macro poles, “tier three” in the town’s formulation, have a range of one to three miles. Their placement is subject to public hearings. “Tier two” facilities are the co-location of equipment on existing buildings or structures.)
“They receive a technical review from Cityscape [the town’s wireless consultant] and a design and aesthetic review from the town planning staff before a permit is issued,” Tina Vavilis LaGarenne, the town’s planning director, told the town board. Federal regulations restrict review, she said, and “The town is not allowed to prohibit the deployment of infrastructure facilities such as these when providers are addressing gaps in their service and coverage.”
“Obviously, wireless coverage in the Hamptons is a big issue,” said Paul Costa, a network permitting manager with Crown Castle, a communications infrastructure provider. “Last summer, residents were putting antennas on their cars to stay connected.”
The impetus for his presentation to the town board was T-Mobile’s stated desire to address gaps in its network in the town. Mr. Costa said his company’s equipment is “designed to blend in with the existing infrastructure.” (Crown Castle handled the small cell towers along the Napeague stretch.)
“While you may see tons of utility poles in the right of way, most of those might not be eligible to attach a small cell to,” he said. There are transformers on some poles that prevent placement, or clearance regulations between power and communication lines that complicate placement. Each small cell has two components: a “shroud” where all the equipment is placed, and an antenna.
Mr. Costa showed the board a couple of design options. The board agreed a “stealth” pole, with equipment located at its base, would be the best option. Councilwoman Cate Rogers asked about the crash ratings on the poles, since they were bottom heavy. Mr. Costa said he would look into it.
Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez wondered what kind of market share T-Mobile had on the East End. “When we got our cellphones, maybe 20 years ago, we were told, ‘If you want to have coverage out here, get AT&T.’ “ However, she was told market share is proprietary information. Mr. Costa would only offer that “Once we build these, additional carriers will come online.”
“One of the drivers behind this is people’s ability to contact emergency services,” said Councilman Tom Flight. “These towers are going to be primarily for T-Mobile customers initially. Will users of other networks be able to access emergency services through the 911 system even though they’re not on T-Mobile?”
Mr. Costa was unsure and said he’d get back to the board with an answer.
“This is what we wanted when we came up with the wireless master plan and redid the code,” said Eric Schantz, a principal planner with the town and an “architect” of the wireless code. “This is the first realization of that, along with the first large-scale deployment of small cells in the town. For the most part, all of the designs are pretty innocuous.”
“I’m generally a big supporter of better cell coverage,” said Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte. “It’s one of the most frequent complaints I hear from the community. Although, second to that is a tower next to their house. This might be a happy medium where we’re able to address coverage issues a little bit more stealthily.”
