FALMOUTH, Maine — The Town Council last week unanimously accepted a lease agreement with AT&T to replace the public safety communications tower behind Town Hall with a monopole for both municipal and public cellular use.
The council voted 6-0, with Councilor Sean Mahoney absent, at the Oct. 15 meeting.
The tower, which will be 120 feet tall with a 20-foot antenna on top, will be able to service three cellular providers, including AT&T. The tower will be a stealth design, meaning traditional external antennas will be in the pole. The current tower is 80 feet tall with a 20-foot antenna on top.
Town Manager Nathan Poore said that while the tower will certainly provide improved cell service, the need is related to data capacity for smart phones, tablets and similar technology.
All abutters within 750 feet were notified, Council Chair Karen Farber said. The initial lease will be for 10 years, and AT&T can renew the lease three times, with each renewal for five years, for a total of 25 years. There will be a 30 percent revenue sharing to the town for all co-locators on the tower.
Councilor Russell Anderson asked if the 30 percent revenue sharing might serve as a disincentive to other providers.
Poore responded that the co-locators will get a market rate, not a “market rate plus 30 percent.”