Sunrise wants to build a 5G antenna in an urban conservation zone

Dozens of residents have raised objections to a planned cell phone antenna on the Guggiwiese in the city of Zug. They are concerned about their health, and criticise the choice of location.

Swisscom recently reported an “unsatisfactory situation” regarding mobile phone coverage. As it has been unable to reach an agreement with the Canton of Zug on the renewal of a contract, it has switched off the cell phone antenna near the Cantonal Administration at Aabachstrasse 5. The result: limited reception in the neighbouring areas, and especially within the respective buildings.

And an “unsatisfactory situation” is now also being reported by its competitor Sunrise. The telecommunications provider wants to build a cell phone antenna in the city that is designed according to the latest 5G standard - a so-called ‘adaptive antenna’. This means that it can focus its radiated power specifically on individual users.

Sunrise wants to build the cell phone antenna on the edge of the mini golf course near the Guggiwiese - in the urban conservation area (Ortsbildschutzzone). The land belongs to the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways). But the project is currently meeting great resistance: around 90 people have lodged a collective objection, as the Zuger Zeitung newspaper reports. Some individuals are said to have submitted further objections.

Fear of the associated radiation
The collective objection that has been shown to theZuger Zeitung newspaper comprises ten pages. First and foremost, the residents are calling for the planning application to be rejected. It should also be clarified whether the construction of the antenna is justifiable at a site that is located in the urban conservation zone and is part of the inventory of Swiss sites worthy of protection. It should also be clarified which limit values are planned to be exceeded by the antenna, and what health consequences are to be expected.

Health is emphasised in particular in the objection. The residents argue that the actual radiation exposure cannot be determined from the documents. If any of the limit values are exceeded, this will “sooner or later lead to damage to health”.

The choice of location has also not been well received by the objectors. They write: “The Guggiwiese with its view over the entire old town is a hallmark of Zug. [...] The townscape would be destroyed forever.” Other points of objection relate to areas of liability, a clarification of the necessity, the resultant reduction in the value of properties, and energy consumption.

Sunrise wants to build a 5G antenna on the Guggiwiese in Zug. The antenna is currently unplugged (at the centre in the background)
The cell phone antenna is to be located on SBB property    Photos: Stefan Kaiser

Sunrise: bottlenecks loom without an antenna
On request, Sunrise has commented on the planning application, saying that the antenna is needed to ensure and improve coverage in the eastern part of the old town in the long term. “If the location cannot be realised, this could lead to capacity bottlenecks in the medium to long term, due to increasing data traffic.” The telecommunications provider emphasises that the limit values will be adhered to at all times, and that this will be checked by the relevant authorities.

With regard to the location in the urban conservation zone, Sunrise states: “The urban conservation zone of the city of Zug covers a large part of the residential area. For technical reasons, it is therefore not possible to provide mobile coverage for this area from antenna sites outside the urban conservation zone.” The project was “limited to the absolute technical minimum”. If all legal requirements are met, Sunrise is entitled to a building permit.

According to the telecoms provider, it has good mobile coverage in Zug, and currently operates around a dozen 5G antennas in the city. Because data traffic is constantly increasing, however, the network needs to be densified.

Expansion is blocked
On request, the City of Zug writes that it will examine Sunrise's planning application against  the various legal criteria. These also include whether a location in the urban conservation zone is eligible for approval at all. The expansion of the mobile network has led to numerous objections, depending on the location. “The number is within the usual range.” A functioning mobile phone network is, however, in the overriding public interest.

When asked about the number of approved 5G antennas in the city, the Communications Department of the CIty of Zug writes: “The expansion of the adaptive mobile radio systems is currently blocked by objections and complaints.”