The number of standard BTS stations will increase when applying 5G network in Nghe An

Resolve people's petitions

In Truong Thi ward (Vinh city), in early March 2019, after VNPT Nghe An Telecommunications Center installed a mobile transceiver station (BTS) on the roof of house number 2, lane 6, Luong The Vinh street, 57 households of blocks 13 and 17 sent a petition to Nghe An Newspaper expressing their opposition to the installation of this BTS station.

In the petition, the residents objected to the installation of BTS stations in their residential areas due to concerns about their health and safety during the rainy and stormy season. However, the authorities affirmed that the stations meet the required operating conditions.

Specifically, 57 households "petitioned the competent authorities to inspect and consider removing the BTS station at the above-mentioned building for the following reasons: Before installing, the network operator did not notify the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward and the Executive Committee of Block 13 and Block 17, Truong Thi Ward. Since the network operator installed this BTS station, we have felt that we have encountered health problems; because of the electromagnetic waves, long-term electromagnetic radiation pollution affects people's health".

In addition, households also expressed concern: "Every year, Nghe An is subject to many storms and tropical depressions, which can easily cause damage, broken poles, broken wires and electrical equipment, endangering people and property of surrounding households."

Discussing the content of resolving the people's petition regarding the installation of BTS station at No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street, on April 26, Mr. Nguyen Tat Thien - Chairman of Truong Thi Ward People's Committee said that the content of the petition stating that, before installing the BTS station at No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street, the government and service provider had not notified the ward and people was incorrect.

Before installing BTS station No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street, on February 27, VNPT sent a document to the Ward People's Committee informing them of the relocation of Vinaconex 16 BTS station to No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street. After that, the Ward People's Committee also announced that VNPT rented a space to install a BTS station in the area.

BTS station installed at building number 2, Luong The Vinh street, Truong Thi ward (Vinh city). Photo: Hoai Thu

Mr. Nguyen Tat Thien added that on April 18, after the People's Committee of Vinh City and the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward received a petition from 57 households in Blocks 13 and 17, the ward established an inspection team to inspect the installation of BTS station at No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street according to Official Dispatch No. 1796/UBND-TP dated April 2, 2019 of the People's Committee of Vinh City.

At the meeting, the investor presented relevant documents and records showing that BTS station No. 2, lane 6, Luong The Vinh street is included in the telecommunications infrastructure planning of the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 912/QD-UBDN dated March 13, 2017.

The installation was carried out according to the premises lease contract dated January 2, 2019 between Mr. Tran Van Quang's household and Vinh Telecommunication Center; the document of the Department of Information and Communications agreeing to the proposal to share the infrastructure of VNPT Nghe An with Viettel at address No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street; the document of Nghe An Telecommunication Center sent to the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward dated February 27, 2019 notifying the installation of BTS station at the above address.

Thus, regarding the process and procedures for installing the BTS station at No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street, the relevant parties have followed the regulations.

However, at the time of inspection, the above BTS station was in the trial run period, not yet put into operation and was waiting for the specialized agency to conduct quality inspection to issue a certificate. Therefore, the inspection team made a record of the current status inspection "requesting Vinh Telecommunications Center to stop operations and provide full relevant legal documents. If before April 22, 2019, all legal documents are not provided, the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward will handle it according to the provisions of law".

Responding to the people's petitions, a representative of VNPT Nghe An Telecommunications Center said that BTS station No. 2, lane 6, Luong The Vinh street is a station relocated from Vinaconex BTS station 16, also located in Truong Thi ward (this station started operating from September 2018).

Up to now, BTS station No. 2, Lane 6, Luong The Vinh Street has been granted a certificate of inspection, in accordance with the technical standards of the Ministry of Information and Communications. The certificate was issued on May 13, 2019.

Improve the effectiveness of information and propaganda

In response to people's concerns and worries about the impact of BTS stations on human health, Mr. Ho Trung Dong - Department of Posts and Telecommunications, Department of Information and Communications said that BTS stations, before being installed and put into operation, must comply with the regulations in the "National technical regulations on electromagnetic field exposure of public terrestrial mobile phone base stations" QC8:2010/BTTTT.

Diagram illustrating the compliance zone (electromagnetic exposure limit) of a BTS station from the antenna top: height 1m, and radius 9.1m. Photo: Hoai Thu

In fact, there have been many cases of local people reacting to the installation of BTS stations in the province. To limit this situation, according to Mr. Phan Nguyen Hao - Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications, the agencies, functional units as well as investors need to further strengthen information and propaganda work to localities, especially people in related areas, to help people understand and feel secure in using the service.

Besides, investors as well as households or groups renting out premises to install BTS stations also need to be more proactive in providing information and creating connections with people and authorities to propagate and create consensus.

“The Department of Information and Communications will continue to direct and coordinate with relevant parties to promote propaganda to the people on this issue, contributing to accelerating the implementation of the province's information technology investment and development strategy.

In the coming time, when network operators install 5G networks, the demand for the number of BTS stations will increase. To operate the 5G network well, it is necessary to ensure good infrastructure, especially the installation of enough BTS stations. Therefore, creating consensus among the people on this issue is even more important" - Mr. Phan Nguyen Hao affirmed.

Decision No. 912/QD-UBDN of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee dated March 13, 2017 states:Passive telecommunications infrastructure planning aims to ensure sustainable and effective development and exploitation of telecommunications infrastructure; improve network security service quality; and meet the requirements of environmental landscape protection, especially in urban areas.

By 2020, Nghe An province will be in the group of provinces and cities with advanced and modern passive telecommunications infrastructure development with the goal of building a new antenna system of 399 poles. Of which, 46 poles of type A1a in Vinh city, Cua Lo town and the remaining urban areas are antenna poles of type A 2a or B with a height of less than 60m, 100m in the areas specified in the Passive Telecommunications Infrastructure Planning for the period 2015 - 2020 of the province.

It is necessary to strengthen coordination between authorities at all levels and sectors in planning the construction and protection of passive telecommunications infrastructure; assign responsibilities in management, exploitation, ensuring national security, order, and social safety...