WHEN the MTN cellphone mast was proposed for Somerset Park, there was an overwhelming support from residents voicing their approval due to low connectivity in the area. DA ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, said the proposed project has now been granted approval.
“The feedback from the community has been extremely positive. The Somerset Park Home-Owners Association was happy with the proposal and felt it would help with the poor reception in the area,” he said.
De Boer added however, he and other residents had raised objections to 11 additional base stations. “I’m not going to stand for it, it’s overkill. There is still an environmental impact study to be conducted.”
Eben Albertyn, chief technology officer at MTN SA, said the reason for the 11 base stations was due to the high demand of data usage in the Somerset Park suburb.
“MTN identified 11 possible low profile base stations (15m and under, visually and aesthetically pleasing) to fulfil the capacity requirements in the area. The proposed base station can only provide for the immediate area. The masts will provide the residents of Somerset Park with adequate coverage, using 3G and LTE. MTN is also responding to customer complaints and the drop-call statistics it has observed in the surrounding area,” he said.
Albertyn added, the company was aware of the objections and concerns raised by De Boer and residents of Somerset Park.
“We assure the residents we are taking the concerns in a serious light. The company’s efforts are geared to ensure that in the construction and operation of the proposed sites, the company addresses all concerns. This can be done by putting in place methods of mitigation and management in line with the international guidelines and recommendations made by the eThekwini Municipality.
“Only after the current site is operational will we have an opportunity to benchmark the actual performance of the site and only then will decisions be made with any future sites within Somerset Park,” he said.
