Verizon has proposed updated coverage for the Dartmouth area, but amid safety concerns, unsightly equipment, and outdated regulations, it could be an uphill battle.

At the March 28 Select Board meeting, Attorney John Weaver proposed eight small cell locations on the telecommunication company’s behalf. The sites would improve usability in high-traffic areas, such as at the mall and high school, he said.

The small cells are intended to fill in coverage gaps, increasing performance and efficiency both within the [eight] targeted areas and as a whole, said Weaver.

The way it works is that when high-traffic areas — such as the mall or high school — use about 90 percent of coverage from a macro cell tower, some of that demand is offloaded onto small cells, which are installed specifically around those high-traffic sites. This improves coverage for the high-traffic areas, but also frees up coverage for the general area of the macro cell, improving coverage as a whole, officials explained.

The proposed small cell locations are at 153 Faunce Corner Mall Road; 154 Faunce Corner Mall Road; 653 State Road; 392 State Road; 533 State Road; 789 State Road; 215 Russells Mills Road; and 955 Tucker Road.

The proposed caster antennas would look similarly to transformers, said Weaver. There are two proposed dimensions; 12-inch by 38.7-inch antennas, along with a four-foot fiberglass extension, would sit atop utility poles, or 12-inch by 28.7-inch antennas mounted on the side of existing utility poles. Each unit would be completed with a remote radio head, switch fuse and circuit breakers, and a meter that would sit lower on the pole.

“Verizon has designed its equipment so it looks like standard equipment on a utility pole,” said Weaver.

Select Board members voiced concern that the units not only would impair sightlines for drivers, but that the units are unattractive and potentially unsafe.

“I was concerned about the migration into residential areas, and I’m still concerned,” said Selectman Frank Gracie. “I would still like to know the overall plan for our community where Verizon would like these to go. I’m reluctant to vote on anything until I know that.”

Gracie suggested a complete list — that extended beyond the eight immediate proposals — and a time frame for installation. Weaver said that Verizon averages 5 to 10 small cell towers for every one macro tower, but it was not immediately clear how many macro towers are in Dartmouth. Weaver said that total would be the expectation for the next 2-4 years.

“I think people have a right to know what’s coming into their neighborhoods,” said Gracie. He also asked about the units’ radiation emissions. Gracie said that the radiation exposure is less than standing in front of a microwave, but wanted more information on the cumulative effects of several units in one area, especially as other networks grow as well.

The small cells only reach an eighth of a mile. Their macro counterparts reach about 3.52 miles.

“As you increase the distance from the source, emissions taper off quite quickly,” said Weaver.

“These facilities will be operating within the safety regulations [for frequency emissions] established by the FCC,” added consultant David Maxson, from Isotrope, LLC.

“This is opening Pandora’s Box,” said a resident, representing her mother who lives on Reed Road. “Pretty soon, there will be a traffic light in front of my house, and I am not for it,” she said.

The town is also working with town attorney Anthony Savastano to update legislation on telecommunications. The state puts such decisions within a municipality’s reign, but some of the current regulations date to the telegraph, officials explained at previous meetings.

“It just helps us have a better understanding of what the technology is and its use at what dimension,” said Savastano.

While addressing regulations and development is complex, it’s ultimately inevitable, officials explained.

“If they’re not permitted to install half a dozen of these within a busy stretch of road, the alternative would be installing a macro site in the general area,” said Maxson. “The purpose is to provide more capacity, servicing more users within that zone.”

Town Administrator David Cressman noted that residents will have to adopt the new units if they want to stay ahead of technological updates.

“Fios ain’t coming to Dartmouth until Verizon upgrades its systems. Fios is not the future direction of Verizon,” said Cressman. “Verizon is talking about going to 5G. This is what’s coming in less than five years.”

While the board voted to table discussions until April 24, Savastano explained that there is some sort of deadline that expires in early May, called the federal “shot clock.” It was not immediately clear how this will affect discussions.