As a new wave of commercial general packet radio services (GPRS) begin to come out across GSM networks, operators are still facing an old problem.

The deployment of masts that carry mobile phone signals is being held up by objections to planning applications. Objections centre on safety and environmental issues.

The Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has published a series of modifications to planning consent rules. They are designed to bolster public confidence in the mechanics of government.

Following high-profile government blunders over food safety, the public takes a cynical view of reassurances from the Department of Health (DoH) that masts pose no threat.

Grass roots safety concerns

A spokeswoman for the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) said the rules were a sensible reaction to fears that plans were not being subjected to sufficient scrutiny.

"These constraints are definitely a response to grass roots safety concerns," she said. "The Stewart Committee, which reported to the DoH on wireless radiation emissions in April 2000, recommended that Government look into these areas. It found that people's health was being affected by a lack of involvement in the planning process," she said.

Judy Jerome, IT information analyst at Bloor Research, said the Government was right to err on the side of caution, but that education about the level of risk is needed.

"Left to their own devices, companies will put profit over safety. But, if people want mobile access, this infrastructure must be in place," she said.

Mast sharing is a possible solution, but objectors say such masts will blight the landscape. The NRPB has no objections to mast sharing, provided transmitters fall within existing safety parameters.

Ten-point plan

Orange said the industry broadly approved the rules, adding that all UK operators had agreed a 10-point plan over mast siting strategies.

The industry is co-funding a £7 million independent scientific research programme with the Government. With this research incomplete, the Government cannot afford to ignore safety concerns; but unless a practical and safe way forward is found, UK mobile users face increasing congestion.

- The mobile industry's 'ten commitments' to address public concerns over mast sitings can be found on the Federation of Electronics Industries website at www.fei.org.uk.

GOVERNMENT MODIFICATIONS

The government's planning guidelines will: