AMTA has rejected the unjustified and false claims this week in the Daily Telegraph, which accused the industry of using “tricks” to disguise mobile phone base stations.

AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, denounced the newspaper’s claim that the industry had resorted to using “dirty tricks” in using “elaborate disguises for their mobile towers in a bid to quell community opposition” for the erection of base stations.

The article was referring to the Mobile Carriers Forum’s Design and Innovation Taskforce to improve the visual outcomes of mobile network infrastructure. The aims of the Taskforce Project are to identify techniques and guidelines which can be applied to everyday mobile phone base station site design processes and assist telecommunications Carriers to achieve better siting and visual outcomes.

Mr Althaus said: “The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), the peak body representing the mobile phone industry, totally rejects the report’s claims of “dirty tricks” in advancing innovative designs for base stations that are compatible and sympathetic with local environments.

“The report referred to is a public document and can be viewed on the front page of our website wwww.mcf.amta.org.au. The industry’s approach to minimising the visual impact of mobile network infrastructure is open and transparent.

“AMTA, on behalf of the industry, strives to meet local community expectations regarding the deployment of base stations and balances these expectations against the wider needs of the community, which owns more than 21 million mobile phone subscriptions. Effective and reliable mobile telecommunications require a comprehensive network of base stations deployed in the community to deliver coverage and avoid black spots and network congestion.

“It is important to note, the Australian Communications and Media Authority says that more than 60% of calls to the emergency number 000 are made from mobile phones.

“It is wrong to claim that our industry does not undertake community consultation when deploying base stations. There are guidelines requiring all base stations, including those with innovative designs, to be the subject of a community consultation process.

“Finally, your claim that the ‘jury is out’ on the safety of mobile base stations according to ‘local experts’ is not supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The expert scientific body concluded on the basis of recent reviews that base stations do not have any adverse health consequences.”

Mr Althaus said all mobile phone base stations, whether they are integrated into the local landscape or not, have to meet the same planning rules.