Proposals around allowing 5G equipment installations across Devon will be discussed next week in a move that could see the county earn £350 a year from every lamppost used.
The potential move could see so-called small cell 5G equipment installed on items owned by Devon County Council, notably including lampposts.
In a report that will be discussed by the council’s cabinet next week (Wednesday 15 July), the proposal is to adopt a policy to allow such installations, which officers predict could earn the council £300-£350 a year for each lamppost used for the equipment.
Poor digital connectivity is frequently raised by Devon’s councillors, and the cabinet report suggests better 5G availability could benefit the county’s economy to the tune of £15 billion – £22 billion by 2035.
While the proposals are focused on smaller equipment for now, the report notes that even more cash could be earned if larger equipment were to be installed on the likes of buildings or bridges it owns, with estimated ranges between £1,750-£7,000 per year.
Office for National Statistics data published by communications regulator Ofcom, showed North Devon, Torridge, and West Devon were the three worst local authority areas for 5G connectivity out of 327 ranked.
Their coverage of 45.2 per cent, 46.7 per cent and 63.3 per cent, respectively, compares to the national average of 96.1 per cent.
Devon has been mulling the issue of 5G equipment on its street furniture since around 2019, when health concerns were raised as a potential issue, and stated that it had no plans to allow such equipment on the likes of lampposts.
Fast-forward to February 2025, and the county council’s public health team conducted a review on the latest evidence around any health effects of 5G.
It noted while further research was needed on the long-term effects, the current evidence supported no adverse health effects due to the low-level radiofrequency fields used by 5G that are below the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
“The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have carried out an extensive programme of research, assessing exposures from 5G base stations as the technology has rolled out in the UK and this is summarised in the guidance, updated most recently in July 2025,” the report prepared for councillors at next week’s meeting states.
“The results confirm UKHSA’s existing advice that exposure to radio waves from 5G base stations is well below the guidelines set by the ICNIRP and as such reported there should be no consequences for public health.”
While Devon County Council is not technically the planning authority, regulations do allow it to rubberstamp permitted development on structures it owns.
A draft policy for such a move will be debated by the cabinet on Wednesday 15 July. While other options include retaining the status quo or doing nothing, the report notes that the change in the legislation around digital connectivity could present problems.
“The planning and legal framework has shifted such that the Council could receive challenges from mobile network operators based on the current policy,” the report states.
“The risks associated with the lack of evidence on longer-term health risks would be supported by this option.
The report also stresses the potential economic benefits of allowing 5G equipment..
“The delay in the implementation of 5G in Devon compared to other parts of the southwest and nationally, presents an opportunity cost to our local economy and delivery of public services, particularly in rural areas where improved mobile coverage could be a more cost-effective or interim digital connectivity solutions for areas without fixed wireless or fibre broadband,” the report said.
“Enabling Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to use council-owned assets, such as street lighting columns and bridges and even potentially rural sites such as county farms [owned by Devon County Council], could encourage commercial investment in rolling out 5G.”
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