FAIRMONT — Today’s average household owns 13 electronic devices, including everything from phones and computers to thermostats and security systems.

These devices use about 5.2 gigabytes of data each month, but within five years, increasing technology in our everyday lives will boost that monthly data usage to 48 gigabytes per household.

That presents a difficult problem for existing cell towers to handle, so Verizon wants to install small cell technology in Fairmont to offload the capacity of the macro or big cell towers.

Gretchen Prescott of Verizon explained her company’s proposal at a Fairmont Public Utilities Commission work session Tuesday. The PUC will review the proposal and, if accepted, forward the agreement to the City Council for final approval.

Prescott is a Verizon representative who works with communities in Minnesota and Iowa.

“We come into communities where we see a need for increasing coverage,” she said. “We work within existing zoning and building regulations. Small cells are just smaller antennas that we attach to existing structures. We are planning to mount the equipment on existing light poles within the city.”

Verizon proposes to install small cell antennas at five sites: 10th Street and Highway 15, the Salvation Army Center, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kwik Trip and on Victoria Street near Fairmont Elementary School.

“We try to stay out of residential areas,” Prescott said.

Verizon would replace the five existing light poles as part of the installation process, due to burying them deeper in the ground to accommodate the extra weight of the small cells. The antenna would be mounted on top of the light, with the radio mounted below.

“You’re not going to notice unless you’re looking for it,” she said.

The city and Verizon would enter into a master agreement, plus a separate supplemental agreement for each small cell mounting site. Verizon proposes paying $175 per pole per year for electrical usage, which Prescott said was “pretty standard” for Minnesota, or whatever amount or method is agreed upon.

Marty Meixell, electric distribution superintendent, said he saw no issues with mounting the antennas on light poles, but he expressed safety concern with Verizon contractors handling the pole replacement.

“We’re the ones that have to mitigate any risk. All the liability hovers around us,” Meixell said before suggesting, “You supply the poles, and we’ll install the equipment.”

“Verizon would pay the ‘make ready’ costs. We would determine and agree upon what those costs would be,” said Prescott, assuring the commissioners that the replacement poles would be similar in appearance, whether wood or metal, to the existing poles.

Commissioners raised questions about any potential environmental impact from the small cells, such as repelling birds or health issues.

“I haven’t seen any city bring up any issues about an environmental impact,” Prescott said. “Verizon’s equipment is not as big as some other carriers’ so it’s not as intrusive. They’re 10 times safer than our big antennas.”

Troy Nemmers, city engineer/public works director, said he had contacted other communities in the state that had installed small cell antennas.

“None of them had issues,” he said.

Verizon currently has one macro tower, which it plans to update, and is looking to add another in the downtown area. Prescott said the big towers cannot be updated fast enough to keep up with data demand, which is why the small cells are so important.

If additional small cells are added in the city, new supplemental agreements for each one would be added to the master contract. Prescott said some communities similar in size to Fairmont have added another six or seven cells.

“You’d be able to review each additional one,” she said.

Nemmers said the master contract follows a League of Minnesota Cities’ template, similar to location agreements used for antennas on the water tower. Verizon attorneys have been through the agreement. He noted that Verizon would go through the city’s building permit process for the new poles and small cells so there will be additional documentation and approval.

The PUC will review the master agreement and vote on whether to accept it at its April 24 meeting. If Verizon secures all the necessary contracts and agreements, installation will probably take not place until next year.