Cell Tower Developers ‘Lying’ About Coverage Gaps to Push New Towers, Lawyer Says
On September 18, 2025, Dr. Suzanne Burdock published an article in The Defender titled, “Cell Tower Developers ‘Lying About Coverage Gaps to Push New Towers,’ Lawyer Says.” The attorney referenced in the article is telecommunications lawyer Robert Berg.
As Berg explains in the article, cell tower developers frequently claim that new wireless facilities are necessary to address alleged coverage gaps—even in areas where service is already robust. However, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Map provides detailed, real-world service data and often shows that proposed tower sites already have adequate coverage. Rather than relying on this authoritative data, developers commonly submit their own computer-generated, theoretical radio-frequency propagation maps, which can exaggerate or misrepresent coverage gaps in order to obtain local permits and approvals.
The FCC National Broadband Map is a free, publicly-available tool that depicts wireless coverage (down to the street-level address) anywhere in the United States.