“I really want to get netBlazr for my apartment, but my landlord said it’s illegal to mount an antenna and that I will be fined by the city for it, what are my options?”
There are actually no laws prohibiting the placement of rooftop antennas in Boston, even in the historical districts of the city. Architectural guidelines (Back Bay, South End, and Beacon Hill) state that the use of master antennas is encouraged, the antenna should be as close to the middle of the roof as possible, and that the antenna should not be visible from the street. netBlazr uses master antennas and we mount our antennas on existing structures: pipes, chimneys, etc or we use nonpenetrative roof mounts. The dish we use is about the size of a dinner plate about 13 inches in diameter and is always mounted in a way that it’s not visible.
According to an FCC rule (47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000), they “prohibit restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37″) in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal.”
At netBlazr we stay up-to-date with all the local laws that might hinder our service, so if you are unsure about anything, just give us a ring!