The phone next to your ear is more dangerous.
It's very NIMBY. The radiation concern is often used to hide behind instead of complaining that it sticks up and is so obvious. But those who complain will, as you noted, also complain about poor reception...
Arguments over these get murky easily. There are issues of $Big Money trying to pay off or otherwise fighting with local planning authorities so they can put it where they want. There are issues of loopholes in such rules leading to towers in places like next to substations or on railway easements - technically private land.
Wade.
