More Toys, Tablets, and Phones Results in More Towers and Small Cells

Every time Apple or Microsoft introduces a brand new, must-have product the demand for wireless capabilities skyrockets. At NATE UNITE 2014 in San Diego, Michael Fitch, Principal of Fitch Strategies and former President and CEO of PCIA, shared that newer smart phones use about 600x the amount of data than feature phones, and tablets use about 800x more data. This is driving the demand for wireless infrastructure, but it’s also dictating what type of infrastructure we need. Rural America is a huge expanse of geography and there, towers will very much be the preferred option instead of crowded, metropolitan areas. However, this wasn’t always the case. “A few years ago it was macro site towers. In a few exceptional circumstances a DAS installation was justified,” Fitch explains. “At that time the industry was not as enthusiastic about DAS, it was expensive, more complicated, unlike the tower side DAS hadn’t sorted itself out. If there was going to be host sites or the mobile carriers were going to build and install their own DAS sites. There were a number of issues of DAS in the front end, but the situation flipped when people realized the benefits of DAS compared to macro cell sites. So then there was a pressure to do DAS instead of macro sites for a while. All of that has leveled out to a large degree. Local jurisdictions understand that they each have their trade offs and they each have their issues—as does most infra in one way or another.” Continue reading here. 

Response Times Drop As Stony Brook Fire House Gets Increased Cell Coverage

A communications tower is to be built in Stony Brook, New York, which will bring paid emergency medical technicians to the Stony Brook Fire District. Not only will this reduce the response times of the officials, it will enhance the care responders are able to provide to the residents. Bringing EMTs to the district will cost about $75,000 a year but the money will be provided by the revenue generated by the cell phone tower that will be built at the Stony Brook Fire Station.

Christine Sampson, editor of the Three VillagePatch, reported, “While the tower serves primarily to boost communication within the fire district, it also has the capability to enhance cell phone service in the area, meaning private companies can contract with the district to purchase bandwidth.”

With this increased cell phone service, the EMTs will be able to respond to emergencies quicker and provide better protection for the residents of the community. The Stony Brook Fire Department often relies on volunteers, but most of the volunteers work between the hours of 6am and 5pm. Bringing paid EMTs to the community will increase the number of officials available during working hours that the volunteers aren’t able to cover. 

162-Foot Cell Tower Upsets Connecticut Residents

AT&T has submitted a proposal to erect a 162-foot cell phone tower at 30 Cobblers Hill Court, Connecticut last week. This tower is going to be disguised as a tree to increase the aesthetic appeal of the structure. Despite AT&T’s efforts to disguise the cell tower, members of the community are opposing the structure.

Many of the residents were upset to learn of the possible construction of the tower through the Connecticut Post, but First Selectman Steve Vavrek meant to share the news of the cell tower prior to the article being released but didn’t get a chance. There was a lot of misinformation circulating but Vavrek stressed the fact that the tower “is not a done deal.” (Source: Monroe Patch)

AT&T would like to construct a tower to provide reliable wireless communication in the northern parts of Monroe. They submitted an application to the Land Use Department, and the tower would be built on a 36-acre piece of land owned by Quarry Ridge Associations. AT&T would allow their competitors to lease space on the tower in order to add antennas. There will be a meeting on September 10^th at the Council Chambers of Monroe for the members to voice their opinion and AT&T to make their formal presentation to the town. 

AT&T Moves Forward With Proposed Cell Tower in Clarke County

AT&T has proposed the construction of a 175-foot monopole on land near the Cedar Shoals High School’s athletic field. This cell phone tower would improve reception for AT&T customers in east Athens. While the Clarke County Board of Education did not vote on whether or not the tower should be built, they did agree to let AT&T schedule a public hearing on the tower.

Lee Shearer of the Athens Banner-Herald reported that, “Although school board permission for the tower at Cedar Shoals is not a done deal, board members have reacted favorably to the proposal, in part because they see it as a financial windfall for Clarke County public schools.”

There isn’t a set price for what AT&T would pay the county to use the land for the cell tower, but a Lawrenceville real estate consultant that works with AT&T told the board’s property committee that they could potentially receive $750,000 spread over 25 years if a 25-year lease was agreed to.

“At 175 feet, the tower would be shorter than many other cell phone towers, but still might accept equipment from a couple of more cell phone carriers, according to the communications officials. The location behind Cedar Shoals High School is about a mile and a half from Athens-Ben Epps airport,” Shearer reported.