subject: Types Of Equipment Used For Cellular Phone Towers [print this page] Have you ever thought much about what kind of towers are used for cellular phones? If you are a land owner who has been approached about a company putting one up on your property, it certainly has crossed your mind. There are many people since the inception of the cell phone who have gone into different agreements with carriers (or operators) and it is always important that all of them understand what their agreements entail. It is important that the land owner knows what type of equipment is going to be used and what type of tower is going to be erected.
Some towers are taller than others, some are wider than others, some are more noticeable but require more land, some require less land, some require more maintenance, and so on.
A cell phone tower consists of many parts, and most of those parts are actually owned by different companies. Typically, a cell phone tower is built either by a tower company or a wireless phone company that is needing to expand their network coverage for customers who need better service. There are different wireless carriers that use different ways of protecting their equipment, and many of them might place these outdoor cabinets on concrete pads, and others will prefer to use pre manufactured equipment shelters. This type of equipment is often referred to as base transmitter stations, or BTSs for short.
Every carrier is going to typically use several antennas on their towers, so it is not uncommon to see antennas up on the tops of roofs or other types of structures. Sometimes there are as few as three small antennas that are out there on the tower, and other times there might be as many as eighteen antennas per carrier, depending on the location and what their needs are for that tower. As more and more subscribers sign on to that carriers system, they are going to need more antennas to be able to efficiently handle the additional capacity. Some things that usually really have to be included in lease agreements are those that really add up in value.
Utilities are something that are almost always included but many land owners do not really give too much thought to ahead of time. Almost every cellular phone tower site will have utilities installed there at the designated site so that the carriers can use those utilities during times of maintenance when necessary. Usually, each of the cell phone carriers will have power that is run to the site, as well as phone service so when you come across this in your cell tower lease agreement, do not be surprised.
