Drop The Towers, But Not The Calls

Aug. 5, 2010
Cellular communications service providers are constantly touting their broad service coverage, with each one claiming a higher percentage of coverage in the United States than the next one. Of course, to do this requires infrastructure, and ...

Cellular communications service providers are constantly touting their broad service coverage, with each one claiming a higher percentage of coverage in the United States than the next one. Of course, to do this requires infrastructure, and infrastructure consists mainly of base stations and high towers, usually with arrays of sector antennas. Human nature being what it is, in rural areas, most people don't notice the cellular towers, unless they are hikers and/or mountain climbers. In the more populated areas, where more customers are using those cellular services, the cellular towers are generally more visible, but more tolerated for the convenience that they offer customers. But the continued expansion of fourth-generation (4G) networks means more infrastructure and more towers. Folks are bound to notice, and perhaps make their own waves about these RF waves. At least they have in one small town in Long Island, NY.

In the news this week, residents of the town of Bellmore, NY, on the southern shore of Long Island, are pushing local politicians for a moratorium on new cellular towers and antennas in their area. Democratic County Legislator Dave Denenberg from Merrick is a proponent of the moratorium, which he feels should be in place at least until the town considers a new ordinance next month on cell towers and antennas. As folks in rural areas have discovered, it is possible to site antenna towers that deliver coverage without visual annoyance. Perhaps not as easy in more heavily populated areas but, with effective planning, it can be done. And, human nature being what it is, those towers may look more inviting once cellular customers start experiencing dropped calls.

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