The importance of a tower for antenna is ever-increasing as telecom companies are continuously expanding their cell phone services. There is fierce competition among telecom companies to widen their subscriber base. However, many cell phone subscribers complain about connectivity problems or network congestion in areas where telecom companies do not have adequate telecom antennas to serve their growing subscriber base.
Importance of a Tower for Antenna in Telecommunications
The only solution to a network congestion problem is to install more telecom antennas in areas where there is network congestion. The telecom antennas are required to be installed at a height because radio signals are most powerful above ground level. In simple words, the higher the antenna, the better the reception quality. The telecom tower provides a platform to install telecommunication equipment and other accessories used in telecommunications.
Line of sight assumes critical importance in a telecommunication network. The height of the tower for antenna also plays an important role in determining the area that will be covered by the antennas fitted on a telecom tower. The height at which the antenna is fixed also plays an important role in the efficiency of a telecommunication network.
Different Types of Tower for Antenna
There are two main types of tower for antenna: self support towers and guyed towers. Let’s understand the basic difference between these two types of towers:
Self supporting towers:
Self supporting towers are widely used in telecommunication networks. These towers are freestanding structures and do not require external support for stability. Self support towers are three legged towers or four legged towers. There are different types of self supporting telecom towers. These towers are categorized as per their design. Let’s take a look at one of the important types of self supporting towers:
Self Support 4 Legs Angular Tower
This tower has square angular elements designed systematically on a square base pattern. This tower for antenna is optimized to handle medium to heavy loads. A self support 4 legs angular tower is ideal for MW backbone sites, central communication hubs, and primary cellular sites. This telecom tower is also known as an A Tower.
An A Tower is designed for heights in the range of 20m to 120m. The tower is supplied in sections/modules. These sections can be easily transported in a standard 20’ ISO container. The modular design of the tower allows engineers to make last minute changes in the design by interchanging the modules to suit the client’s site design.
Guyed Tower
Guyed towers are the most economical telecom towers. These do not require a huge foundation, which helps save up on costs. Such a telecom tower is a slim structure that depends on cables or guyed wires for stability. A guyed tower is made of angular, tubular and solid elements. It is optimized to handle medium loads and is preferred for cellular sites, TV stations, and AM/FM radio stations.
The telecom towers are capable of supporting more than one antenna for communication. This characteristic enables companies to save money as they are able to install more than one set of transmitters/receivers on one tower for antenna to solve the network congestion problem.
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Self support towers
Self supporting towers
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