Morrisville Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Master Plan - 2013

Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Master Plan - Town of Morrisville, NC – Adopted July 23, 2013

According to data from SNL Kagan, the federal penetration rates of subscribers with wireless telephone service for the United States indicate a level of around eighty-four percent (84%) and it is predicted to be at one hundred percent (100%) by the end of 2013. This does not mean that every person will have a cell phone; rather, many people will have more than one phone creating the effect of one cell phone per person. Thus, subscriber density for 3G and 4G is what controls the separation distance between base stations. The existing network design, based on local wireless penetration rates and usage, has each site facilitating the use of between 1750 and 2500 separate devices. As wireless devices increase in number and usage (particularly more intensive bandwidth usage like e-mail, Facebook, and mobile TV), each site will need to decrease its geographic area and serve a smaller number of subscribers in order to avoid overloading its systems. Wireless broadband Wireless broadband is analogous to the communications of voice via wireless phones but for the transmission of high-speed wireless data along with standard voice communications. Wireless broadband is the transfer of data (wireless broadband) via radio waves between computers, hand held wireless phones and other wireless devices. First generation wireless deployments launched the analog hand held phones operating in the 800 MHz frequencies. Second generation wireless deployments launched the digital wireless voice network in the 800 and 1900 MHz frequencies. Third and fourth generation wireless deployments add the capability of wireless data networks, now including the 700 and 2400 MHz frequencies, although many service providers are using their designated voice channels for broadband. Traditional service providers such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint/Nextel have added wireless broadband to their platforms. Newer wireless handsets (smartphones) can communicate via voice (phone) and access the wireless broadband (internet). Additionally there are service providers such as Clearwire and other smaller regional services whose business plan is to provide wireless data/internet (broadband) (but not traditional voice service) to its subscriber base as an alternative to local cable and dial up internet service providers. The infrastructure for wireless broadband is similar to that in use for wireless phones; i.e. an elevated antenna with a base station for each service provider. The service area can be reduced in order to maintain an acceptable download speed resulting in the need for more wireless infrastructure. For example, during maximum usage periods in order to cover a geographic area of approximately five square miles the following would be anticipated: § 1G – Analog - 1 cell site § 2G – Cell phone - Digital TDM – 6 cell sites § 3G – Smartphone - Digital CDMA – 14 sites § 4G – Universal personal communicator device - Digital CFDM or LTE - 36 sites

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