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Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Master Plan - Town of Morrisville, NC – Adopted July 23, 2013
A-11
Summary
Wireless handsets used for personal wireless services have changed significantly from the
initial launch of the cellular phones in the 1980’s. The infrastructure that is the backbone
of these handsets has not changed as much from a visual perspective. The wireless
networks still need elevated antennas above tree lines and rooftops to transmit and
receive the communication information between wired and wireless devices. Moisture
contained within leaves and pine needles absorb and refract the signal and create an
unpredictable propagation variable. There are no antennas currently on the market that
can manipulate nature and the laws of physics to eliminate the changes in the propagation
characteristics from antennas placed within the tree line. Wireless antennas can function
below the tree line but not at the same performance level as compared to antennas placed
in the same location above the tree line. For this reason, the industry will continue to
prefer placement of their antenna arrays above the tree line to achieve optimal
propagation from the infrastructure and maximize their investment in the communities
they are servicing. The antenna sizes used have changed minimally over the years.
Recent inclusion of remote radio heads in the antenna will generally mean larger and
more complex antennas as compared to the earlier 2G installations.
The structures on which the antennas mount have changed very little, other than generally
becoming shorter in geographic areas where taller towers are permitted. The monopole
and lattice towers remain the most widely used tower infrastructure nationwide for
deployment practices. It is likely that diameters of monopoles will need to increase to
allow additional space inside for more coaxial lines to accommodate additional antenna
and antenna types. Concealment techniques continue to be used to mitigate the visual
impact in areas of concern as identified by local governments.
Mergers and acquisitions (Sprint and Nextel for example) will bring about a temporary
downsizing and consolidation of infrastructure for the companies involved but overall the
industry will continue to need more and more infrastructure with transitions to 3G, 4G,
5G and beyond. The antenna elements will need to be closer together and above tree
lines and rooftops.