To understand telecom data and mobile coverage, the user must be able to distinguish between cell tower assets.

The telecommunication infrastructure relies on cell tower sites to provide wireless coverage to users on the go. The United States has cell tower sites located in areas essential for coverage, with the number of placements continuously evolving or increasing to provide better service. Locating these essential cell sites means understanding the different asset types involved. You can also access this data in GIS format or on TeleTracker, a digital SaaS mapping platform online.

GIS CELL TOWER DATA

GIS cell tower data provides the geographic information needed to locate these cell towers on a map or in the physical landscape, but this data can hold more than just a map point. The asset type of the cell tower can provide much more needed clarification than just where it is located.

Cell Tower Assets

When reviewing GIS data for cell towers, the attributes can be broken down further into assets 1 and 2. A cell tower asset describes the physical attributes or the type of tower the cell equipment is on. The first asset of a cell tower can vary greatly from the list below.

• BANT – This asset type is an acronym for building with antennae on top.
• Billboard – A billboard asset type means a cell site located off an actual billboard generally used roadside for marketing.
• Bridge – A bridge asset type refers to a cell site located off a bridge, whether the bridge is located over water or land.
• Building – A building asset type is a cell site located on a building. These assets do not have to be as tall as some users may believe. According to the Library of Municode, “Maximum building height for townhouses shall not exceed 35 feet.”
• Cow – A COW asset type stands for Cells on Wheels or mobile tower sites.
• Pipe – A pipe asset type generally refers to a cell located on a steel single tube pipe. Another pipe asset could be a legged pipe with multiple rungs similar to a rig asset.
• Pole – A pole asset which can be extremely similar to a pipe, usually indicates a single-pole signal cell. A pole asset can also refer to a cell site off a street light or other utility pole.
• Rig – A rig asset type means a cell site located off a rig tower site. A rig can resemble a fence-like structure with smaller poles connecting as opposed to a large pole asset type.
• Silo – A silo asset type refers to a cell site located off of a silo similar to used to store agricultural materials. These asset types are sometimes referred to as stealth facilities.
• Small Cell – A small cell asset is true to its name and can be located almost anywhere, on the side of a building, on a light pole, etc. These specific sites are more conducive to 5G being so compact and able to transmit a strong signal, one drawback is that the range can also be shorter.
• Stack – A stack asset type refers to a smokestack or a cell site located off of a smokestack.
• Structure – A structure asset type refers to a cell tower located off a building or tower structure.
• Tank – A tank asset type means a cell tower located on top or off of a tank, i.e., a water tank.
• Tower – A tower asset type can vary in look but generally refers to the standard cell tower.
• Tree – A tree asset type means a cell site located off a faux tree or in some landscapes a faux cactus.

While these asset types can be very similar in some cases it is beneficial to know what differentiates these varying asset types to know the telecom landscape. If GIS cell tower data notes an asset 2 type, this describes the additional cell site structures located on the physical tower type.

Cell Tower Data Online

For users who are looking to access cell tower data online, they can do so with TeleTracker. This highly customizable digital mapping platform is powered by the same powerful GIS data that GeoTel offers. Users can also distinguish asset types quickly and efficiently within the tool itself.

To access TeleTracker or GIS cell tower data, please contact the experts at GeoTel today.

Written by: the Experts at GeoTel