0 Commercial Antennas Have Become Less Intrusive

By Essie Osborn


The aluminum antenna forest that once sprouted from nearly every suburban rooftop has nearly disappeared, a casualty of the digital revolution. While this is a welcome development, modern communications and media still often require over-the-air transmission and reception. Strong signals and reliable coverage are always important, but so is the impact these units can have on everyday living.

At its most basic level, an antenna consists of poles, wires, dishes and other metal devices designed to both receive or send electromagnetic signals. Commercial antennas are integral to generating money, and are used by television, radio, cell phone and other communications enterprises. Amateur home radio transmitters, satellite dishes, and other related devices are not considered commercial.

Before a business can place a new installation, however, a number of local issues must be seriously considered. Although consumers purchasing new electronic communications expect that they will have strong, reliable connections, most simply do not want to actually see the necessary installations and towers that make the entire experience possible. Because of this understandable attitude, cities have created new regulations regarding antenna visibility, size, and location.

An installation bristling with metallic spikes might appeal to a technocrat, but not to most people living beside it. Operators of most systems have been forced by this understandable public attitude to be creative with new antenna placement and design, and try to make them as unobtrusive as possible. Creative design solutions begin with the idea that new facilities should be nearly invisible.

The most basic way of accomplishing that is called co-location, a common solution to placement issues. Co-location puts new equipment on an existing tower, eliminating the need for additional construction. This process often involves working together with other companies using that tower, must not interfere with current operations, and must conform to existing standards of aesthetic appearance.

If co-location is not possible, then a multitude of local regulations must be considered before building another tower. While cities vary, most have enacted fairly stringent rules regarding new sites. If the area is residential, for example, many locales prohibit this sort of construction in front or side yards. Devices must never interfere with traffic, or even alter existing parking spaces.

Color schemes must be compatible with the existing site, and cannot alter the view from nearby properties. Many locales today require that all the connective wiring must be placed underground, and the visible portions covered by landscaping or vegetation. Height ordinances must also be taken into consideration. While these general rules may seem restrictive, the positive result has been a proliferation of antennas that most people never even notice.

For many residents, the results look like nature. In California they may look like palm trees, while those in New York sport deciduous branches. Other towers have been disguised to blend into unique natural desert backgrounds. Although designing antennas to fit the natural world may initially cost a little more, it proven to be a popular practice that benefits both business and consumer.




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