Cell Tower Effectiveness Guide

As of 2022, 96% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind, and there are several hundred thousand cell towers in the US as of 2022. Considering the population of over 329 million people in the United States, those cell towers support a ton of cell phone usage
As technology continues to advance and more businesses and companies begin transitioning to 5G, the need for more cell towers with increased effectiveness is on the rise. Many people are concerned about whether adding more cell towers could cause harmful health effects or become an eyesore for city skylines, HOA communities, and business owners.
Many people wonder how tall cell towers are and how large of an area they’re able to service. We will try to answer those pressing questions in this detailed guide.

What Is a Cell Tower?

Cell towers are sites where antennae and electronic communications equipment are mounted. Sometimes referred to as a cell base or cell site, these towers are essential for allowing surrounding areas to use cell phones, radios, and other wireless communication devices.
Many behind-the-scenes actions occur when using your cell phone, and they all happen through a cell tower. A signal is sent from your cell phone to the nearest cell tower whenever you make a call or send a text. The tower then sends this signal to a switching center so your call or text can go through to the other person.

How Tall Are Cell Towers?

Cell towers can vary in height. Their height depends on where they’re placed and how large of an area they need to cover. Some cell towers are put on rooftops, while others in rural areas are set among trees and disguised as another tree. Some cell towers are made to blend in seamlessly with city skylines.
A cell tower will generally range between 50-400 feet. The effectiveness of cell towers depends on a few factors, including the size of the tower and how large of an area it needs to cover. Depending on these factors, cell towers can provide service for as little as 3 miles or as many as 45 miles. 

How Tall Are 5G Towers?

You might be surprised to learn that 5G towers are generally much smaller than traditional cell towers. They’re much smaller because 5G radio wave frequencies are much more limited than 4G. The 5G radio waves can’t penetrate through structures or travel as far, so there’s no reason to build cell towers particularly high for these.
A 5G cell tower only needs to be 20-30 feet to be effective. These cell towers will only be able to service the immediate area, about 1-3 miles. The problem is that 5G cell towers will need to be placed close together throughout cities and towns to provide adequate service.
The number of cell towers needed to provide people with 5G service has been a significant concern for HOA communities, business owners, real estate investors, and those concerned about potential adverse health effects from the radio wave frequencies.

What Are The Concerns About 5G Cell Towers?

There are a few key concerns about adding the number of 5G cell towers necessary to support a growing population’s continued 5G service. One issue is that of property value. 
Many business owners, real estate investors, and HOAs are concerned that adding 5G cell towers every several hundred feet will lower property values. They’re worried that it will be an eyesore and take away from the aesthetic appeal of their buildings.
The solution is to work to disguise 5G cell towers so they blend in with their surroundings. This has already been done with traditional cell towers in many ways. The most common is to disguise cell towers as trees. This helps them blend into the landscape and provides a natural appearance instead of an eyesore.
 
The other major concern is the possible adverse health effects of 5G cell towers. Some people claim that over-exposure to the radio frequency energy produced by 5G could cause nausea, headaches, or even cancer.
However, the experts have repeatedly disproven these claims. Studies done on homes, schools, and businesses located underneath or next to cell towers show their RF (radio frequency) energy levels are hundreds or even thousands of times below safety standards. 
Claims of falling ill due to 5G RF energy are easily disproven, and the concerns over their effect on property value can be solved. The truth of the matter is that 5G cell towers are going to be dominating the US within a few years, and it’s essential for everyone to understand their effectiveness.
Related: A Complete Guide To Small Cells

Why Are We Switching To 5G Cell Towers?

As a society, we’re switching to 5G cell towers because we’re making the switch to relying on 5G over 4G. There are several benefits to using 5G technology. It offers higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, more reliability, lower latency, increased availability, massive network capacity, and a more consistent experience for all users.
We have to put up new cell towers for 5G to work because this technology uses higher-frequency radio waves. 5G requires several more small antennas to support these frequencies, which carry more data but service a smaller area.
The traditional cell towers aren’t compatible with 5G technology, so new and smaller cell towers must be placed to support 5G. 

How Will This Affect Current Cell Towers?

This won’t be an immediate change. It’s going to take some time before our society relies solely on 5G technology and cell towers. In the meantime, current cell towers need to remain in working order and up to all applicable safety standards. 
Current cell towers will continue undergoing surveys and audits to ensure they’re in working order and up to standard. The traditional cell towers will probably remain in place for quite some time, even after most of the population relies on 5G because so many people will still have technology depending on 4G networks.
Related: Top Commercial Real Estate Challenges of 2022

Keep Cell Towers Up To Standard

It’s essential to keep traditional cell towers up to standard as we navigate this change in technology. Audits and cell phone tower surveys still need to be performed regularly to ensure they’re meeting safety standards and operating as expected. Traditional cell towers service a wide area, and ensuring they’re up to par is essential for society’s continued connection and communication.