Commercial Antennas Have Become Less Intrusive

By Essie Osborn


The thick forest of television antennas that used to grow from the rooftops of suburbia has disappeared, a welcome result of evolving technology. Although the digital age has arrived, modern communications still rely heavily upon over-the-air, antenna-based reception and transmission, requiring the construction of many additional antenna structures. While excellent coverage is essential, those new units should not create a negative impact on daily life.

An antenna is an assemblage of poles, wires, metallic extensions or dishes that can receive or transmit electromagnetic information. Commercial antennas are primarily involved in a money-making service, and that includes television, radio, and cell phone installations. Those associated only with non-profit, residential use, including home satellite dishes or amateur radio equipment, are not in the same category.

When a business is faced with the need for new transmission equipment, there are a host of considerations and requirements. The consuming public wants solid, hardworking devices that have reliable reception and transmission, but generally does not want to view the inevitable broadcast towers necessary for good service. Because of that desire, many towns have initiated new rules regulating antenna size, visibility, 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.

One of the most cost-effective is termed co-location, an increasingly common practice. This process places the new array on an already existing tower, which eliminates the need for additional construction. Successful completion of this kind of project involves close cooperation between all the companies using the tower. New operations must never interfere with present users, and must also conform to aesthetic standards.

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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