Telecommunications is the transmission and/or reception of radio signals, whether it is in the form of voice communications, data, digital images, sound bites or other information, via wires or space on radio frequencies, using satellites, microwaves, or other electromagnetic systems. Telecommunications includes the transmission of voice, video, data, broadband, wireless and satellite technologies and others.
Traditional landline telephone service utilized an extensive network of copper lines to transmit and receive a phone call between parties. As the communications industry evolved, modified copper wire circuit or T-carrier (T-1) lines were developed to add capacity, bandwidth and speed to the standard copper wire line. However, copper-based technology, in any form, is insufficient to support the ever increasing service demands. With today’s technology, the only methods available to achieve the necessary bandwidth and speed for data transfer is to utilize fiber optic or microwave technology for backhaul. Backhaul is the network interconnection that links individual network nodes together through the core network backbone. The lack of fiber or microwave currently is a limiting factor for true high-speed telecommunications.
Wireless telephony, also known as wireless communications, includes mobile phones, pagers, and two-way enhanced radio systems. It relies on the combination of landlines, cable and an extensive network of elevated antennas – most typically found on communication towers to transmit voice and data information. The evolution of this technology has progressed through advances referred to as first, second, third and fourth generations (1G through 4G) of wireless deployment. Fifth generation (5G) wireless is expected to exponentially expand wireless network capacity by incorporating new transmission technologies and a wide range of frequency spectrum between 600 megahertz (MHz) and 24 gigahertz (GHz). Advanced technologies with 5G will result in much quicker download speeds for smartphones and other smart devices, and machine-to-machine (M2M) data transmission between automotive vehicles and between pieces of equipment in industries such as transportation and logistics, home health care, manufacturing and public safety.
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
During the early 1980s, the first generation, consisting of 850 megahertz (MHz) band cellular systems, was launched nationwide. The 1G portable cell phones were boxy in shape and operated much like a small AM or FM radio station. The 850 MHz frequency (i.e., low band) allows the radio signal from the antenna on the tower to travel beyond five miles, depending on topography and line-of-sight conditions between the towers. Customers using a cell phone knew when they traveled outside of the service area because they would hear a static sound on the phone similar to the sound of a weak AM or FM radio station. The signal either faded or remained crackling until the subscriber was within range of another facility.
Originally, the 850 MHz band only supported an analog radio signal. By 2010, 1G had been phased out of network design in most urban markets, but still serves as a platform of initial coverage in remote and undeveloped areas – including large areas identified in Study Area B of Mesa County.
The 1990s marked the deployment of second generation technologies, consisting of the 1,900 MHz band (i.e., high band) Personal Communication Systems (PCS) and Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio (ESMR) commonly referred to as Nextel, that operated in the 800 MHz band. Nextel and 2G cellular wireless technology was developed primarily to allow for simultaneous phone calls over a digital signal, on both 850 and 1,900 MHz, that were audibly clearer than those made with an analog signal. The handsets were much smaller than the 1G cellular phones and the first handsets provided low speed data services such as paging and limited text messaging through the handheld unit. However, 2G had some network functionality trade-offs. The technology offered a static free signal but with a higher rate of disconnects or dropped calls. The network solution to reduce the number and frequency of dropped calls required significantly more base stations and towers for several reasons: First, the propagation signal in the high band does not travel as far as the low band signal. Thus, the number of required facilities almost tripled just to provide basic 2G coverage in the same geographic area as a 1G service area. Second, the industry was reluctant to share tower space with a competitor and many service providers resisted co-locating on the same tower. And third, subscriber base and usage grew rapidly so the industry needed more sites to improve network coverage demands by their customers.
Third generation (3G) wireless was launched in the early 2000s and offered improved mobile download speeds and increased penetration of signal strength for indoor environments. This technology also permits multimedia messaging (MMS) which increased the character limit on text messaging, allowed photo transfer and provided elementary video conferencing.
Fourth generation (4G) wireless handsets were introduced in 2010 and offered a wide variety of new tools and services that provided access to email, news, music and videos. Newer technologies incorporated better cameras for still photos and video, global positioning services (GPS), Internet commerce, and millions of downloadable applications for just about any use.
Advancing technologies in 2015 resulted in new smartphones and tablets that support video streaming and remote access to Internet-based cloud data storage both of which require large amounts of bandwidth. Service providers continue to upgrade existing networks by: 1) adding additional base stations and towers to improve and increase network capacity; 2) purchasing additional licenses in the 700, 1,700 – 1,800, and 2,100 – 2,400 MHz frequencies; 3) upgrading equipment at the towers and base stations and adding more antennas and feed lines; and 4) adding remote radio heads (RRH) on towers to increase signal strength and capacity.
One of 4Gs greatest advancements is the transition to Long Term Evolution (LTE) services as the global cellular network operating standard. Network operating platforms nationally and internationally were fractured during the implementation of 3G networks because of the adoption of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) as competing operating platforms. The universal LTE and LTE-Advanced platforms will promote efficient use of spectrum, faster download speeds and continued use of smart devices across the United States and throughout the world. The need for additional 4G infrastructure is significant nationwide and the continued deployment of new towers and base stations will be necessary as the industry transitions to fifth generation (5G) networks sometime around 2019-2020.
In summary, 1G and 2G provided the initial launch of personal wireless service. Third generation improved data transfer with the addition of MMS, 4G increased speeds and capacity and 5G deployments will focus on implementation of full broadband service. Fourth generation network technology (the platform for smartphones) emphasized improving network capacity and maximizing the use of bandwidth for faster and more efficient transfers of data. Fifth generation standards are in the design phase and will be implemented when gigahertz spectrum is available and backhaul systems utilizing fiber optic networks are available. The improved network speeds and bandwidth of 5G are anticipated to be sufficient to compete directly with computer networks with average Internet download speeds at or above the 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) range. Fifth and sixth generation (5G and 6G) advancements over the next 30 years will allow all forms of communications and entertainment to be streamed resulting in the eventual elimination of digital subscriber lines (DSL) and cable/satellite TV; and will provide the underlying communication technology that will allow vehicles to drive themselves. Like all previous generations, 5G and 6G will require more wireless infrastructure.
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
The growth of satellite usage has surpassed the highest expectations of only a few years ago. The reason is simply lower cost. Previously, relaying information, data, and other related materials was cumbersome and required many relay stations in very specific locations and in relatively close proximity. Initially satellite use was expensive because of the limited amount of airtime that was available. Satellite airtime has become more affordable with the deployment of additional satellites, increased competition and advanced technologies that allow more usage of the same amount of bandwidth. In addition, satellite service providers are in the early stages of increasing the number of localized networks which will contribute to the already rapid growth.
Several licensees of satellite services such as Sirius XM Radio and a number of satellite telephone service providers successfully petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow deployment of additional land-based supplemental transmission relay stations so that they can compete more aggressively with existing ground-based services and overcome the obstacles typical to satellite technology. Subscribers found the delay, fade and signal dropout between interactive devices to be unacceptable. Sirius XM Radio has been successful in obtaining ground-based supplemental transmitter rights and has become one of the alternative subscribers of ground-based transmitter networks.
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
(a) 
On May 18, 2015, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) announced and published notice of “The Wireless Infrastructure Report and Order”, which defines transmission equipment to be:
any equipment used in connection with any Commission-authorized wireless transmission, licensed or unlicensed, terrestrial or satellite including commercial mobile, private mobile, broadcast, and public safety services, as well as fixed wireless services such as microwave backhaul or fixed broadband.
(b) 
Wireless transmission equipment is comprised of four main apparatus:
(1) 
An electronic equipment cabinet;
(2) 
Feed lines;
(3) 
Antenna or antenna array; and
(4) 
An antenna support facility such as a tower or base station.
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
Electronic equipment used to transmit and receive the radio signals from the antenna is installed within an equipment facility including, but not limited to, cabinets, shelters, pedestals or other similar enclosures. Copper coaxial cable (coax) or fiber optic (fiber) feed lines are used to connect the antenna with the ground-based equipment. The equipment cabinets and feed lines shown in Figure 1 are typical for service providers operating in the high band frequencies and ground space requirement for this equipment is around 10 square feet.
Figure 1: Example of High Band Wireless Infrastructure Ground Equipment
The electronics equipment used with low band systems generates substantial heat, so the shelters which house the ground equipment are much larger and generally need a minimum of 400 square feet. The only noise that would typically be generated in the vicinity of any tower or base station would be from an air conditioner or a backup generator that automatically starts in the event of a power failure. Figure 2 shows a typical configuration for low band ground equipment.
Figure 2: Example of Low Band Wireless Infrastructure Ground Equipment
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
Antennas are used for both transmitting and receiving signals. Examples as shown in Figure 3 include: a single omni-directional (whip) antenna that can be used to transmit and/or receive two-way radio, ESMR, cellular, Personal Communications Service (PCS), or Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) signals. A sectionalized panel antenna array can be used for transmitting and receiving cellular, digital or ESMR wireless telecommunication signals. Each antenna or antenna array is connected to the ground equipment cabinet via a feed line.
Microwave dish antennas and fiber optics cable are used for backhaul. Backhaul is used by service providers to send the signal received by the antenna to the supporting network and vice versa. Point-to-point microwave antennas are used to provide backhaul capabilities over greater distances than are possible between the primary antennas on towers and base stations. Microwave is frequently used as backhaul throughout Mesa County to connect the towers in the urban areas like Grand Junction to towers in remote locations such as Gateway and Palisade Point.
Most service providers are now mounting a power amplifier unit on the tower close to the antenna. The top mounted amplifiers (TMA) and remote radio units (RRU) provide greater efficiencies and better service in both transmitting and receiving modes. However, these improvements come at the cost of higher visual impacts caused by the increased amount of tower-mounted equipment mounted high on the towers.
Figure 3: Examples of Panel, Directional and Microwave Antennas
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
Antennas can be mounted on a variety of structures referred to as wireless towers or base stations. As defined in the FCC Report and Order, a wireless tower is “a structure built for the sole or primary purpose of supporting any Commission-licensed or authorized antennas and their associated facilities”. Examples of nonconcealed towers are monopoles, lattice and guy towers and shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Examples of Nonconcealed Antenna Support Facilities
As defined in the FCC Report and Order, a base station is “equipment and non-tower supporting structure at a fixed location that enable Commission-licensed or authorized wireless communications between user equipment and a communications network”. Examples of base stations are buildings, water tanks, tall signage and light poles; provided, that (1) the structure is structurally capable of supporting the antenna and the feed lines; and (2) there is sufficient ground space to accommodate the base station and accessory equipment used in operating the network. Examples of nonconcealed base stations are shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Examples of Nonconcealed Base Stations
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
Base stations and towers can be concealed. Antenna concealment techniques include faux dormers and chimneys, elevator shafts encasing the antenna feed lines and equipment cabinet, and painted antenna and feed lines to match the color of a building or structure. Example of base station concealment techniques are shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Examples of Antenna Concealment Techniques
A concealed tower is not readily identifiable as a wireless facility. In slick sticks, banners and flagpoles and three-legged poles the antennas are covered by fiberglass shields; and on faux trees the monopole and antennas are painted and surrounded by faux branches. Partially concealed towers include modified braces and brackets on the lattice towers and painted monopoles. Dual purpose towers include light stanchions and poles added within an existing utility tower. Figure 7 provides examples of this type of concealed infrastructure.
CityScape conducted a WMP kick-off meeting on June 30, 2015, and participants were asked for feedback on their preference for different types of infrastructure. Participants voted on the type of infrastructure they preferred to see in both rural and urban areas. The kick-off meeting presentation was made available on the City and County’s web sites and citizenry who could not attend the meeting could vote on infrastructure preferences online.
The results of the voting are shown in Table 1. In both the urban and rural areas the monopole was chosen as the most preferred nonconcealed tower type; concealed base stations are preferred over nonconcealed equipment and the use of utility poles is preferred over building a new free standing tower. Concealed dual purpose types of towers are preferred in the urban areas and slick sticks, faux trees and tower wrapping is preferred for the rural and undeveloped study areas.
Figure 7: Examples of Concealed, Partially Concealed and Dual Purpose Towers
Table 1: Preferences of Types of Infrastructure
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
To design the wireless networks, radio frequency (RF) engineers overlay hexagonal cells representing circles on a map to create a grid system. These hexagons represent an area equal to the proposed tower or base station coverage area. The center of the hexagon pinpoints the theoretical “perfect location” for a tower or base station (antenna support facility). Next, coverage predictions are added from the tower or base station within the hexagon. The propagation pattern is generally circular and the size of the coverage area is affected by many variables such as antenna mounting elevation, topography, land cover, and size of the immediate subscriber base. The illustration shows a smaller coverage area in green and the largest coverage area in purple. The difference in coverage areas could be caused by the antenna mounting elevations at each site (i.e., a lower antenna mounting elevation on the tower in the green circle and a higher mounting elevation on the tower in the purple shaded circle; or differences in cell type (macro, micro, pico, distributed antenna system (DAS etc.) network capacity or topography. The grid system models are unique to each service provider and maintained by each individual wireless provider’s engineering department.
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
The number of towers and/or base station sites located in a network grid not only determines the extent of geographic area covered, but also determines the number of subscribers (customers) the system can support at any given time. Each provider is different, but a given provider can only process or turn over a certain number of calls per minute and only a certain number of calls can occur simultaneously. These limits on service availability are referred to as network capacity. As local wireless customers, tourists and other users of applications increase, so does the need for network capacity. When the network capacity reaches its limit, a customer will usually experience a degradation of service such as a dropped call, a delayed text message or prolonged timeframe to access the results of an application request.
As the wireless network reaches design network capacity, it causes the service coverage area to shrink, further impacting wireless service objectives. Network capacity can be increased several ways. The service provider can shift channels from an adjacent site, or the provider can add additional towers and base stations with additional infrastructure.
A tower added to provide additional capacity in an area that already has network coverage is referred to as a “capacity tower.” A capacity tower or base station provides additional calling resources that enhance the network’s ability to serve more wireless phone customers within a specific geographic area. An assumption behind the capacity tower or base station concept is that an area already has plenty of radio signal propagation from existing coverage towers or base stations and the signals are clear. Too many calls sent or received through the existing towers or base stations result in “no service” indicators for subscribers who attempt to place a call.
According to a CTIA-The Wireless Association® indices report dated June 2014, the number of wireless devices deployed now exceeds the population of the United States. This does not mean that every person has a cell phone; rather, many people will have more than one wireless device. For example, many people have both a smartphone and a tablet. Subscriber density for 3G and 4G coverage areas determines how far apart towers and base stations can be without impacting service. Current network design standards, based on local wireless penetration rates and usage, say that each site should handle between 1,750 and 2,500 devices. As the number of wireless devices increases in a given service area and as the amount of high bandwidth applications (i.e., streaming video) usage increases, coverage areas shrink and the number of subscribers must also be reduced by service providers to avoid overloading their systems.
Wireless broadband is the transmission of high-speed wireless data over the same medium that was previously only intended for voice communications. It is not limited to smartphones and tablets. It can also be for computers, laptops and other wireless devices. The FCC recently revised the definition of “broadband” to mean Internet access with download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and upload speeds of at least three Mbps. Because of this revised standard there are few wireless service providers that can effectively meet these speeds today. Many wireless broadband providers today do not meet this revised standard. For purposes of this discussion, the term “broadband” will also encompass current technologies that do not quite meet the new standard today. The 3G and 4G wireless deployments added the capability of wireless data networks, now including the 700 and 2,400 MHz frequencies, but many service providers are using their designated voice channels for broadband.
Wireless services are in a rapidly changing industry. Newer wireless handsets (smartphones) can communicate via voice (phone) and via the Internet using Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE). Some service providers such as Clearwire and other smaller regional companies provide wireless data/Internet, but not traditional voice service to its subscriber base as an alternative.
The infrastructure for wireless broadband is similar to that used for wireless phone service: a separate elevated antenna for each service provider. The area covered by one antenna shrinks in order to maintain an acceptable download speed for customers in the area resulting in the need for more wireless infrastructure to cover the same geographic area. For example, the number of tower sites needed to cover an area of approximately five square miles in Mesa County depending on the network technology used and during maximum usage periods is:
•
1G – Analog (1 site)
•
2G – Digital TDMA (3 sites)
•
3G – CDMA/Email/MMS (5 sites)
•
4G – Smartphones/LTE/AWS (8 sites)
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)
Wireless handsets used for personal wireless services have changed significantly from the initial launch of cellular phones in the 1980s. The traditional infrastructure that serves as the network backbone for these handsets has not changed nearly as much from a visual perspective. The wireless networks still need elevated antennas that are above tree lines, rooftops and any manmade or natural obstructions to transmit and receive communication signals between wired and wireless devices. Moisture contained within foliage absorbs and refracts the signal and creates an unpredictable propagation variable. This will always be a factor when designing wireless systems as the propagation characteristics do not change within the current transmission standard. Wireless antennas can function below the tree line but not at the same performance level when compared to antennas placed above the tree line at the same location. For this reason, the industry will continue to prefer placement of their antenna arrays above the tree line or in a favorable location with few manmade obstructions 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 and tower-mounted amplifiers on the antenna mounting structure will generally result in larger and more complex antenna arrays as compared to the earlier 2G and 3G installations.
The structures on which the antennas are mounted have changed very little, other than generally becoming shorter. The monopole and lattice towers remain the most widely used tower infrastructure nationwide. Concealment techniques continue to be used to mitigate the visual impact of towers in areas identified by local governments as a concern.
Mergers and acquisitions (such as Cingular and AT&T, Sprint and Nextel, T-Mobile and MetroPCS) bring about a temporary downsizing and consolidation of infrastructure by combining electronic resources at existing sites and by enabling the reuse of the same frequencies more efficiently. Overall the industry will continue to need more infrastructure for the transition to 5G and beyond.
(Ord. 4703, 6-1-16)