Town Gives AT&T Alternatives to Proposed Cell Tower Site

October 3, 2013

Most NIMBYs just tell carriers where they DON’T want a cell tower. An RF engineering firm hired by a small Connecticut town has instead provided an alternate solution for AT&T’s RF coverage problems there.

A study by RCC Communications, commissioned by the Town of Sherman, Conn., states that the 167-foot monopole proposed by AT&T may not be necessary. Instead it prescribes two lower structures, an 80-foot pole and 60-foot pole at different locations, which it said would provide coverage of 71 percent of the town.

The two new towers would work in concert with a radio tower at the fire station in the center of town would work together with plus AT&T antenna on a nearby silo, according to the RCC study.

Last spring, AT&T proposed a 167-foot tower and submitted a technical report saying it needs the structure in conjunction with existing and proposed towers in New Fairfield and New Milford. The technical report, produced by SAI Communications, showed that 31 sites were considered and all but those proposed site were either rejected by AT&T’s RF engineer or the property owner was not interested.

According to the SAI study, the 167-foot tower would more than double the carrier’s coverage to 8 square miles and more than double the pops covered to 1,469.