In today’s digital age, people have become dependent on mobile phones and an Internet connection for constant communication no matter where they are. You may have leased your land for a cell tower or your property for a cell site to maximize the potential revenues of your stagnant asset, but there is more to a cell site than just profit. You may not realize it, but your decision to provide cellular coverage can serve many generations to come.

Helping Your Community

Not only will you be able to utilize strong cellular signals, but you can also ensure that your neighbors stay connected as well. When you create a cell site, you are helping individuals in your area overcome recurrent signal problems and experience the benefits of mobile communication.

Promoting Economic Progress

Creating a local infrastructure for communication satisfies the need for connectivity, which in turn promotes progress. You can take part in building the economy by helping business owners remain in contact with their suppliers, for instance. Your very actions can set an ideal environment for mobilization and productivity.

Advancing Technology

You are connecting your community to the world. Enhancing wireless telecommunications in your area can lead to more discoveries through research. Imagine a community capable of accessing valuable and educational information. You are doing society a favor by hosting a cell site.

With the various developments in technology, different wireless networks have been developed to facilitate instantaneous communication. Cellular networks, or mobile networks, are radio networks that are distributed over land areas known as cells. Each cell is served by at least one fixed-location transceiver. To avoid interferences, different cells use different sets of radio frequencies that are distinguishable from their immediate neighboring cells.

A cell site is a cellular phone site where electronic communications equipment—such as transmitter/receivers transceivers, digital signal processors, GPS receivers, backup electrical power sources—are installed. Usually, cell sites can be found on radio masts, towers, and other high places to create a cell in a cellular network. Common structures that are used for cell sites include flagpoles, roof tops, water tanks, smoke stacks, and grain silos.

Some cities in the United States and Canada require cell sites to be inconspicuous to avoid being eyesores to the public. These are known as concealed cell sites or stealth cell sites. Cell tower owners who collect rent payments from cell tower leases or cell site leases could maximize their assets' full revenue potential by partnering with reputable investors in cellular site locations.

Cellular lease purchases differ from rental income because the asset is turned into one large cash payment. This will enable cell tower owners to pursue various other investment prospects, settle or decrease their debts, fund capital projects, and reduce the risk of the site decommissioning.

If you can’t imagine life without your smartphone or any other gadget that connects to a cellular network, then you probably can’t live without cell towers as well. These structures, also referred to as base stations, transmit and receive radiofrequency (RF) signals that cellular phones use to send messages or call. Although cell towers are usually out of sight, since they have to be high enough to cover an area (around 50-200 feet high), it still pays to know a little bit about them given the vital role they play in telecommunications.

How do they work?

Whenever you use your cellular phone, it sends RF waves to nearby cell towers that transmit your call or message to its destination. Multiple carriers or providers can share the use of a single tower by placing their own equipment, or radio transmitters and receivers on the site.

Why are they valuable?

Other than their value in telecommunications, several landlords and investors actually consider cell towers as potentialiy lucrative opportunities. A tower located in a strategic areamakes it indispensable to numerous carriers. In fact, a number of cell phone companies would be willing to pay large rents just to maintain, or increase the scope of their service.

If you are interested in leasing out your property as a cell tower location, or if you are already leasing a cell tower, you may want to learn about some small facts surrounding cell phone towers and cell tower leases.

The latest figures (as of November 2013) show that there are currently 190,000 cell phone towers around the United States, which is an astronomical increase from 1985’s figure of only 900 cell phone towers. Massachusetts leads all states in the list of highest cell tower lease rates, followed by New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. The average cell tower lease rate is $45,000 a year, and the lowest cell tower lease rate is $100. The average cost to build a cell tower is $150,000; and the maximum range of a tower is 21.7 miles.

It may also help to know some statistics about cell phone usage among those residing in the US. People generally believe that cell phones have enhanced their lives, with 76% of respondents in one survey saying they found mobile technology to be helpful. Sixty-five percent of respondents from the same survey also said cell phones have made them become better parents, and a growing percentage say they use their cell phones for other uses such as browsing the Internet and visiting social networks.