There’s no denying how landline technology has fallen behind cellphone technology. Still, according to Eric A. Taub of the New York Times, mobile subscribers often experience problems with their cell phones, including dropped calls and poor voice quality. Taub further writes that to combat such problems, subscribers can consider building their own cell towers, which resembles a regular wifi router. Yet the burden of improving cell phone signals should not fall on subscribers but on telecommunications carriers themselves. For this reason, wireless carriers must do all they can to secure ideal cell tower locations and thereby provide subscribers with smooth and uninterrupted network coverage.

http://towerpoint.com/what-wireless-carriers-look-for-when-checking-out-cell-tower-locations/

Investors looking to get a good cell tower lease on a particular property must learn about zoning regulations in the area. Although local ordinances vary, most communities prohibit the construction of cell towers close to residential communities and public areas. Instead, telecommunication companies are encouraged to erect their towers close to industrial and commercial areas. Most local laws also prohibit building new towers if structures like water towers and rooftops can integrate telecommunications equipment, which can be an advantage for some companies because new construction is often costly.

You can consult investors like TowerPoint Capital to learn more about cell site infrastructure as well as what a smooth cell tower lease buyout entails.

http://towerpoint.com/cell-tower-lease-law-basics-towers-cant-be-banned-but-can-be-changed/

John Pestle, a telecommunications lawyer based in Grand Rapids, MI who handles the sale of cell phone tower leases, explains three major factors that must be considered when setting up a cell tower on any property. First, the site acquisitions company representing the wireless service provider determines the strategic importance of the land for a cell tower. Towers near major infrastructures such as freeways can be more valuable for telecommunication companies. Second, the company reviews all of their cell site candidates as there may be other more attractive locations for cell sites elsewhere. Third, cellular tower investors like TowerPoint Capital may be able to review the cell site and determine whether the location is viable for a new tower lease. The latter option is more attractive because it entails less cost for the company.

http://towerpoint.com/residents-landowners-join-the-great-att-sale-of-cell-tower-leases/

Cell towers as inconspicuous trees, flag poles, and cacti provide that a good cell site doesn’t have to be remotely located when it can actually be found close to home.

The art of cell tower disguise isn’t a novel invention. Indeed, as early as the 1990s, urban planners were already concerned about the visual pollution steel towers pose. In South Africa, for instance, telecommunication companies were told to make cell towers more attractive in relation to the landscape.

http://towerpoint.com/a-cell-tower-in-natures-clothing-faux-towers-as-profit-opportunities/

Landlords and wireless carriers need to abide by strict requirements before a piece of land can be considered feasible for cell tower construction. Even if such conditions are met, mobile carriers need to be convinced that the site is indeed in an ideal location. Site owners looking to make the most out of a cell site lease could benefit by coordinating with a trusted and reputable firm like TowerPoint Capital.

Leasing out land for cell site use is a lot harder than it sounds, especially since mobile carriers can be very picky. Even a strategic rooftop cell site proposal needs to be marketed properly in order to attract wireless service providers. Landlords can also benefit from professional legal aid when negotiating any cell site lease agreement or sale.

http://towerpoint.com/concealed-coverage-how-carriers-select-prime-cell-site-locations/

To provide uninterrupted service and expand network coverage, wireless carriers need to set up an optimum number of cell towers or cell sites. This has created a profitable site lease industry where landlords get to enjoy attractive cell tower lease rates and retain full ownership of their properties in exchange for permitting carriers to install transmitters, electrical power sources, digital signal processors, etc. on their sites. Some landlords may wonder about the sustainability of such a business model, however, and thereby consider whether it is a sensible idea to hold on to their cell site leases.

Wireless carriers, after all, have been known to merge—a factor that has often led to industry consolidation, capacity redundancy, and ultimately, site decommissioning. Site owners can consequently lose their rental income if they fail to keep up with such market changes.

http://towerpoint.com/cell-phone-towers-now-is-a-good-time-to-sell-ones-cell-tower-lease/

People are more dependent on their smartphones and cellphones than ever, but when you’re a telecommunications carrier whose customers switch loyalties as often as they change gadgets, things can become a bit worrisome. Why so? According to CNN Money Tech, cell phone customers switch providers as soon as their current contracts are up. Among the big reasons for the move: network capacity and coverage.

In any business, customer loyalty is a priority. Thus, many of the established providers make it a point to find ways to improve their services and keep their clients—and first on their list of target improvements is to widen their coverage. One key to this is to find ideal cell tower locations and expand into cell sites in areas where coverage is lacking.

http://towerpoint.com/choosing-the-right-cell-tower-locations-for-the-right-amount-of-profit/

Cell tower leases are some of the most lucrative deals for property owners. Since many of the ideal cell tower locations happen to be found in private properties, mobile network operators (MNOs) typically enter into long-term lease deals and pay landowners recurring fees in exchange for the right to set up cell towers or cell sites. Some landowners market their properties proactively to attract the attention of MNOs and cell tower brokers, and thereby convert their parcels into income-generating properties.

Demand for cellular services remains high. In the U.S. alone, about 91% of adult Americans reportedly own cell phones and smart phones. As mobile subscribers clamor for faster and better voice and data services, wireless carriers must in turn respond by building more cellular sites or towers, particularly in highly populated areas. This ensures that cellular signals remain strong and reliable.

While a helpful cell tower lease will strengthen the coverage of telecommunication companies based in the area, it might not always be easy for the landowner. It’s a sticky business to be managing cell tower assets and ensuring that the telecom companies are upholding their end of the bargain. Landowners who have difficulty keeping up with handling the towers or feel as if they’re not getting enough from the arrangement should consider selling their cell tower lease to cell tower investment firms like TowerPoint Capital. The company can buy the lease or help landowners enter into an exclusive marketing program to generate higher earnings in the future.

Tower leases just can’t be drafted on the fly. The terms that make up the arrangement need to be carefully worked out so the landowner doesn’t end up on the losing end of the deal, ensuring that he or she gets a fair and maximized cell phone tower lease.

http://towerpoint.com/towering-over-how-landowners-can-maximize-cell-tower-lease-provisions/

Leasing out your land as a cell site can yield a huge profit. After all, mobile network operators (MNOs) may be in search of available land in your area where they can set up additional cell sites and thereby provide better wireless coverage for their customers. Due to the profit potential of such a venture, many landowners are interested in marketing their properties as potential cell sites.

Those landowners who have leased their properties for cell towers have every right to negotiate for better prices. Yet it’s a tricky business to be leasing land for tower use, and even with a general compromise in place, it doesn’t guarantee that the tower will generate enough revenue. Those looking to make lucrative cell tower leases should fully consider all their options before committing.

Fortunately, there are cell tower investment companies such as TowerPoint Capital that can help landowners earn more from their leased properties. If lease owners are not receiving enough from cell site rent payments, they can partner with investment companies to get the full value of their leases or market their properties through a focused marketing program.

http://towerpoint.com/all-towered-up-on-resolving-fair-and-agreeable-cell-tower-leases/

AT&T has requested special permits for new 150-foot towers—in addition to its current 20 cell sites—that will serve users in the area in coming years. Private landowners can do their part by leasing their land for the structures. There are cell site investment firms that conduct site valuation to determine the potential or value of a certain property for such deals.

Meanwhile, owners of cell tower sites can also benefit from a cellular tower lease buyout by cell tower investment companies like TowerPoint Capital. In a lease purchase program, land or rooftop space owners who have existing wireless tower leases can exchange their lease contracts for a lump-sum payment.

http://towerpoint.com/lucrative-deals-await-landowners-as-telecom-firm-adds-cell-tower-sites/

Cell sites come in various forms. These include water tanks, smoke stacks, grain silos, rooftops, and other tall structures where antennas and electric communication equipment can be perched. Essentially, cell sites send out radio waves that enable the use of call phones.

With mobile carriers expanding their service, more cell towers are needed to provide better network coverage. Big as they are though, these carriers still often have to lease cell tower locations from landlords instead of owning the property outright.

Landowners, on the other hand, are mostly unaware of just how huge the financial potential could be from converting their land into a cell site. By dealing with trusted cell tower companies like TowerPoint, whether you choose a lease buyout or a marketing partnership, property owners can maximize the profit from establishing a cell tower on their site. The investing company will be the one working out the legalities, thereby freeing up time for the property owner. If the seller wants to sell their site, they can turn their attention to other entrepreneurial opportunities, or pay off debt using the lump sum paid by the investing company.

http://towerpoint.com/how-property-owners-can-enjoy-profit-from-cell-tower-lease-agreements/

If the deal pushes through, it will be a boon both to the schools and the countless residents who rely on their cellphones for communication. Of course, when a major mobile carrier approaches a landowner, the latter should carefully review the cell site lease terms before accepting the offer to ensure that he is getting a fair deal.

Fortunately, clients can seek help from companies like TowerPoint Capital so they can get the best terms from the potential cell site to be leased. With a cell site evaluation, these firms can identify factors that affect rates such as elevation, accessibility, and number of subscribers that will benefit from the new cell site. Having this knowledge in hand, school districts can negotiate with interested parties more easily for a favorable price.

http://towerpoint.com/cell-site-lease-a-unique-way-for-schools-to-generate-more-income/

With cellular phones and other similar mobile devices growing in usage and popularity, many landowners are perfectly poised to generate considerable profits by leasing out their land to wireless providers. Cell towers play a central role in facilitating the voice and data functions of mobile devices. To provide better service to their subscribers, wireless companies actively scout for available real estate at key locations that make for the ideal cell sites.

In pretty much any cell tower lease agreement, a property’s strategic location directly influences the lease rates it can command. Essentially, wireless companies are willing to pay a handsome fee to lease the rights to set up a cell tower at prime lots with easy access. Meanwhile, similar parcels of land located close to other existing cell towers typically attract lower offers.

Other factors also affect cell tower lease rates. For instance, wireless companies typically want their towers to be built in locations far from residential areas to prevent being an eyesore in the community. Additionally, some wireless companies will insist that their towers only provide their cellular coverage and prohibit the property owner from accommodating other carriers.

Such specifics can be used to a landowner’s advantage when negotiating the terms of a lease. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a lawyer to outline these details.

Number of years remaining on the lease

“Cell companies will pay far more for a lease in its final years,” according to Pestle. To make things clearer, a lease that is one year away from its expiration is worth far more than one that has ten years to go.

Current rent being paid

“If the buy-out price is just one lump sum payment to the landlord, then a tower with multiple tenants collectively paying the landlord $3,000 per month is worth far more than one with a single lease paying $500 per month. This is less of a factor if the landowner gets to keep all the rents until the current leases expire,” states Pestle.

http://towerpoint.com/four-factors-that-determine-the-worth-of-cell-phone-towers-in-a-lease/

Prime cell tower locations can be lucrative real estate investments, as you may gather from the article above. Unfortunately, the benefits of this type of investment may not be obvious to every property owner. Perhaps the better way to put it is that some owners are not fully aware of the profit potential of owning a cell tower site.

Luckily, property owners can talk to a seasoned cellular site investor like TowerPoint Capital when looking to value their cell site. The demand for cell phone towers at certain locations affect property value, and typically, high-traffic urban areas and college towns have the highest demand for cellular services.

http://towerpoint.com/cell-tower-locations-as-real-estate-investments-can-be-very-profitable/

Have you ever wondered how your friend who lives thousands of miles away can send you a text message in an instant? Here’s a simple explanation of how wireless communication works and what elements are responsible for making it happen.

If a portion of your property largely remains unused, you can turn it into an income-generating site by leasing it out to wireless service providers. After all, mobile wireless companies are constantly on the lookout for available spaces where they can put up cell towers and thereby provide better services to subscribers.

Indeed, whether you’re a church leader or a land owner, a cell tower lease deal can be a significant source of income. Nonetheless, when you’re offered a lease contract for a cell tower to be installed in your property, or when a wireless carrier wishes to rent your cell site, you have to be smart about it. You can’t sign a deal without analyzing the fine print and verifying its benefits.

To guide you through the negotiations and the intricacies of the transaction, you can call on cell tower lease experts from companies like TowerPoint. Such professionals may even provide a complimentary site valuation to help you determine the actual value of your cellular site. This ensures that you get the appropriate monthly payments, and your rights as the landlord remain protected.

Finally, if you decide to sell your cell tower lease for whatever reason, professionals from companies like TowerPoint can also be your partners.

http://towerpoint.com/cell-tower-lease-facts-what-you-should-know-before-signing-a-deal/

When people talk about cell phone towers, they usually picture large structures akin to telephone poles, but without the wires. This is quite an apt description, although cell phone towers are much more complex than that. Given the sheer variety of cell phone towers, property owners who are interested in entering cell phone tower lease agreements would do well to learn about the spatial requirements for each type of tower.

Cellular towers play an important role in telecommunications, particularly since they relay signals from mobile phones to operators who then redirect the data to recipients. To serve the growing demand for reliable mobile data and voice services, property owners can put their properties up for lease as cellular tower sites and in return earn a considerable income for the duration of the lease.

If you own a track of land and you’re looking to turn it into a nice investment to rack in a lot of profit, leasing your property to a cell tower buyout company might be the route for you. Essentially, contracts for cell tower leases happen when you and the aforementioned company (ones like Towerpoint Capital for instance) come into an agreement to lease your land so they can have a cell site or tower installed. However, you should first find out just how much your property might be worth:

Factors Affecting Cost

Location is the main factor that will affect how much cell tower lease companies will value your land – essentially, the fair market price of land in your particular place. Easy accessibility to the site is also very important (which is why properties in urban areas are often leased). Moreover, you should also check your area’s local zoning laws if you could actually have a tower built on your site.

It's a practical partnership more than anything. “It helps keep expenses to where we can pay all our bills,” said church administrator, Ted Olson. In fact, the church has been getting offers to buy out cell tower leases by company rivals. An article on Christian Examiner Online frames the issue:

In most cases the church is approached by a cell tower company or wireless service provider, which negotiates a lease for an installation site that it will service and maintain. The church benefits by receiving rental income from the lease.
Trinity Presbyterian Church in Spring Valley, Calif. got its first wireless contract for cell receptors embedded in the sanctuary roof in the early 1990s. The church has since acquired two more cell sites, a 75-foot cross outside its fellowship hall and an artificial palm tree in the play yard of the church school. Each brings a revenue stream from a different cellular phone company.

As any property owner who’s allowed a cell phone tower company to lease their land for a cell site can tell you, doing so is a great way to generate long-term residual income. It is for this reason that many owners try their best to attract interest in their property whenever a site acquisition agent rolls into town.

For self-storage operators, this factor offers an income-generating opportunity that supplements the primary uses for their space. Given the many intricacies involved in a cell site lease arrangement, however, it is undoubtedly sensible to work with an institutional investor who can arrange a long-term lease with favorable terms. An Inside Self Storage article warns about the various pitfalls interested parties need to avoid:

The mistake many self-storage operators make is, being in the real estate business, they continue to track the elusive “market rent” figures when determining how much to charge a cell-tower company. To be crystal clear, there’s no such thing as market rent when it comes to a cell-tower lease. If you try to use comparable rents in your area, you’re using data that will only cause you to perpetuate under-valued rents that have been paid to property owners for the last few decades.

http://towerpoint.com/great-rental-rates-for-your-cell-site-via-an-institutional-investor/

Leasing your rooftop as a cell site for a telecommunications company is a great way to generate residual income. However, you’ll have to keep certain factors in mind before you go ahead and sign a lease agreement.

The article then lists two more types: the guyed cell tower and the stealth cell tower. The former- which takes its name from the wires that support it- has been said to be the most inexpensive of the four types, though it does require more space. The latter- also known as the 'concealed tower'- is made to visually integrate with the locality, whether out of adherence to zoning codes or out of consideration to those who may think it an eyesore; this had led to some rather creative disguises, from cacti in Arizona to even a church crucifix in Florida.

Once you've determined good cell tower lease rates- whether directly with a provider or through established services like TowerPoint Capital- you can expect to see any of these cell towers rise on your property. You can take pride in knowing not just that you've found a way to profit, but also that you're aiding the cause of progress.

http://towerpoint.com/from-lattice-to-concealed-a-look-at-four-kinds-of-cell-phone-towers/

Some folks from Thurston County, Washington recently told The Olympian that they are ready to sell or lease their land as new cell tower locations for AT&T. With a projected income range of about $2,500 to $4,500 every month, it’s no wonder why ordinary citizens would want to work with one of the country’s leading wireless network companies. However, things are easier said and done as AT&T is only looking for about five or seven cell sites in the County, which means that not everyone in Thurston may be granted their wish.

The company reportedly prefers the kind of cell tower site with existing towers of sorts as they would rather not building brand-new towers from the ground up. Of course, this assumes that the local area has a large number of cellphone users to begin with. Such things are just a few of the many factors that investors in cell site locations, such as TowerPoint Capital, take into account when looking at each prospective property they are offered.

http://towerpoint.com/cell-tower-locations-what-interested-property-owners-should-know/

Leasing out your property as a cell site for a large wireless company can be quite lucrative. Unfortunately, wireless companies do not shop around for cell sites too often.

When the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, it was hailed as a paradigm shift in communication. Suddenly, people didn’t have to stand next to each other to converse. If they had a phone, they just dialed a number and chatted away.

Of course, the telephone of yore has come a long way since then. Gone are the bulky frame, the rotating dial, and the interminable cables, and in their place is the sleek piece of technology that people call a cellular phone. Indeed, cell phones today are used for far more than just making calls but for surfing the Internet and basking in social media as well.

No matter how high-tech your handset may be, though, it would be mostly useless without the technology that allows it to communicate wirelessly—such as the towering structures that often dot rural and city landscapes.

Whenever you make a call, your mobile phone sends out an electromagnetic radio wave to the nearest cell tower, which then transmits it to a so-called “switching center”—a modern version of the switchboard—which connects you to the person you are trying to contact. The two of you are then assigned an available frequency channel so calls don’t overlap and other people can’t hear your conversation (or vice versa).

 

The long-held misconception that the radio frequency (RF) signals emitted by a nearby cell tower can be harmful to a person’s health remains just that: a misconception. The fact is that there isn’t a single shred of evidence that supports this absurd claim. In truth, cell towers emit a less-than-powerful signal than what one may receive from a handheld cellular phone.

The bottom line is that these naysayers simply don’t want a cell tower in their vicinity, so they’re desperate to find ways to oppose it. These same people are also likely to argue that a cell tower somehow diminishes the property values in their community. The truth of the matter is, it depends.

In today's digital age, the majority of people have become dependent on their mobile phones more than ever before. A cell tower may not be attractive, but buying a property where the cell service isn’t that great is becoming a major issue in the real estate business. Today, nobody wants to live in a place where their fancy gadgets simply don’t work.

Are cell towers an eyesore? That may be the case for some, but having a cell tower around certainly beats not being able to use mobile devices in today’s highly connected environment.

To cell phone network providers, the best way to improve their services is to strategically place as many cell towers as they possibly can. This has led to an entire industry of cellular companies buying or leasing land or buildings to have their towers set up. Just who can benefit from this expansion, and what are the actual benefits that cell towers can offer?

Improved Service

Of course, it only follows that cell service in your area will improve if you have a cell tower enhanced. Nevertheless, the quality of service that will ensue will depend on a variety of potential factors, one of which is location, which is why cell companies offer a much larger payout for prime lots than those of a lesser quality.

Great Investment

From the business or property owner’s standpoint, cell towers could help them earn quite a lot off the lease, making for a significant increase in their income. This is particularly helpful for the maintenance and survival of churches, schools, charitable institutions, and other service-oriented places that don’t necessarily profit from their clients.

Churches, in particular, have seen perhaps the most use for this type of investment, since they are often the tallest structures in small communities. Since most zoning laws typically don’t allow cell towers to be built in residential buildings, a town’s local church is the next best place to set up a nice network connection in the area.

Atlanta, Georgia (January 2, 2014) – TowerPoint Capital is educating landlord partners on maximizing profit from their leased cell tower sites. Dedicated to helping clients attain better value from their partnership, the company shares their comprehensive knowledge with lessors so they can be guided towards making decisions that are more profitable.

On their website, TowerPoint Capital discusses the several advantages that come with their cellular lease buyouts. When leaseholders opt to convert their monthly rental income into a large lump sum of cash provided by the company in exchange for future rights to income, they are protected from the risks of reduced profit. This is because available cash in hand accumulates higher value over time by means of accrued interest and inflation.

Keeping lease payments also poses many threats to financial security and gain. One of these is site decommissioning, a process in which the site may be subjected to a shutdown, clearing, or removal.

http://towerpoint.com/towerpoint-educates-clients-on-maximizing-profits-of-cell-tower-sites/

Leasing a cell tower can be a lucrative business for landowners. If you wish to get into this venture, you need to consider several factors to increase your chances of success.

First of all, you have to determine if your property is an appropriate cell tower location. If the location of the property is too far from places with heavy traffic, network service companies may not find the property attractive. You also need to make sure that setting up a cell phone tower in your property does not violate any zoning regulations. 

 

You then need to market your property to cell phone service providers. You can contact prospective companies directly, as well as advertise your property in appropriate channels. Putting up a noticeable sign in your property can also get a provider’s attention. Don’t get discouraged if you do not immediately receive a reply from any prospective leaser, as cell phone tower requirements could change periodically.

To make sure your property is always on the radar of cell phone service providers, consider marketing it through cell site tower brokers. These companies typically would have existing relationships with cell phone service providers, and can thus help you connect with potential customers faster. Additionally, these cell site brokers can include your property in their extensive marketing programs. 

Cell towers are structures set up by cellular network companies on various tall buildings or empty lots in an attempt to bolster their signal strength. The Federal Communications Commission or FCC regulates the establishment of these towers. If you are a prospective lessor, here are some of the legislations you should know about:

Backup Power Regulation

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged a huge part of the country and took many towers out of commission, the backup power regulation was implemented. Basically, it states that every cell tower should have an efficient means of generating power in case of electrical failure. This applies to large towers of major networks as much as to utility poles used by small phone companies.

Notifying the FAA

The FCC also mandates that before setting up a tower, you first have to submit a notice with the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA. This is important because the minimum altitude requirements that make towers efficient might obstruct the FAA’s safe flight zones within urban areas.

Maintenance Requirements

Moreover, the FCC also acknowledges the need for constant maintenance to enable these towers to function properly. This is especially true for towers that are deemed air navigation hazards, as the companies need to ensure that their tower is visible to incoming aircraft 100% of the time. This mandate includes repainting the tower with the appropriate aircraft detectable paint, if necessary.

If you've been leasing out your property for a cell site, you're most likely aware of the considerable income involved in the business. However, there will be instances when you will find the regular fee too small to cover some huge expenses you're anticipating in the future. Fortunately, you can decide to sell your lease to a firm interested in buying it.

Choosing a cell site lease purchase can be beneficial in several ways. Obviously, you will receive a lump sum, which can be bigger than your potential monthly earnings of several years combined. This can give you an out-and-out opportunity to make any huge expense without affecting your property ownership.

Entering a lease contract with a telecommunications company that wishes to install a tower on your rooftop involves a complex agreement, considering that this is a rare type of business. What seems fine and tolerable now may be burdensome for you in the future. You can pass that worry to a lease buying company upon sale of the lease.

Additionally, if you agreed to an arrangement in which you'll pay a huge tax liability, this might change a bit after selling the lease. The tax liability will remain and will reflect in your sale with the purchasing company, yet it won't be bigger or heavier than what you're looking at if you will keep the lease.

Leasing your land or property to be used as a cell site by a telecommunications company is one of the best ways you can earn money without having to work much. The appeal is quite obvious: as more and more people use cell phones nowadays, additional cellular towers need to be constructed to accommodate them. Of course, this is not as easy as it sounds because cell phone companies can be quite picky when it comes to finding the perfect location for their sites.

For one thing, cell towers should be far from residential properties due to health and safety concerns. Local ordinances specifically require that the distance from the base of a tower to the residential zone must be equivalent to two feet per one foot of the tower height. This means that you are generally out of luck if you wish to lease your own backyard as a cell site (unless the yard encompasses the entire 3-5 blocks of your street).

Obstructions like trees and power lines can also have a negative impact on signal transmission, which means that cluttered or forested properties are usually glossed over by cell companies.

Even if you meet the requirements, your neighborhood may not even allow the construction of a cell tower purely due to aesthetic reasons. Consult with the relevant authorities if that’s the case because cell companies don’t want to spend much in making their cell towers “beautiful”, even if the site is a perfect location for them.

Communication technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, connecting people far easier than ever before. Man has come a very long way from sending smoke signals, and today the most popular method of communication is via cellular phones. These mobile handheld devices allow users to call each other and send messages among themselves, as well as carry out many other tasks that the modern cell phones’ advanced features allow.

The capability of cell phones to call and send messages wirelessly is all thanks to the cellular towers specifically made to help convey the signals of the devices. Basically, cell phones work by transmitting calls and messages to the nearest tower, which are then dispatched to a switching network. From there, the signals are sent straight to the other handset, completing the wireless transfer.

Cellular phones are limited only by their range to the nearest tower, hence the term cellular (as these towers each have limited range, a “cell”). Theoretically, enough towers scattered strategically across a given area should give users ample coverage. Indeed, the ownership of a tower is invaluable in keeping up the communication ability of a given region, and it’s very lucrative for those who manage to secure a spot with numerous users tapping into the network.

When cellular phones had a wide release in the U.S. market back in the 1990s, most people welcomed them with open arms. Today, these mobile devices are used not just to make a phone call or send text messages to family and friends, but to send e-mails, connect to a social network or VPN, or do online shopping as well. Despite using their cell phones for a wide array of tasks, not many cell phone users are familiar with how the magical tool works exactly.

Mobile phones essentially serve as the receiver of signals from digital signal processors contained in a cell site or cell tower. Cell tower locations are ideally set up in elevated areas like rooftops and water tanks to allow enhanced coverage. One can easily spot a cell tower because it typically shows an antenna mounted atop a tall structure.

Not all rooftops and water tanks can be transformed automatically into a cell tower location, though, as some U.S. cities have formulated strict rules regarding the erection of cell sites. In some cities like Denver and New York City, for instance, some cell towers are made to look like trees to allow them to blend in with the surroundings. This setup also exists in other parts of the world like Portugal, Italy, and South Africa. In Atlanta, meanwhile, cell sites must be constructed according to local zoning regulations.