PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Proposal: AT&T Wireless Communications Facility

Site Location: American River Raft Rentals 11315 S Bridge Street Gold River, CA 95670 APN: 069-0010-085

AT&T currently has a coverage gap in the vicinity of the proposed site, see enclosed coverage plot maps. AT&T is currently operating from sites located .7-miles north by northwest, .9-miles northwest and .9-miles south. The proposed site will offload traffic from these surrounding sites and improve coverage in Gold River, along the American River and on Sunrise Boulevard. Additionally, it will provide increased capacity for the high volume of users.

AT&T is proposing to erect a new 65’ monopine antenna support structure with branches extending above the structure to a height of 75’. The tower structure will be concealed with branches designed to look like a pine tree and will allow AT&T to mount up to nine (9) panel antennas to provide service to the surrounding area. The proposed site location is off of S Bridge Street on a parcel used for raft rental overflow parking during the busy summer weekends. The premises shall include ground space together with access and utility easements as shown on the exhibits. This is an unmanned facility; however, an AT&T technician may access the site 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year. However, typically after the site is built a technician will likely visit the site approximately once every six to eight weeks. AT&T is proposing to build a 6’ high chain link fence with privacy slats to enclose the monopine and a 11’-5” x 28’ equipment shelter. The equipment shelter will house radio equipment that works with the antennas to transmit and receive signal to the surrounding area. No lighting is proposed on the tower and the only noise from the facility is from an HVAC unit mounted to the shelter. The generator shown is powered by propane and is only utilized as backup power in the event of a service interruption and/or in an emergency. As a result the surrounding community should not experience any noise or light pollution as a result of this installation.

The subject property is between the American River Parkway and the Gold River Neighborhood. The surrounding properties contain similar pine trees and the photo- simulations provided with the application demonstrate that the proposed pine stealth treatment is well suited for the surrounding environment. The tree canopy that separates the subject site from the American River Park combined with the grade differential precludes visibility of the site from the bike trail and river. HOW IT WORKS

In a cellular system, a geographic area to be supplied with wireless service is divided into cells (which can be hexagonal, square, circular or some other irregular shapes). Each of these cells (“cell sites”) is assigned multiple frequencies which transmit and receive signal at a corresponding cell site. The group of frequencies used at one cell site can be reused at another cell site, provided that the same frequencies are not reused in adjacent neighboring cell sites as that would cause co-channel interference. Cell sites will vary in radius in the ranges they cover.

Cell site range

The working range of a cell site will depend on a number of factors, including:

 The frequency band of the signal in use (the technology).  The transmitter's rated power.  The transmitter's size.  The array setup of panels may cause the transmitter to be directional or omni- directional.  The local geographical or regulatory factors and weather conditions.

Ideally, the range of each cell site will be set to:

 Ensure there is enough overlap for "handover" to and from other sites (moving the signal for a cell phone from one cell site to another).  Ensure that the overlap area is not too large, to minimize interference problems with other cell sites.

More cell sites are required in areas of high population density, with the most potential users. Cell phone traffic through a single cell site is limited by the cell site’s capacity (“bandwidth”); there is a finite number of calls (“traffic”) that a cell site can handle at once. This limitation is another factor affecting the spacing of cell sites. In suburban areas, antenna sites are commonly spaced further apart then in dense urban areas where cell sites may be as close as ¼-mile apart. And, cell sites always reserve part of their available bandwidth for emergency calls. The maximum range of an antenna site actually depends a lot on low-powered hand-held unit to transmit back to the cell site.

The preferred location for cell sites is almost completely opposite now from the time wireless networks were launched. Much of the operations are now centered on sites that are closer to the ground, allowing for greater bandwidths. This means that cell phone users have more cell site locations and can therefore use more services. The cell sites have changed from "best location" to "multiple location" technology. Communications channel reuse

Wireless networks are designed to create a mass communication solution from a limited amount of channels (slices of radio frequency spectrum necessary to make one conversation) that are licensed to an operator of a cellular service. To overcome this limitation, it is necessary to repeat and reuse the same channels at different locations. Just as a car radio changes from one local station to a completely different local station with the same frequency when you travel to another city, the same radio channel gets reused on a cell site only a few miles away. To do this, the signal of a cell site is intentionally kept at low power and many cases tilting downward to limit its area. And, the area sometimes needs to be limited when a large number of people live, drive or work near a particular cell site because the range of this cell site has to be limited so that it covers an area small enough not to have to support more conversations than the available channels can carry. Due to the sectorized arrangement of antennas on a cell site, it is possible to vary the strength and angle of each sector depending on the coverage of other cell sites in view of the sector.

A cellphone may not work at times because:

 it is too far from a cell site.  the phone is in a location where there is interference to the cell phone signal from thick building walls, hills or other structures. (The signals do not need a clear line of sight but the more interference will degrade or eliminate reception.)  Too many people may be trying to use the cell site at the same time, e.g. a traffic jam or a sports event, then there will be a signal on the phone display but it is blocked from starting a new connection. (“There is insufficient network coverage to process your request. Please try again later.”)  The other limiting factor for cell phones is the ability of the cell phone to send a signal from its low powered battery to the cell site. Some cellphones perform better than others under low power or low battery, typically due to the ability to send a good signal from the phone to the cell site.

The cell site combined with the intelligence of the cellphone keeps track of and allows the phone to switch from one cell site to the next during conversation/use. As the user moves towards a cell site it picks the strongest signal and releases the cell site from which the signal has become weaker; that channel on that cell site then becomes available to another user.

Wireless Devices People are now able to use their cell phones to for real time driving navigation, turn by turn directions, find the nearest coffee shop, update Facebook, stream video, listen to music online radio, and play online games. Some of these applications devour far more bandwidth then voice calls or basic text messages. As smart phones become more the standard an increase in sophistication, they transmit and receive more data over the airwaves. But the spectrum of wireless frequencies is finite and the newer cell phone devices are allowed to use only so much of it. The increased use can cause congested networks that frustrate users and slow innovation. Although you cannot see the airwaves they are the “infrastructure” of the wireless networks. Just as automobile traffic needs lanes so too do wireless networks. The volume of wireless traffic is still increasing dramatically and as a result we need more highways.

CONCLUSION The establishment and operation of the wireless communications facility at the site location as proposed will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, peace, morals, comfort, and general welfare of persons residing or working in the neighborhood of the proposed use, or be detrimental or injurious to property and improvement in the neighborhood of the proposed use, or the general welfare of Sacramento County. The proposed facility will not place any burden on traffic, nor will it result in objectionable levels of noise, odor, dust, or dirt.

The facility is designed and will be constructed consistent with all safety guidelines, and will operate well below established thresholds and standards for human health concerns. The AT&T frequencies will not interfere with any police, fire or emergency communications, or nearby televisions or radios due to the separation in the frequency ranges utilized by AT&T and from those used by other communication devices. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) controls and regulates the operation of all the telecommunication equipment and devices to be used at this proposed facility. The proposed facility will conform with all FCC standards and regulations.

The proposed facility will be a link to an important communication infrastructure. Individuals and business will be able to access wireless communications to stay in business, to expand their business, to provide personal convenience, or to strengthen personal safety and the ability to communicate on demand with business, government, family and/or friends. The facility will also enhance emergency communication opportunities, both for agencies using the applicant’s system and for individuals during disasters or roadside vehicle breakdowns.