Verizon's Tower Map Campaign We've All Seen the Advertisements
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Friday, March 21, 2014 Volume 2 | Issue 56 T-Mobile Wants to “Decimate” Verizon’s Tower Map Campaign We’ve all seen the advertisements where Verizon shows the map of their coverage compared to AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The map is sup- posed to illustrate the number of towers Verizon has equipment on, prov- ing they have the best, most-reliable coverage in the nation. This map makes T-Mobile angry. "I want to decimate that ad campaign from Veri- zon," T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said to CNET in an interview Thursday. The company is taking legal action against Verizon, claiming that the campaign doesn’t accurately reflect T-Mobile’s network. Verizon’s coverage map only shows LTE capabilities of the company. Since Verizon and AT&T are almost complete with their rollouts, they have the advantage over Sprint and T-Mobile. "We prefer to compete in the marketplace, not in the courts. Our customers know what a true nationwide 4G LTE network experience feels like, map or not," said a Verizon representative. But Ray argues that the map suggests that those few T-Mobile dots on the map represent all of the carrier's coverage, and excludes its 2G Edge network, as well as its HSPA+ coverage, which T-Mobile considers 4G. (Source: CNET) T-Mobile has a goal to cover 250 million people by the end of the year, but Ray said he wants to push it to 280 million sometime next year. Four Things to Know About pCell Technology Artemis Network’s pCell has gained a lot of publicity from members of the wireless community. The company claims that the technology is 1,000 times faster than 4G LTE. But there are some details you should know about the pCell and how it may impact the future of wireless technology. The point of the pCell is to give everyone their own person cell tower to increase network speeds. Dave Smith of ReadWrite explains the four things you need to know: Wireless data is bottlenecked by interference pCell actually uses interference to its advantage pCell involves some very serious computation pCell wouldn’t require new phones, but would replaces cell towers Your wireless connection can slow down if there are a lot of people on the same network. The pCell works to eliminate this problem by giving everyone their own network. Continue reading here. Verizon Adds New Cell Sites to Santa Barbara County Inside Towers Page 1 In Santa Barbara County, California Verizon Wireless has added new cell sites in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. Verizon Wireless has expanded its fast and reliable network to help people stay con- nected. The new cell sites also allow residents and visitors to surf the Web, share music, download files, stream and post status updates and photos faster than ever on their mobile device. While this is a benefit, these new towers improve network reliability for first responders and residents during natural disasters and emergencies, when connecting to a wireless network is critical in communicating. SOLiD Chooses Graybar to Open New Distribution Channel for In-Building Wireless Solutions SOLiD, a wireless infrastructure company, announced that they have chosen Graybar as a way to sell their DAS products. Graybar specializes in supply chain management services and is a leading North American distributor of high-quality components, equipment and materials for a number of in- dustries“We are pleased to sell through Graybar to make SOLiD DAS solutions available to new channels and to provide additional buying options for our customers,” said Seth Buechley, president, SOLiD. “We have built our business upon innovation and customer service and we are excited to work with another business that shares this commitment.” The new arrangement enables SOLiD and Graybar to coordinate DAS projects from planning and purchasing to delivery, deployment and maintenance. Customers can take advantage of Graybar’s competitive leasing terms for SOLiD gear and a lease-to-buy program for key field-testing equipment from other leading manufacturers. 4G LTE Coverage Enhanced Across New England Verizon first brought their 4G LTE service to Falmouth, Maine in June of 2012. Since that time, they have enhanced local network coverage in Falmouth and the surrounding New England area. In fact, Verizon has completed $245 mil- lion in wireless network enhancements across New England in 2013. This brings their total investment in the area to around $3.6 billion since 2000. It’s pretty safe to say that the tower climbers and all the other tower companies out there have been pretty busy in the past year. Inside Towers Page 2 Tower Proposal Receives Chilly Reception from Minnesota Residents Verizon Wireless submitted a proposal to construct a tower in Lakeville, MN to enhance the wire- less capabilities; however, residents are worried about the location of the proposed tower. The company plans to construct an 125-foot monopole with a seven foot base and it could eventually be extended to 150 feet to accommodate wireless equipment for up to four additional carriers. Ver- izon Wireless spokeswoman Karen Smith said the tower would shore up the company's service to an expanding group of users. "Lakeville is growing and, of course, our wireless traffic is growing on our network," she said. She said the company's engineers picked the residential location because it fits an area of need. Customers, she said, increasingly are using wireless devices at home. (Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press) The city council hasn't had an official discussion on the matter but many residents and some city council members feel that Verizon needs to find a different loca- tion to build their tower. Virginia Church Seeks Permission for Cell Tower In Vienna, Virginia, Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church is looking for permission to install a cell phone tower disguised as a bell tower. However, the church is close to Colvin Run Elementary school and is causing parents to voice their opposition. Even though the FCC re- quires RF emissions to be within a certain limit, some residents feel the FCC research is outdated and there are potential health issues that come with a cell tower. More than 400 people have signed a peti- tion on Change.org to stop the project, which is awaiting county approval. A community meeting to discuss the proposal is set for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Cell Tower Approved For Historic District, Despite Opposition The Rocheport, Missouri Board of Alderman unanimously approved a recommendation by the local planning and zoning commission to approve a proposal by Wireless Asset Group to build a tower and lease space on it to AT&T. The 180 foot tall tower could be constructed as soon as August, despite opposition from local residents and Planning and Zoning commissioner Debra Luraas. Some of the Rocheport residents believe that the tower will harm the town’s historic significance and tourism economy. "I want to make sure that people understand I'm not against cell towers, I am against cell towers being constructed in a historic district," Luraas said. She also said that the tower could lead to lower property values and “unknown, long-term, health risks.” Some of the con- ditions of the tower being built include appropriate fencing and screening, with shrubs or similar plants; a clause that the tower must be abandoned if not used for a period of 12 months; a collapsi- ble design; and reserving space on the tower for future city needs. When asked about a stealth tower, representatives from Wireless Asset Group said such a tower wouldn’t be viable for the site. Inside Towers Page 3 Buzzards Find Permanent Home on Akron Cell Tower Oddly enough, the people of Ohio get extremely excited when the buz- zards come home to roost. Last Saturday more than 100 buzzard en- thusiasts gathered at Buzzard Roost to welcome the annual return of the buzzards. However, this year the buzzards have taken up resi- dence atop a cell phone tower next to the Cuyahoga River instead of the Buzzard Roost in Medina County’s Hinckley Reservation. Accord- ing to the Akron Beacon Journal, “The little-known Akron buzzards first were spotted atop the 184-foot-high tower in 2012 by veteran birdwatchers Marie Morgan of Akron and Bert Szabo of Munroe Falls. They saw as many as 15 of the buzzards atop the cell phone tower that has several platforms. They also saw the birds there on subsequent visits.” Hopefully, their presence doesn’t cause outages for the nearby resident....or hunting season might come early. Architects Try to Save 20th-Century Russian Communications Tower Last month, the Russian State Commit- tee for Television and Radio Broadcast- ing agreed to dismantle the Shabolovka radio tower in Moscow, despite public outcry to leave it be. The tower was de- signed by Vladimir Shukhov in 1922. It was commissioned by Lenin as a way to spread the word of Communism through the new radio technology. Ac- cording to the New York Times, “The tower has been a subject of debate in the Russian news media and a topic of round-table discussions. Now an array of international architects, engineers, academics and cultural leaders has signed a petition pleading with Presi- dent Putin to override the committee’s decision and spare the tower, whose destruction makes way for reckless de- velopment. Proponents for dismantling the tower say it’s a wreck; the situation is a classic case of demolition by ne- glect. The chief architect of Moscow, Sergey Kuznetsov, has suggested the tower could be rebuilt elsewhere, and the ministry of culture more or less en- dorsed that idea in late February.