Have you ever thought of how you can use the space at the top of your community’s water tower? By leasing out otherwise unused space to telecommunication companies, communities are able to capitalize on their water towers and provide their citizens with better cellular phone coverage. This article answers a few common questions people might have about antennas.
Why Put an Antenna on a Water Tower?
For municipalities, allowing a company to install an antenna on their tower is an income generator. This can then be used towards infrastructure, maintenance, or however the community plans to use that additional income. For telecommunication companies, leasing the space from municipalities is a cheaper alternative than building their own tower site and maintaining it.
How Do I Make Money?
By leasing out the space to telecommunication companies to install their own equipment on your water tower. Most, if not all, expenses could be charged to the owner of the antenna, meaning the water tower owner may not have any direct fiscal responsibility.
What Companies Participate in This?
Most major telecommunication companies will participate in a program like this, such as Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Internet providers will also use antennas for better coverage of high-speed, wireless internet, emergency broadcasting, schools, police, and agriculture but counties and cities also utilize antennas for keeping track of the status of their tank using a SCADA systems.
What Should I Consider Before I Have an Antenna Installed?
There are many aspects to consider before going forward with any telecommunications company. KLM has written about this in the past here, but if you are interested in how an antenna can help your community it is crucial that you find a company with ample experience with antennas and telecommunications to help you determine what is right for your community.
KLM Engineering has been working with telecommunication companies and antennas for more than 25 years, working with both the community and providers to ensure each antenna is installed properly and follows OSHA guidelines.
Tadd Oachs, KLM Engineering’s Telecommunications Manager, has over a decade of experience in the telecommunication field inspecting, installing, and upgrading telecommunications equipment. He specializes in drawing reviews and inspections to ensure antenna equipment is being installed per engineer requirements and verifies any structure modifications were performed in accordance with approved drawings. KLM’s engineering department works with Oachs and is well versed in drawing reviews, structural analysis reviews and lease reviews. If you’re interested in installing an antenna on your water tower, give him a call at 612-481-8018 or email him at toachs@klmengineering.com.