Overview

Subscribers love the convenience and connectivity their cell phones afford them. However, to enable communication anywhere, anytime cell phone towers must be erected across the land, which is not loved by these very same mobile users. Many times they are eyesores and ruin beautiful landscapes. To combat this issue, mobile network operators (MNOs) are turning to creative ways to conceal them.

To better blend in with the environment cell towers often are disguised as a tree, a piece of art, a cactus or, in many communities, churches are hiding them in their steeples.

A leading US mobile network operator decided to use the concealment method by placing a cell tower in a local church steeple. The mobile operator avoided community opposition to the conventional cell tower, but unfortunately experienced another problem instead – chronic RTWP (Received Total Wideband Power) noise issues across all existing lines. RTWP is related directly to Uplink Interference, which causes performance degradation. Many valuable hours and much money was spent trying to identify the source of the connection issue.