Historically, wireless site acquisition teams have been warned... "if there's ever been a place to stay clear of, an AM station is certainly it!
(prHWY.com) November 9, 2012 - New Jersey, AL -- Historically, wireless site acquisition teams have been warned... "if there's ever been a place to stay clear of, an AM station is certainly it!" Today, there are an estimated 10,000 AM towers in the United States, and they are virtually untapped resources for wireless base station sites. And, notwithstanding the mythology, AM tower colocation is both practical and efficient.
The benefits of AM tower colocation in a wireless network system buildout are many. Typical benefits, which reduce time-to-market and result in cost efficiencies, are:
Available in desirable locations. In many locales, tower colocation opportunities are becoming scarce. Acquisition strategies that target AM towers bring immediate new site opportunities. AM towers have historically been located in highly urbanized areas, close to downtowns, where fill-in facilities are most needed. Often, an AM tower may be the only possibility where moratoria have been imposed.
Zoning delays are minimized. Local ordinances and zoning regulations increasingly restrict site acquisition opportunities. AM tower colocation usually requires little or no zoning action. Where zoning approval is needed, AM owners are typically influential allies within their communities and local communities typically attempt to accommodate AM stations' requests. Furthermore, wireless antennas mounted on AM towers are relatively unobtrusive, and are being installed in an environment where residents are already used to the presence of towers. Thus, AM tower colocation fosters a good neighbor image with zoning boards.
AM Station owners are positive partners. Most AM station owners have looked at their tower systems as necessary evils. They become very supportive of AM tower colocation because it improves their facilities at little or no cost to them. It also generates a new, secure revenue stream.
AM tower colocation is economical. It often costs far less to implement AM tower colocation than it does to build a new site. Even with structural augmentation,
Pyle Home PHST80IP completed cost may be below that of a "greenfields" site of comparable capacity and site rents may be favorably negotiated. When properly implemented, long-term operational constraints and costs are not significantly different from other tower colocation situations.
AM detuning problems are avoided. Network design imperatives increasingly place site requirements close to AM stations, triggering a requirement to protect the AM from signal interference with the new tower. This often requires detuning or other measures which increase the cost of site development. Wireless facilities located on AM towers do not require detuning, cost of which may actually exceed the cost of the AM tower colocation, saving on site budgets.
Why Have AM Sites Not Been Developed?
Wireless developers have stayed away from AM radio towers because of the traditional "Keep Away From AM!" adage, and not without reason. The ad hoc procedures, previously available for AM tower colocation, indeed did make the practice taboo for wireless carriers.
Coordinating construction between the vastly different AM and wireless cultures was frequently a slow and painful process. From an engineering perspective, the process of integration and demonstrating license compliance to the FCC often required tinkering, delays, and costs unacceptable to wireless carriers.
AM station owners have also wanted assurance that the tower colocation methods proposed by the wireless operator were reliable, proven, acceptable to the Federal Communications Commission and would not harm their signal coverage pattern. Those outcomes could not be assured with the old methods of AM tower colocation.
Many wireless system designers and constructors are yet unaware that a new technological capability can now efficiently and painlessly integrate wireless and AM systems.
CoLoSite Enables AM Tower Colocation
A new technological approach to AM tower colocation called CoLoSite has been developed. This tower colocation system is based in proprietary hardware and procedural systems, which overcome traditional obstacles to AM tower colocation.
The CoLoSite system permits virtually unlimited wireless users on most AM towers. Once the CoLoSite system is installed, additional users or antennas may be added with minimal additional cost. The hardware components are permanently integrated into the AM system, and designed for "utility-grade" life. CoLoSite recognizes fundamental differences of approach to non-directional and directional AM stations, and makes tower colocation practical in both cases.
In order to install users on conventional AM towers, the associated transmission lines must electrically be isolated from the AM tower to prevent disruption of the AM transmission. The CoLoSite technology used to accomplish this most efficiently differs depending upon whether the AM antenna system is a single, non-directional tower or a directional, multi-tower array.
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