Telecommunications Sites have historically been located on mountaintops or high hills in order to serve large target areas. Target areas are generally population centers, business districts, airports and transportation corridors. Beginning with the advent of cellular telephones, technological advances have changed the requirements of certain types of telecommunications companies to locate their equipment on tall buildings rather than high elevation mountaintop sites. This allows the service area to be closer to the transmitters and/or receivers owned by the company. These companies are generally using radio waves for paging, cellular and/or microwave transmissions and earth-station utilization.
The effect of the change is dramatic. Previously, if a paging company required penetration in the general Los Angeles area, the company would typically locate its equipment at three mountaintop sites. Today, using the newer technology, the same company might require as many as 30 transmitter locations to provide adequate coverage of the same area. Prime is currently the largest multi-user low elevation facilities provider, with more than 45 sites in Southern California.
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