By DREW WATERS
Cell phone towers have a ubiquitous presence in our urban and rural landscapes. Our quest for uninterrupted connectivity fosters their continual construction.
In recent years there have been mounting complaints and concerns from citizens who decry both their ugliness and the possible harmful effects of the electromagnetic frequencies they emit. Making matters worse for industry, municipalities are passing ordinances that place strict limits on tower placement.
There are multiple ways to deal with the aesthetic and health concerns of citizens – but when it comes to maximizing profits and minimizing complaints, a large sector of the cell phone industry has chosen concealment and camouflage.
Stealth cellphone towers, such as this flagpole, are concealed in school yards and community spaces across America.
Below we present some recent examples of stealth cell phone transmitters across the US – from fake grain silos, to cacti, to church towers, trees and rocks.
Bank of America recently signed an agreement to use their buildings as cellphone masts. Trammel Crow Company (TCC) has been offered approximately 3,500 Bank of America retail banking centres nationwide for installation of state-of-the-art stealth transmitters. These site installations will be built to mimic existing features, such as facades, flag poles and light standards.
Stealth installations are everywhere. When you don’t know something is there, you can’t complain about it… except, now you can.
Grain silos – Carriers add onto existing silos or build fake ones from the ground up to conceal offending equipment.
Fake trees – Not sure what species these are meant to be – a new hybrid?
These palm transmitters look almost idyllic as they sway in the sunset.
Cactus
That humble boulder you’re sitting on while communing with nature is probably giving you a full strength dose of RF radiation.
The church tower is another common installation or concealment solution.
Places of worship are working overtime.
The cross, already a transmission tower of sorts, makes a perfect concealment project.
A water tower transmitter in California.
A stealth addition to an historic facade. Fake chimneys are another common installation solution.
the clock tower – commonality is the best disguise.
A stealth cupola… every mall has one.
Images sourced from Larson Camouflage and Stealth Concealment Solutions.
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fascinating!!
awesome!
Its kinda weird but hey at least they are trying to make them not so obvious.
When I saw the San Dimas one, all I could thing of was “SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!!”
I’ve seen the fake trees before, but the water tower and cactus are my favorites.
What Liz Said: You’re my hero!
Only the center palm tree has transmitters, the other two are real trees. That’s what I usually see in Southern California.
Hello San Dimas….Please Welcome….WILD STALLIONS!!!
there is zero probability of damaging health effects due to cell phone tower radio transmsissions
psqwan,
you seem pretty convinced on the safety of cellular technology – take a look at an interview with the guy who ran the original study for the cellular industry – it’s very enlightening…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GD_BKTWyTY
no wonder my brain hurts all the time
Liz,
You’re confusing two movies.
1. Billy Madison — “Knibb High football rules!”
2. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure — San Dimas is the location.
Come on.
No, “San Dimas High School Football Rules” is from Bill and Ted. Watch it again Joey.
Along highway 1 in central California, there’s a cell tower in a restored water tower for a the Point Sur Light Station on a big rock jutting into the Pacific. It’s a historical site now, and the cell people offered to pay for the rebuild of the historic water tower if they could put a transmitter in it.
we have 1 in michigan! lol
I’m betting you have more than one in Michigan
probably but ive only seen 1
WOW! How random. I’m from Santa Maria, CA and I see that last cupola EVERYTIME I drive back there. It’s right off the 101.