The Importance Of Surge Protection In Telecommunications

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The unfortunate fact with regards to telecommunications is that the very aspects of the physical installation of cellular towers that provide good service are the same ones that make lightning a major threat. While lightning strikes are a threat to nearly everything during an inclement weather incident, cellular towers are especially prone to strike and damage as a result. This is because of the nature of lightning strikes, and the specific necessity of the towers to be tall and unobstructed. They are also usually in relatively remote places, at least not being located specifically within areas of significant human traffic. The cellular signal that is provided and received by your phone on the ground will vary, based upon it’s ability to communicate with the nearest tower which is functional. While it does not need to be visually unobstructed, the signal will be stronger and clearer with the fewest amount of obstructions between them. For this reason, it is generally the plan to mount cellular towers on the tops of buildings, mountains or as the tallest structure for a copious amount of surrounding space. This allows the top of the tower to be within a straight line to your phone on the ground with relatively few obstructions in between. It has been proven that this type of installation will provide the best communication between your phone and the “remote radio head” equipment at the tower top. The need to make position this equipment at the highest point in a region also makes it a direct target for lightning strikes, which take the path of least resistance to the earth. Ultimately, this means that lightning has the propensity to strike the tallest structure which is connected to the ground, in this case more often than not being the top of the tower. The lightning strike to the top will push a significant amount of electricity into the structure, which easily travels along communication and power lines from the equipment at the top to the “base station unit” and equipment at the bottom. This need for communication between the tower top and bottom will provide an added amount of damage as a result of the kind of surge provided by a lightning strike, not isolating the damage to the strike point itself. This is why surge protection equipment and devices must be installed along critical pathways in between the tower top and bottom, so as to salvage equipment that is not located at the strike point itself. Through this mitigation of the amount of equipment damaged by a lightning strike, cellular companies can not only keep prices for service lower by driving down their costs but also keep towers operational for longer periods of time. The minimization of the need for extra maintenance allows for towers that are damaged to come into service quicker, providing better service to the consumers. The result of surge protection integration is better service, lower prices and more consistent connection rates.