16 min readSep 27, 2016

Part 4 | Design Tips for Small Cells Based on Pole or Location Type (draft)

>> Link Back to Main Article: 10 Key Issues for California Cities & Counties on the Challenges of Small Cells & “Not So Small Cells”

DESIGN TIPS BY NEIGHBORHOOD TYPE

Think in terms of three types of tests:

a) Is this a neighborhood where the wooden utility poles have already been undergrounded (electric/TV/phone wires placed under street)? If yes, then you have more control over your public right-of-way (e.g. issues of design, equipment noise, large equipment boxes on the ground, avoiding installation of new wood poles in lieu of integrated steel designs).

b) If your City/County also happens to own the steel/concrete light poles, then that’s even better.

c) On the other hand, for areas with existing wooden utility poles, you face more of a challenge (unless your City also owns the wooden poles). While you can generally say no to brand new wood poles just for cell antennas, in more rural/exurban areas you may have to allow some new steel poles, for cell antennas, in more rural contexts. Also, given the challenges of “6409” (rules on changes to sites after they are built), you may want to really focus on avoiding having any unscreened equipment added on the ground/sidewalk; and try to keep the equipment either wholly on the pole (or spread out on a secondary pole), or undergrounded, or screened (hidden) if on the ground.

If you do allow equipment on the ground next to a pole that is not owned by the City/County, then make sure the plans clearly show the dimensions and location/footprint of the equipment area. This is important with respect to “6409” and future changes. Carriers sometimes fail to abide by the placement locations shown on plans.

TIPS FOR CITIES THAT OWN SOME EXISTING POLES OR WILL HAVE THE NEW/EXISTING POLE TRANSFERRED TO CITY OWNERSHIP

Disconnect Switch Boxes & Pole Ownership If the light poles are owned by the local investor-owned (electric utility) consider having the carrier by the pole from them to transfer it to the City/County (which reduces potential 6409 challenges since those rules would not apply).
If that is not feasible, the utility may require a disconnect switch box on the pole or ground. Sometimes the power level (“effective radiated power”) from the antenna(s) is so low that the disconnect may not actually be needed. This may allow for a better design (and one less equipment box lower on the pole where it is susceptible to graffiti).
There’s a difference between a franchise and a master license agreement. Consider an MLA for sites on existing City owned poles (Example: Link on Page 5 of this document).
In California you can’t charge for access to the right-of-way, so avoid referring to agreements as “franchises.” You can charge for attachments (antennas/equipment) to City-owned assets (poles, bus shelters, and conduit for fiber if you have it). Call it a master license agreement instead.
If attaching antennas to City owned poles or the carrier will provide the City with a pole, make sure to bring your Administrative/Risk Management group in to the conversation early. Iron out issues regarding insurance, bonding, and indemnification early on. Check examples from SFPUC/SFMTA , Laguna Niguel (OC), or NYC (DoITT).
Work with your field staff to articulate a policy on when a pole needs to be replaced. Also, some of the underground conduit (where electric and fiber wires run from the backhaul route then into the sidewalk pull box and into the pole), may be crushed. Consider spot checking sites with the carrier. Some bases may not have room to allow more fiber/power cables and may need to be replaced as well.
If you own the poles, make sure the antennas/equipment won’t physically conflict with other City installations like future Wi-Fi access points or OptiCom and other similar sensors to allow buses or ambulances to trigger traffic lights. Send a copy of the plans to various peer City agencies and ask specifically ask them to notify you if they have equipment on poles that may cause conflicts.
If you decide to request the carrier to provide strands of fiber for City use (e.g. City Wi-Fi); which wouldn’t apply for carriers like Mobilitie, using microwave backhaul (no fiber-optic cables running back to data center); make sure it actually goes somewhere. A carrier for example, agreed to provide fiber, but it turned out they weren’t going to run fiber along PG&E owned conduit to somewhere that mattered (like a splice point down the street). They were just going to provide fiber from the pole to the pull box a few feet away. This isn’t of much use.
If the City owns the light poles, try to get the carrier’s electric power circuit tied into the same fuse serving the existing streetlight. That way, your maintenance crews can easily turn off power to the cell antennas (read: no doubt of potential radio-frequency emissions exposure by your hard-working staff since they can control the circuit) when they need to change the light bulb, and you can avoid the need for a disconnect switch box (used to shut down the power to the antennas) that just adds more clutter near the bottom of the pole.
Traffic Signals. The folks who operate traffic signals may be very wary of placing antennas, cabling and equipment on traffic signals. While many of these concerns are warranted; often these poles are far better locations (e.g. wider separation between poles and residential windows). Consider whether replacement poles within separate conduit channels for traffic signals and Small Cells (i.e. avoiding crossed wires) may be viable.
Electricity to Small Cells on City-owned Poles. Talk to your maintenance workers about potential antennas on City-owned light poles. I recommend setting up the wireless system so that it is on the same fuse as the streetlight. That way there is no uncontrolled radio-frequency (e.g. “radiation”) exposure for workers, since they can just turn off the cell antenna automatically when they need to turn off the streetlight, in order to swap light bulbs (for example).
Varied Pole Ownership and Jurisdiction Issues. If needed, add maps to your website, noting areas that may require further review (State or other agency jurisdiction, habitat/wetland clearance by State/Federal agencies, aircraft zones where potentially required aircraft lighting may be an issue, pending utility undergrounding district project areas, decorative lighting upgrade plan areas, and privately-owned streets).
Ask for a mockup. Check on issues like antenna and equipment mounting brackets, cabling, decals, grounding rods, illumination, logos, stickers.
Mandate that the RF warning sticker only be placed up higher on the pole near the antenna and uses a sticker background color that is the same color as the pole. The sticker should also face out toward the street (not toward the residential window behind the pole).
Shot Clocks do not apply to City owned properties or poles.
Steel/Concrete Poles and Grounding. Make sure grounding rods don’t break through the foundation of the pole. Carriers usually want their own grounding rod (especially Verizon Wireless, due to lower Ohm tolerances) instead of tying into the ground rod used for the existing pole.

If the facility is proposed on an existing pole try to have the equipment (computers) placed behind existing guide/information signs already on the pole. In this example, one of the two computers (radio relay units) is behind the informational guide sign.

TIPS FOR SMALL CELLS ON EXISTING STEEL OR CONCRETE POLES (WHETHER OWNED BY THE CITY OR UTILITY)

If your City does NOT own the pole, try to hide/underground/abandon the disconnect switch box . If the antennas have a very low effective radiated power limit (e.g. under 150 watts), you may be able to work with the pole owner and/or electric utility to avoid the need for a disconnect switch at all.

For attachments of equipment to existing steel or concrete light poles, consider requiring the carrier to add a bracket to place any road signs on the pole (if present) in front of the equipment cabinets. See www.sf-planning.org/wireless for an example.

For attachments to existing Davit poles (pole with a rounded arm — see image below) consider requiring that the pole be replaced IF an antenna is proposed above the pole (not needed if only mRRUs are being used with an internal antenna). Otherwise you will end up with something ugly like this (Mobilitie, for Sprint, in Los Angeles, courtesy J. Kramer):

Mobilitie (likely for Sprint) installation on an Los Angeles DWP “Davit” (rounded arm) style light pole. This is a very poorly designed facility. given the exposed brackets/cabling and varying types of equipment (some of which should be under the sidewalk instead). The entire pole should have been replaced with a standard tapered light pole and the antenna radome mounted to top of the main vertical pole element.

Breakdown (J. Kramer) of a Mobilitie installation on an LA DWP standard tapered (not a Davit) concrete light pole. This is a very poorly designed facility. given the exposed brackets/cabling and varying types of equipment (some of which should be under the sidewalk instead).

Avoid cabling running up the outside of the pole.

Many concrete poles lack space inside the pole for the power and fiber cables. In San Francisco, Verizon proposed replacing the concrete pole with one made by the same manufacturer the City uses. The key differences would be a slightly wider pole and the entry holes (for cables from the two computer boxes) would be alternated depending on which “side” of the pole features existing road signs. This allows, the road signs to be placed in front of one, or both road signs, if present.

TIPS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON ATTACHMENTS OF ANTENNAS & EQUIPMENT ON/NEXT TO WOODEN UTILITY POLES

In urban and suburban areas you can likely easily say no to brand new wooden poles for Small Cells. However, in rural areas, you may have to allow some new poles. That being said, you can still require steel poles, integrated designs, and push for appropriate heights and placement locations (e.g. away from significant vistas noted in your General Plan).

Design brochure (I put together in a previous role), on design preferences for attachments (antennas/equipment) to existing wooden utility poles. The brochure assumes no equipment boxes are also on the sidewalk/ground.

Antenna placement on Wooden Poles: Antennas are typically added to wood poles as either a pole-top (antenna on top of the pole) or a side-arm mount midway up the pole in the communications zone or “comm zone”. The communications zone is the area midway up the pole where you typically see wires used for telephone, cable TV, and fiber-optic.

Equipment supporting the antennas, such as the computers (rru’s), battery back up (optional), electric meters, and a disconnect switch can either be placed on the same pole, a nearby pole, on the ground, or underground.

If a pole top antenna mount is proposed in a scenic, residential, or historic area consider requiring the entire pole to be replaced. The reason why is because the wooden extension arm holding up the antenna (“bayonet”), a few feet above the pole, can’t be made the same size and color as the pole below, so it catches your attention. As does the silver mounting brackets, above and below the bayonet that cannot be painted.

Do not accept an electric meter cabinet twice as wide as the pole. It’s uglier and more prone to graffiti. The computers are the two mRRU boxes above. They are as wide as the pole and have no ugly decals/fins (preferred). Other than the wide electric meter, the facility is fairly less-intrusive given the absence of noisy cooling fans, the use of equipment cabinets (computers) about the same width of the pole, and an antenna with skirt that appears fairly streamlined and hides the mounting bracket below the antenna. Photo Simulation by AdvanceSim for Extenet Systems.

If you can’t get wireless metering and a meter is proposed, try to get it on the pole. In addition, say no to meter cabinets twice the size of the pole. Carriers will repeatedly tell you they can’t use a slimmer cabinet. That is absolutely false. There is at least one model that PG&E and SCE will allow.

A replacement pole can taper toward the antenna for a cleaner design. Neutral host carriers will protest that the City/County is only requiring this because of pole safety concerns that are preempted by the CPUC. Ignore it. Funny thing is at the appeal hearing (when a resident raises pole safety concerns) the same carrier will often brag they are improving safety by replacing the pole……

Height. Say no to Small Cells that are too tall. Cite general plan designated significant vistas, if applicable. Consider a 45-foot height limit in single-family residential areas, and a 60-foot height limit in all others. Be aware though, that if you don’t own the pole the carrier can build the site while complying with the height limit and then likely use “6409” (there are some exceptions) to exceed the local height limit by another 10 feet (specific to public right-of-way sites). Some communities try to say the antenna can’t rise above the pole. While in rare instances the carrier can use a shorter pole with an antenna on top; this rule may result in carriers placing antennas on side-arm extensions midway up the pole; where it could impair view from bedroom windows, if homes are close to the street.

Avoid the use of side-arm mounts with an angled support beam and unscreened cables and combiners (small boxes on side-arm). See shrouded arm examples below. The conduit running up the side of the pole is flush to the pole (preferred) but is not painted to match the pole (disfavored).

On wooden utility poles antennas are either mounted on top of the pole (prior image); or a side-arm extension midway up the pole (in the communications zone or “comm zone” where telephone/cable/fiber cables are attached). The design in this image is far less intrusive than other installations with hanging panel antennas (and associated visible brackets and cables). The flanged nature of the arm hides smaller equipment boxes and provides a more seameless design. Credit: Advance Sim for Extenet Systems

Noise. Come up with noise standards, especially as they relate to sensitive receptors (residences, child care, retirement homes). Indicate this in your ordinance. For instance, indicate facilities may generate no more than 45 decibels within three feet of any residential dwelling or City park boundary, and no more than 55 decibels within ten feet of any other. Crown Castle tends to use cabinets with loud cooling fans to house Commscope ION units. It tends to be a partially shrouded box (ION) in a larger box, that is boxier than needed. If the facility does not generate noise,then ask the carrier to note that on the cover sheet of the plans (for the benefit of neighbors).

Historic Preservation. Make sure you check if sites are next to known or potential historic resources. The key metrics shouldn’t be that it is in a historic district or next to a historic building, but whether the facility would detract from primary facades (typically main faces of the building along major streets).

Pending Neighborhood Undergrounding. Say no to new aerial wires if you have a pending undergrounding district. Add this as a condition of approval.

Handicapped accessibility. Ensure a level four (4) wide path of travel (taking into account computers/meters attached to the pole near ground level) is always clearly shown on the plans when poles or equipment are added on narrow sidewalks.

Tacky Stickers. For some reason, Small Cell carrier sub-contractors have this really bad habit of adding a bunch of extra unnecessary and tacky stickers on sites. They will add multiple RF warning stickers on the electric meter at the bottom of the pole even though it doesn’t generate any significant RF emissions. Then residents will call you because they saw all those stickers and assume it must have really high RF output because it has not just one, but three separate stickers (not true).

Tell the carrier to place the sticker up near the actual antennas. Insist on this repeatedly and have it added with clear and large notes on the plans and reflected on photo simulations. You do NOT need those RF warning stickers everywhere at the bottom of the pole. If you own the pole and it is a low power system (typically under 200 watts of effective radiated power) insist on having the background color of the sticker match the pole and be no larger than 4 inches by 6 inches. Also, for all poles, require the sticker to face out directly toward the street, instead of right at the 3rd floor window, on the other side of the pole a few feet away (if applicable).

Remind carriers they do not need to add a bunch of bright and large carrier identification stickers on the pole. If they want a separate “node” identification sticker they should place it on the underside of the meter or equipment cabinet (radio head computers). For ground-mounted equipment, require (and condition) that street address labels should face away from street (unless facing a residential window/door) and consist of white reflective letters, instead of black labels with yellow lettering, for example.Simply put, if carriers want to be treated as “infrastructure” they need to get rid of the advertising, logos and decals.

No logos or brand names on pole, equipment, or lids for sidewalk vaults. No illumination. Make these conditions of approval and notes on the cover sheet and elevation sheet. Ericsson equipment has an indented impression logo. Have it filled in (or a blank sticker placed on top and then painted).Ericsson, if you are reading this, please get rid of the logo or move it to the underside.

Battery Cabinets. These are optional, though the carrier could make a sincere argument for them in more rural contexts where there are not as many existing large tower or rooftop (macro) nearby (with larger on-site battery systems and sometimes generators). These outdoor batteries tend to fail faster due to outdoor temperature fluctuations (when placed on poles). In dense urban areas try to push back, unless the batteries are undergrounded (see Oldcastle photo).

The (optional) battery backup cabinet and electric meter (left side of photo) are on a separate pole across the street from the DAS “XL” node (with antenna). TSi Power makes a battery cabinet that is longer, but slimmer (about as wide as the pole — which is preferred) and less likely to impair views as compared to bulkier (about 3 times as wide a the pole) Alpha brand cabinets typically used by carriers. The antenna and cabinet on the pole in the rear are too bulky and is missing the promised cable cover below the antenna.

The (optional) battery backup cabinet and electric meter are on a separate pole across the street from the DAS “XL” node (with antenna). TSi Power makes a battery cabinet that is longer, but slimmer (about as wide as the pole) and less likely to impair views as compared to bulkier (about 3 times as wide a the pole) Alpha cabinets typically used.

In other areas, consider requiring the use of a TSI Power (or equivalent) battery cabinet instead of a Alpha cabinet. Reason why? Because the TSI cabinet is narrower; about as wide as the pole and less likely to impair views. Have the carrier place the battery cabinet on a nearby pole (along with the electric meter if you can’t get wireless metering); though preferably on a pole not next to a bedroom window and already next to a mature tree.

There are some miniature fuel cells (for backup power) coming out, but they are bulky and may not be appropriate for pole-mounts on narrower residential streets.

Generators (preferably natural gas or fuel cell) at larger macro (e.g. rooftop) sites seem a better way to achieve resiliency. Check to see if your zoning code unduly restricts them; assuming the location is appropriate (e.g. avoiding instances where the carrier submits an over the counter building permit to place a diesel generator next to the air conditioning intake for a health clinic, a few feet away on the next building).

GPS Antennas. Ask carriers to use radome transmit antennas that have the GPS antenna built-in to them. They are made by numerous manufacturers, including Alpha and Commscope. Sometimes carriers promise the GPS antenna will be on top of the antenna (separate design) and flush to the antenna but then the contractor needlessly places it on a stick rising a foot above the pole. Make them correct it.

Pole Replacements. If your City/County has a municipal electric provider you may want to see consider working with them to replace the wood pole with a integrated steel version that still holds up electric wires. Thus far it does not appear PG&E, SCE, SDG&E are willing to allow such replacements.

Push to hide the GPS antenna. Many “transmit” antenna makers offer primary transmit antennas with the GPS built into the cap of the “transmit” antenna. If the carrier pushes back (they often do), call the antenna maker noted on the plans and ask. Carrier will yell that cities/counties can’t dictate the technology. Push back. Not all sites need a GPS antenna anyways.

Determine archeological areas of concern. For instance, are new soil disturbances of less than 10 feet exempt from further review. Note this on the application form and CEQA determination.

For attachment of equipment to existing/replacement wooden utility poles, require no more than a four (4) inch offset between the pole and the equipment and require conduit/cabling to be flush to the pole. Avoid wide gaps that make the site uglier than functionally needed. If the carrier claims that a wide gap is needed due to the location of existing climbing pegs (for example) and the rotation of equipment; then have them replace the entire pole so everything can be better aligned with a flush conduit design.

Also, if the equipment cabinets are not mounted directly onto the wood pole, make sure the mounting channel is not wider than the pole.

Example Foxtrot: Poorly designed facility in Oregon/Washington. In California the cabling running up the side of the pole (between the computers and the antenna) does NOT need to be offset from the pole. Keep an eye out for this on Extenet Systems and Crown Castle submittals (I’m not sure who built this out-of-state node). The antenna size at the top is appropriate. The equipment seems “ok” in terms of cubic size but more cluttered than needed (should be about as wide as the pole). The paint looks good on all elements. Notice the lack of an electric meter bubble (good).

More akin to a Monopole than a Small Cell. 1) A single radome antenna centered at the top of the pol should be used instead of multiple panel antennas on a stand-off arm; 2) the equipment cabinets midway up the pole are too bulky and project too far off the pole; 3) the equipment cabinets should be no further than 4 inches away from the wood pole); 4; the RF warning sticker and Crown Castle stickers should be on the underside of cabinets, with the RF sticker only near the antenna up higher on the pole; 5) It appears excess power/fiber cables were left in place

Reviewing Applications

If the design is problematic and carrier reps with government relations titles don’t seem to get it; ask them to bring the engineers with them to the meetings.
Be prepared for the government/external relations (“EA”) person trying to go over your head to the City Managers office when they do not like the answer. Funny thing is the EA person often fails to provide the full story (or contextually accurate story) to the City Manager; and it becomes a lot of wasted chatter, all to end up at the same place a few weeks later.
Try to get in the habit of taking some notes on key points during meetings. Yes it’s annoying to type during a meeting, but it is a constant frustration to work with carrier reps, and then six months later have all new carrier reps come discuss the very same project, in order to cover the very same issues, since their was no handoff between the two groups when the name brand carrier got rid of the first consultant. This happens constantly.

Technical Terms:

· DAS — Distributed Antenna Systems, also known as “oDAS” with the “o” standing for outdoors. I refer to small systems that are context appropriate as “oDAS R” and larger, typically non-appropriate systems as “oDAS XL”

· Disconnect Switch. A box akin to a circuit breaker to turn off power to the system. If the wireless facility can run off the same circuit as the street light, you may be able to avoid the need for this box (preferred). If the disconnect is needed consider: a) placing it in a watertight enclosure under the sidewalk

GPS Antenna. An antenna (the size of a grapefruit) used for precise timing of cell sites. Not needed for all Small Cells, but check to see if proposed. Some companies like Commscope or Alpha Wireless make main transmit antennas with a built-in GPS antenna (better design).

· Radio Relay Unit (RRU) or Radio Relay Head (RRH). These are the computers that take fiber optic cables (or signal from the microwave backhaul unit) and send power and signal over coaxial cables to the transmitting antenna. Your cell phone talks to the transmit antenna. The signal goes into the radio head unit then goes back to the carrier’s data center a few miles away by either fiber-optic (glass cables that carry data much faster than copper) cables (underground or strung up on wood poles) or via microwave. The data center may either be the telephone company switch building in town, or a larger rooftop or tower site for the same carrier nearby. Also referred to as an mRRU by Ericsson (equipment maker).