Cell phone sites and AM radio stations have been viewed by many as unable to function from the same tower. That is not true, our RF engineering team has collocated many cell sites on AM radio towers over the past 30 years. Our company, Tower Engineering Professionals, now branded as TEP, is headquartered in Raleigh. I reside in the Greenville, North Carolina area. Though the KOTV news I read today speaks about Cherokees in Oklahoma and TEP operates throughout the U.S., my thoughts were directed to North Carolina.
The federal government is trying to extend broadband service to rural areas of the U.S. A good use of the money that is being appropriated would be to combine those new fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband systems with existing or new AM radio stations. Using an existing AM tower for FWA broadband makes use of an existing resource, saving the expense of building a new tower. That also helps the existing AM station as many local rural AM stations are having a difficult time financially. Collocating broadband systems on AM is a win-win for all. The broadband carrier or ISP doesn’t have to build a tower, the AM station receives some rental income, and the listeners get to continue to enjoy local radio. AM radio is where they hear about important local news, emergency notifications, and things such as local school events, and what days the farmers market is open.
Combining new FWA broadband systems and new AM radio is also cost-effective. Two systems for the price of one tower.
AM collocation is possible. It’s actually very effective and affordable.
Signed,
Mike Britner
Raleigh, N.C.
