AT&T Will Research Alternatives to Cell Phone Towers

Written by Mike Deak

Something big may come out of a tiny building at AT&T.

The Bedminster Land Use Board recently gave approval for a 350-square foot prefabricated building to be placed at the edge of a parking lot at the AT&T campus. That’s smaller than most one-bedroom apartments.

Three poles, about 22 feet high, will also be installed by the parking lot about 500 feet from the building.

The building and poles will be used in research that AT&T that will be conducting, research that could potentially lead to the elimination of cell towers, which could be welcome news to Central Jersey residents who have fought against the construction of those towers.

Joseph Russo, an AT&T representative, told the board that the corporation is exploring the possibility of placing cell transmitters and repeaters on normal utility poles. The research is also being done at an AT&T facility in Florham Park, he said.

”A number of these poles could replace one large tower,” he said.

Experimental radio waves will be transmitted between a main building on the AT&T campus, the poles and the small building, he said. None of the waves will reach beyond the 197-acre corporate campus between routes 287 and 202-206.

The Federal Communication Commission will regulate the radio waves, Russo said.

Robert Moschello, the project engineer, said the prefabricated building, which is now at an AT&T facility in Chantilly, Va., will be placed on a concrete pad and will be on the site for 5 to 10 years. Because the building will contain mostly technical equipment, no plumbing will be installed, he said.

The project may remind many Warren residents of the distributed antenna system touted by opponents of a cell tower proposed for county land west of Dock Watch Hollow Road. Ultimately, T-Mobile's request was denied.