Cube Touted in Cell Tower Battle Gaining Ground

During last year's months-long battle over a proposed cell antenna tower at Dock Watch quarry, residents opposed to the plan offered several alternatives to the tower.

One of the proposed alternatives to T-Mobile's tower was the LightRadio Cube, a new technology developed by Bell Labs at Murray Hill. The cubes, which measure about 2½-inches on each side, can relay the signals needed for cell phones and Internety connections. Small enough to be placed on existing utility poles, the cubes require little power and can be stacked to increase broadcast distance or for multiple carriers.

While engineers testifying for T-Mobile downplayed the reliability and functionality of the cubes, the devices are gaining a big following around the world—according to an article in Wednesday's Star-Ledger, the LightRadio Cube is one of the hottest products being featured at the Mobile World Congress, underway in Barcelona, Spain.

Warren's Technical Coordinating Committee has been studying the issues around cell phone towers and alternatives to them since its launch in July.