Map or List of Cell tower locations?

[Tucsondesertguy]

Is there anywhere someone can go on the net and find out the approximate locations of the various providers' cell towers? Perhaps something you can search for by ZIP code? This would be a handy thing as reference whether one is contemplating a move to a new carrier or wants to know where he/she will get the best signal for their current provider. I assume, however, that the location of cell towers is a closely guarded secret due to security concerns, etc. Has anyone ever heard of such a map or list?

[larry]

Sprint is the only carrier I know of that has such a tool:

http://www.Sprint.com/pcsbusiness/co...towermaps.html

[Tucsondesertguy]

Sprint is the only carrier I know of that has such a tool:

http://www.Sprint.com/pcsbusiness/co...towermaps.html

Well, it looks like Sprint is using this information as a way of marketing its services to current and prospective customers!! I think it would do the other carriers good to do the same thing as I would think PLENTY of people would rather KNOW the coverage before signing a 1 or 2 year contract.

[RJB]

Wow that map is kind of cool In fact today I was going into my apartment and I noticed that I have a tower about 100 feet away from me.

[larry]

Remember that it's just a cell site apprx. location map and is not a coverage map. Some towers have 8 or 10 miles of range and some only have about 1/2 mile range. So you can't really tell how coverage will be from looking at that map.

[jrip]

http://berkana.com/

Click on tower locator, then follow instructions.

[azcellphonejunkie]

Is there anywhere someone can go on the net and find out the approximate locations of the various providers' cell towers? Perhaps something you can search for by ZIP code? This would be a handy thing as reference whether one is contemplating a move to a new carrier or wants to know where he/she will get the best signal for their current provider. I assume, however, that the location of cell towers is a closely guarded secret due to security concerns, etc. Has anyone ever heard of such a map or list?

If you go into a T-Mobile store, they have the ability to look up coverage maps that are very detailed. You can from there see how the service is at areas that you frequent (home and work for example).

[Etorres777]

Well, this doesn't have tower locations, BUT it has a way better idea of how coverage really is in a desired loaction.

http://compass.T-Mobile.com/

Username: [deleted]
Password: [deleted]

[azcellphonejunkie]

Well, this doesn't have tower locations, BUT it has a way better idea of how coverage really is in a desired loaction.

http://compass.T-Mobile.com/

Username: [deleted]
Password: [deleted]

Thanks for this info, great to have on hand!

[Etorres777]

Thanks for this info, great to have on hand!

Welcome.

[BillRadio]

There are at least ten web sites with cell site locations. We have posted the links to those sites at:
Mountain Wireless Cell Site Finder.

[Tucsondesertguy]

Great information!! From the number of towers that have come back on a search, I have to assume it does not show all of the AT&T Wireless towers (and Cingular shows nothing since it is too soon after buyout for THOSE to be noted).

[jrip]

Great information!! From the number of towers that have come back on a search, I have to assume it does not show all of the AT&T Wireless towers (and Cingular shows nothing since it is too soon after buyout for THOSE to be noted).

You wont see the vast majority of cell sites. These companys really do not want you to know where their towers are. That would be "informing" the customer. You would know right where they offer coverage. And none of the wireless carriers want you to know this. Because that would affect your decision on wich carrier you choose. Thats why their "coverage" maps are actually"rate area maps", just read the fine print at the bottom of the page.

[azcellphonejunkie]

You wont see the vast majority of cell sites. These companys really do not want you to know where their towers are. That would be "informing" the customer. You would know right where they offer coverage. And none of the wireless carriers want you to know this. Because that would affect your decision on wich carrier you choose. Thats why their "coverage" maps are actually"rate area maps", just read the fine print at the bottom of the page.

T-Mobile seems to be the most honest when it comes to showing coverage. The maps that you can get from them from the stores really show where the good and bad coverage areas are. Sprint is good too in showing where the towers are located. However, you can't get a great estimate on how the service coverage is. Like Larry said, you can only estimate how the service is going to be since some towers cover 1/2 mile, and others 20 miles.

[broadcast9]

The problem lies in both the cell companies and their advertising and in the uninformed belief by cellular phone users that phone service CAN be ubiquitous.

The only thing that many of the users on this forum should be saying is that the maps do or do not represent service well in their particular area. Global statements such as TMobiles maps are good or bad are inaccurate. And to further complicate matters, cell phone coverage is a constantly moving target depending upon capacity and weather and foiliage.

The cell phone companies in the past have certainly been to blame for this as well. Verizon use to draw 8 mile circles around every tower they owned and called that a coverage map. Clearly, this was misleading and worthless.

[hillbilly44]

Most of the tower companies like Crown Castle, American Tower, SBA, etc own and list all their towers which most carriers use, but remember alot of cell sites are not own towers but are located on roof tops, watertanks, transmission line towers or even stealth structures.

[RJB]

HEHE when it comes down to it I dont care where the towers are because the tower I use is about 100 feet from it is very nice. My grandparents actually have a tower on their property I wont say which carrier it is but it is a larger one. It has been there about 5 years now.

[azcellphonejunkie]

HEHE when it comes down to it I dont care where the towers are because the tower I use is about 100 feet from it is very nice. My grandparents actually have a tower on their property I wont say which carrier it is but it is a larger one. It has been there about 5 years now.

I'm guessing they get some sort of lease every month for this that is a very good rate! A good way to make some extra income for having property where a provider wants to place a tower!

[wgray8231]

I'm guessing they get some sort of lease every month for this that is a very good rate! A good way to make some extra income for having property where a provider wants to place a tower!

I think the providers are paying around $1000 a month for towers. My cousin is a lawyer here in Nashville and he works with VZW on getting towers put up and such.

[azcellphonejunkie]

I think the providers are paying around $1000 a month for towers. My cousin is a lawyer here in Nashville and he works with VZW on getting towers put up and such.

Seems cheap to me, I thought it would have been more like 5k or higher. Still, 1k a month isn't bad for basically doing nothing but having a tower on your land.

[RJB]

Yes I am not sure how much they make off of it. But they are very nice people and I am sure that they didnt try to soak every penny out of them.