Buildout in LA... like, woah.

Wow! Thanks for that great write up ZaphodB! That must have taken you a while to look through all those meetings and organize that info. I did the same thing back in 2001 and Sprint was the one who had the most applications then. It seems AT&T is expanding the most this year. You're right about it taking approx. 6 months to build a site under normal circumstances. But let's say the site was approved by the zoning admin. but then appealed by NIMBY'S to the board of Zoning appeals, regional planning commissions, and in rare instances even the LA city council. It might take many additional months/years to finally get approved or denied. Even if the sites are approved the carrier might decide not to build the site after all because of changes in build out plans, leasing problems, high costs, etc. But my guess is that most of these sites will be built sooner or later. I'm really hoping that Sprint was able to pull off a few sites in those extremely tough areas. I know that some have probably been denied.

 

Wow ZaphodB! I can't thank you enough for your time. As someone who lives in the troubled Silver Lake area, I appreciate your work greatly. As of now, Verizon is the ONLY carrier I can get at my house. But hopefully that will soon change...

 

Wow, great research ZaphodB. I'm sorry to see that AT&T is not building in Santa Monica where they have huge dead zones. As you and others have pointed out, it's probably the NIMBY mentality.

If you have the time and inclination, how about the same research for San Francisco area?

 

The sites that ZaphodB listed are ONLY those in the city of LA itself. They do not include Santa Monica.

 

Ah... true.

 

Nice work!

Wish Nextel had more sites, not that I care about the west coast being on the east coast, but I hope they are still building out their Network. Tim Donahue on Squak Box said that "coverage is not a problem.....we have built out the network....... new vocoders to improve capacity, blah blah blah". Wondering if he was just trying to appease stock holders concerns about future capex. Some permits here have/ and are about to expire after 12 months without new sites being built.

Question: When mentioning Nextel "sharing" a site with Sprint, I am assuming you mean co-location, Correct?

 

Issues in Santa Monica are due to their local government and NIMBY. Its tough for everyone.

 

dandydon i know this is off topic but where did you find that avatar (the java inside one) i'd like to find a higher resolution one so i can use it for something

 

So, this is why the NIMBY's get all up in arms....the property value will decrease?

Also, would they be so quick to say NO NO NO if they NEEDED a tower because their phone wouldnt pick up a signal in front of the fireplace?

I am sure that research of yours took a lot of time Zap; thanks so much!

 

Wonderful job ZaphodB!!! I really appreciate the information you have provided. I don't think the general public understands the complexity of getting a cell tower built.

 

Not only do some of us not know the complexities of getting one built, some of us wouldnt know what one looked like even if we were standing in front of it.
Thanks again Larry for the picture you sent me.

 

Santa Monica and Thousand Oaks is by far one of the most difficult jursdications to work with in the LA area...I had a project in Santa Monica that is still languishing since 1999!!!! The ZA approved the project but the ARB (architectural review board) didn't like the installation..."popsicle sticks" on a 27' single story building...best design. Anyway...it's still going...it's not only NIMBY'ism but city government that slows site development.

 

hehe. i have the same pic except it is the INTEL INSIDE logo with the IDIOT OUTSIDE underneath. I cropped it and sent it to my phone as wallpaper. This replaced my last one which was just the plain EVIL INSIDE logo that has been out for a bit. but since these phones run java nowadays I liked dannydons! yes I am one of those fools that customizes their phones (though not with flashing lights and disco balls but just wallpaper and some ringers. my favourite being my MR. T 'pity the foo' tirade)

oh and to put something on topic so I dont get in trouble ....thanks for the indepth report on cell sites

 

Yep Santa Monica is terrible. They denied a joint Sprint/Nextel application to build a site on Lincoln Blvd. last year. I believe Thousand Oaks also denied a proposal from Sprint and Cingular to locate at a water tank earlier this year. What a shame.

 

Listening to Nextel's confernce call today, it makes a little more sense as to why they aren't aggressively putting up new sites. (Indicate 12) With software enhancements turning the Network from 3:1 to 6:1 coupled with new vocoders in the new falcon handsets they should be able to double capacity as well make the network more efficient. They said 40% of the sites in 2000 were capacity sites, instead of quality sites, and that most users didn't notice much of an improvement if any. Waste of $$$

Actually the pic was made for a wallpaper on an i95cl, uploaded from idencentral.com or somewhere, can't remeber. I used it as a pic when powering up the phone (replaces the T9 image), and made it for a wallpaper. I don't do the flashing lights, antenna's and all.... I do like loading .jad and .jar files for JAVA programs though and putting in any midi file found on line as a ringer.

 

Found two more Sprint sites under construction today! Another clock tower at Beach Blvd. & La Mirada in Buena Park and a palm tree site at the 60 Frwy & Indiana St. in the LA/Boyle Heights area. Sprint is really on an end of the year roll! 30 new sites coming on in LA/OC in the next two months!

 

Hey Larry... got a ques for you (or anyone else who can answer.. "foofighter...got your ears on? ")

A Microcell was put up on the street Village Center drive near my g/f's house... it's right behind the ralphs shopping ctr on Garden Grove & Beach right in front of Crosspointe Village (the condo complex). If you are going south on Beach, right right on Village Ctr, it'll be on the right hand side on a light pole as you pass Red Robin...

Any idea whose that is?

 

Interesting. I'll have to try and get over there soon and look for it. I tried again to find the other microcell you said was on Bake near the Toyota dealer but came up empty again. Weird huh?

 

Hmmm... it's lightpole-mounted :-\ oh well..

 

Checked every light pole in the area. No cellular equipment on any.

 

larry come to jersey for a few weeks. Ill arm you with a 5300 phone. track me down some sites and send me the pictures!

 

It's a light pole as your driving down Bake from Irv. Ctr. Drv. It'll be on your right hand side.... the last light pole before you get on the 5 south...

 

Yep that's where I was looking. Next time I'm going to actually park and get out of my car and walk over there.

 

hehe...you crack me up larry

tell ya what.. .i'll take my intel cam out there tomorrow and post a pic of it.

 

Sounds good. Thanks. I'm thinking it might be a Sprint site because I get a full signal there but can't locate any Sprint antennas near by. I can usually spot these things so easily so it's a mystery to me why I can't seem to find it. Even foofighter said he looked and couldn't find it either.

 

Will do! providing it doesn't rain tomorrow...

The one I'm growing ever-more curious about is the one by my g/f's house....on Village Ctr. Larry...in your infinite wireless wisdom...how do you find out whose cell or even microcell it is? I'm thinking FCC but can't find anything...

the one on bake...i get full signal there too, but i believe there's another micro down on the corner of research & hubble...so that too may be either sprint or cingie/T-mobile...

 

No they wouldn't be filed with the FCC. That's only for 200 FT + towers. I can tell by looking at the equipment boxes/cabinets on regular sites but micro cells might be more difficult. I'll probably be able to tell but I'd have to see it in person.

 

if the rain lets up today, i'll take a pic on my lunch break...otherwise It'll have to wait until monday. I'll see if i can get a pic of the one by my g/f's house over the weekend.

how can you tell? they don't seem to be labled...they all look the same