AT&T’s lack of adequate coverage has been the focus of a myriad of jokes since the iPhone 4 debuted and the carrier’s network struggled from the load. The wireless carrier has spent the ensuing years trying to beef up its network, especially in population dense urban areas. Just last year, AT&T spent millions to upgrade its service in New York City and blanket the city in adequate 3G coverage.
One stumbling block for the wireless carrier is the lack of space to place a new tower. Rather than battle citizens and businesses that don’t want a cell phone tower in their back yard, AT&T has been installing stealth towers that are hidden from obvious view. One such tower was recently installed in the Federal Hill section of Baltimore, Maryland. In this installation, the stealth tower was hidden inside the church steeple of Holy Cross Catholic church. The wiring and the cellular hardware are nestled within the towering steeple and it is so cleverly hidden you would not even know it was there.
Father Patrick Carrion of Holy Cross Church says this about the new tower, “Parishes struggle financially and AT&T has been very cooperative and collaborative in helping us preserve our church, keep it open without disturbing any of the architectural structure or the sacredness of it.” This arrangement is a win-win situation for the Catholic church and the wireless carrier. AT&T gets an easy to install cell tower and the church receives a steady stream of revenue from leasing it space to AT&T. The carrier has a similar arrangement at The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen on Charles Street in Baltimore.
[Via Mobility Digest and CBS Baltimore]