From 4G to 5G and Beyond: How Your Tower Choice Today Affects Tomorrow's Network Upgrades
The telecommunications landscape is defined by relentless evolution. The transition from 4G to 5G is not an endpoint but a milestone in a continuous cycle of technological advancement, promising future iterations like 5G-Advanced and 6G. In this context, the most critical—and often most permanent—decision a network planner makes is the selection of the physical support structure: the tower. A tower is not just a passive piece of steel; it is the foundational platform upon which all current and future network capabilities are built. Choosing a tower based solely on today's requirements is a strategic misstep that can lead to exorbitant costs and crippling limitations tomorrow. True foresight lies in selecting a structure with inherent "future-proofing" capability—the strength, space, and flexibility to gracefully accommodate the unknown demands of next-generation networks. This analysis examines how the fundamental choice between common tower types— monopoles , 3-legged l...