Portable Towers Revolutionize Safety and Communications Concerns
Portable towers are becoming increasingly relevant for organizations in the private and public sectors. Recent applications of tower technology have increased border security, prevented crime, protected property, and restored vital communications in areas severely impacted by natural disasters.
1. Portable Cell Towers Restore Comms After Hurricane Ian
Natural disasters can damage or even topple cell towers. Without cell coverage, it is difficult to communicate and coordinate response efforts with rescue personnel or for families trying to reach loved ones. With portable cell towers, cell coverage can be restored quickly to an area to assist response efforts. After Hurricane Ian, for instance, cell carriers deployed 100 cell towers within two days of the disaster. Read more about how cell carriers prepared for and responded to Hurricane Ian.
Tower Solutions engineers towers to assist with cellular, broadband, radio, and microwave communication. Our communication towers withstand extreme weather conditions and provide an undegraded signal through tower stability. They are particularly valuable to disaster relief efforts because of their mobility and rapid deployment.
Portable cell towers are increasing in popularity for applications outside of disaster relief as well. Organizers of Lollapalooza, a music festival in Chicago, deployed nine temporary cell towers for the event. Portable cell towers can easily establish temporary communication channels at fairs, concerts, construction sites, private networks, and military bases. Tower Solutions makes the job of establishing temporary towers simple—in minutes, one person can raise a tower with the push of a button saving on time and associated labor costs.
2. Autonomous Surveillance Towers Protect the Border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection deployed 15 autonomous surveillance towers (ASTs) along the U.S. border for remote surveillance. The towers are mobile, rapidly deployable, and powered by solar energy. With these capabilities, the ASTs can be positioned anywhere for extended periods of time and will alert agents when motion is detected. By scanning the open land along the borders of West Texas and New Mexico, the ASTs help the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol detect persons entering West Texas and New Mexico illegally. Read more about ASTs on the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol website.
Tower Solutions has worked with AI defense companies to help support their AI surveillance technology. Our self-erecting towers are ideal for elevated AI surveillance. They can govern themselves, relay information from a distance, and support Edge AI and machine learning hardware. We are excited to see this advancement in elevated AI surveillance and to be a part of the latest defense technology.
3. CCTV Towers are Used for Overt Security
Another growing trend is the use of mobile security towers in urban areas. Retail, construction, and law enforcement have started using CCTV towers as a crime deterrent through overt security. The trailer-mounted CCTV towers are positioned outside in plain sight. According to the Security Industry Association, deterrence-based security is the biggest advantage of these CCTV towers. They maintain an omnipresence over parking lots or public events with multiple cameras and lights attached.
The PTX-100 from Tower Solutions can enable wide-range 24-hour CCTV surveillance through its optional solar panels, batteries, height, and portability. The PTX-100 is available with a 50 ft mast or 80 ft mast and can lift upwards of 2,000 lbs. in five minutes or less. It can support CCTV equipment, see over obstacles, and be rapidly repositioned.
4. Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) Towers
Towers also play a critical role in Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS). CUAS is a growing industry, as small unmanned aircraft like drones become an increasing threat. The Marine Corps has started to field towers equipped with radar systems, optical sensors, and radio frequency detection systems, called Installation-Counter small Unmanned Aircraft (I-CsUAS), to detect, track, identify, and defeat small unmanned aircraft. The I-CsUAS analyzes sensor data faster and more accurately than a human operator with machine learning and artificial intelligence. Read more about the Installation-Counter small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (I-CsUAS) here.
Tower Solutions supplied towers to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Marine Corps, and The US Secret Service to raise CUAS and surveillance systems like the I-CsUAS. We engineer surveillance towers to enhance equipment like radar, EO/IR surveillance, RF Detectors and jammers, and communication equipment. For instance, Tower Solutions’ STS-12 tower is designed for silent mobile surveillance. The STS-12 is mounted on a truck, takes two minutes to deploy, and can be lifted without leaving the cab of the vehicle. It can be outfitted with automatic leveling, automatic payload retracting for transport storage and offers sensor integration, communication, power operational availability, and stability in all conditions. Learn more about our CUAS capabilities here.
Uses for Portable Towers Continue to Grow
At Tower Solutions, our goal is to provide the most efficient and capable towers on the market. New applications are always being developed for portable towers, and their role in communication and surveillance continues to grow. If you need a portable tower regardless of application, Tower Solutions can engineer a solution. Call or email us today and talk with an expert who will walk you through choosing and customizing the perfect product for your needs.