The next time you see the Loreto Bay skyline, there will be an extra large palm tree visible near the Loreto Bay Resort. No, it isn’t the world’s largest palm tree. It is a new cell phone tower. As of this writing, it is still being completed and is not yet online.

As you look at the photo above, you’ll see a temporary cell tower that has been in place for the last couple of years. I’m sure some aren’t happy with such a large object being placed here, but the result should be improved service for your mobile phone and the palm tree is far more attractive than the temporary tower it will replace.

Let’s go back a couple of years and learn about what is going on. There was a cell tower near the highway. When the highway was widened to four lanes, the connection to that tower was lost and there was a very weak signal in Loreto Bay. When indoors, there was no signal in most places. The solution was a Cell on Wheels which was basically a small trailer that telescoped fairly high with three antennas installed. It provided the service Loreto Bay needed, but it was an eyesore.

If you want to learn more about cell towers, check out What Is a Cell Tower and How Does a Cell Tower Work?

The new “palm tree” tower is huge. Just look at the size of the “trunk” in comparison to the worker climbing it in the photo above. Of course it has to be of a certain height so that the antennas can reach as many phones as possible.

The temporary tower only had three antennas on it. This provided a decent signal throughout the community. They have not yet installed the antennas on the new tower, but you’ll see in the photo above that there is room for 3-4 antennas on each of the three sides of the tower. Maybe they will only install a single antenna on each side (three total) right now, but at least there is room for expansion in the future. Could we get 5G service? It is certainly a possibility, even as a future upgrade.

Around the base of the tower, a wall is being erected. Note in the background of the photo above you can see part of the trailer for the temporary tower. This wall can serve two purposes. First, it can hide the base and equipment installed near the base. Second, it provides a security barrier so that unauthorized people aren’t climbing the tower.

Due to the height, there is a red light mounted above the tower so that planes know it is there. If it wasn’t for the nearly full moon in the photo above, it isn’t very obvious at night.

The new tower blends in as well as possible and it will definitely provide better service in the long run to the Loreto Bay and surrounding community.