Dave.Tankersley's blog

Cell site decom/removal can present multiple challenges.  Of course cell sites are required to be built in strategic areas to provide the best possible service.   These areas can include mountain tops, remote desert regions, rooftops and many other stretches of land that most travelers do not encounter.  Access to these areas can sometimes be very difficult and require additional planning and research. 

Associated Tele-Networking, Inc. (ATNI) recently completed a rooftop removal of cell site cabinets that required the use of a helicopter.  As simple and efficient as the removal appears, see video, the planning for the 10 minute event required several months.  Once the site visit revealed the only means to remove these cabinets would be via helicopter, the research began.  

The site was a 24 story building that was beachside on the Florida coast.  To remove the cabinets would require several pieces to be in place prior to the arrival of the helicopter.  Crowd control would be required as well as securing a 100 foot radius to land the equipment.  The top two stories of the high rise would have to be vacated and roads would need to be blockaded.  An FAA permit would also be required to secure the air space.  With the help of Midwest  Helicopter Airways, the removal was a success.