PLDT Inc. is amplifying its network rollout by deploying lightweight carbon fiber cellular site towers. The telecom’s first carbon fiber tower recently went up in Quezon City, Philippines. GMA News Online reported that the company’s wireless unit, Smart Communications Inc., expressed the benefits of carbon fiber towers.
“The deployment of carbon fiber towers will support our LTE and 5G rollout, especially in metro areas where the demand for LTE network expansion and new 5G rollouts require lighter tower solutions that can carry equipment to serve at full capacity,” said Mario Tamayo, senior vice president and head of Technology at PLDT-Smart.
In a release, PLDT-Smart noted the carbon fiber towers are 10 times lighter than steel towers, making them easier to transport and install. The towers are also expected to be light enough for installation on buildings (i.e., rooftops and coastal sites) and compliant with the National Building Code. In addition, the tower materials are non-corrosive and require almost no maintenance, which helps with disaster resilience.
Meinardo Opiana, head of Transport Network & Support Facilities Planning & Engineering at Smart, said of the carbon fiber towers, “Their non-corrosive nature, coupled with their ability to withstand strong winds, makes them ideal for coastal municipalities, where strong typhoons are now more common because of climate change. Their lightweight material, on the other hand, reduces the potential hazards of structural overload for rooftop towers that are already burdened by huge antennas and new tech rollout.”
GMA News Online reported the carbon fiber towers are also more eco-friendly. The tower manufacturing process emits up to 70 percent less carbon dioxide than steel and occupies less land area, according to PLDT-Smart.
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