UPDATE Last November, a fire in Lapeer, MI struck a 197-foot tower and disrupted service for Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers. Last week, a 100-foot temporary tower was constructed on the same site as the tower fire, reported the County Press.
The cause of last fall’s fire remains undetermined, but during the nighttime blaze, the tower’s base glowed orange and pink and was visible from two blocks away. Since the fire, the tower has a distinct lean to the north, causing residents to dub it the “Leaning Tower of Lapeer.”
Carriers and contractors have been working over the past few months to restore service to customers in Lapeer, St. Clair, Macomb, and Oakland counties. A few weeks ago, AT&T rolled in a mobile tower truck to aid service restoration to some customers. The new, temporary tower, constructed by Augusta Tower Technologies of Grand Rapids on behalf of Verizon, should improve service once brought online this week.
According to the Press, the tower damaged in the November fire was owned by American Tower Co. and is slated for dismantling soon. A new tower is planned for the same site, and carriers might upgrade equipment to include 5G hardware.
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