Portable Cell Towers Provide Lifeline for Firefighters

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By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

No one would doubt the toughness of the 3,680 firefighters battling the Dixie Fire in California, which has consumed nearly 869 thousand acres so far. Nor should they doubt the toughness of the portable cell towers they are using for communications, which are made by Solaris Technologies Services.

After the fire broke out, Solaris stopped all of its outside deliveries for a time to focus on delivering portable cell towers for those fighting the fires near Greenville, CA. “Between the flames, the smoke and the soot, it is very extreme,” Nicole Vuong, Solaris marketing manager, said. “We had to ask for special clearance from the government to drive out there in Plumas National Forest to quickly set up the towers before communications were lost.”

Made of hot-dipped galvanized steel, the company’s portable cell towers are engineered for superior strength and durability that meets ANSI/ElA/TlA-222-G standards. In addition, they boast aviation-grade cabling.

“Teams of firefighters deserve best-in-class portable tower infrastructure,” Vuong said. “Our team helps emergency responders set up mobile cell sites where cell service is not available.”

Solaris Technologies Services is a manufacturing company of portable cellular towers, which are used in disaster recoveries and special events and for extended coverage in remote areas. High profile customers include the U.S. Navy and telecom providers, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Frontier Communications, as well integrators throughout the Americas.

Solaris was begun in 2010 by Evelyn Torres-Gomez, who was one of 24 honorees for Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Technology Awards earlier this year. Before striking out on her own, Torres-Gomez was an executive with Nokia for 15 years in the Latin America division, during which she was involved in deploying a 3G network in Guatemala.

Solaris’ lineup of steel portable cell towers includes a variety of sizes; the 60-foot Mini Tower supports 500 pounds; the 80-foot Quick Deploy — On Wheels also supports a 500-pound weight load; and the 106-foot, 120-foot and 150-foot Cellular-on-Wheels towers, each support a 1,100-pound weight load on the mast. A new version of the 60-ft Mini Cell-on-Wheels Tower has been introduced that includes additional safety features such as remote tower operation capabilities, a kill switch aperture and a Smittybilt 9,500-pound winch.

A 60-foot aluminum temporary tower is also offered, with ¼-inch tilt winch, strained galvanized aircraft cable and 200-pound weight capacity.

If the best product or solution is not available on the market, Solaris will engineer and build the solution needed to fit a customer’s needs. “We do customization if needed,” Vuong said. “We can make any kind of adjustments that our customers are needing, as long as it’s within the realm of staying on a trailer.”

Solaris introduced a 5G Antenna Mount in 2020, enabling the installation of up to 1,100 pounds of 5G equipment to support the increase of hops needed for 5G cellular service. Tower jack pads, anchor stones and safety locks are also available. Additionally, Solaris offers a maintenance program that includes system inspection and testing, electrical system analysis, and tower repair.

Along with providing extended wireless coverage in emergency situations, Solaris’ towers are used for WiFi solutions, security and surveillance. The company has recently expanded into two new sectors, energy companies and municipalities. “Recently, whenever we are working with our municipalities, they are using them to help schools put up networks to provide fixed wireless coverage for online learning,” Vuong said.

Not all of Solaris’ towers are operating in extreme environments. Vuong said they have units in Cancun sitting right on the beach, basking in the sun with gentle salt water breezes brushing against them. Some towers have all the luck.

For more information about Solaris Technologies Services, visit https://solaristechservices.com/.

 

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