This was something we hadn’t previously heard about. First how often do you see mobile masts these days? I guess that we have become so used to them and the phone companies so ingenius at hiding them that we tend to just glance over them as if they were in a blind spot. But a few years ago when the 3G networks started to really expand it meant that the maximum size of a phone “cell” went from 35 kms down to 8 kms. To counter this the phone companies became more ingenious at hiding them, also their ideal height has decreased from  a tall 30 metres down to around 8 metres.

These quotes come from the BBC on the ingenious ways that the masts can be hidden

First a mobile phone mast on a cathedral

For instance, the support pole for the golden angel weathervane on Guildford Cathedral is actually a mobile mast and supports several antennas.

In return for using the site, which sits on a hilltop and is a coveted location, the angel was regilded.

Then a church in Edinburgh

More complicated was St Stephen’s church in Edinburgh. This houses eight mobile antennas sitting behind fibreglass panels in its belfry. The panels forming corner pillars were painted to resemble the surrounding brickwork.

How about a street sign in Westminster as a mobile phone mast

The street sign for Northumberland Avenue in Westminster is also a plastic sign hiding a few antenna.

And then what the BBC notes as the most complicted concealed phone mast.

Possibly the most complicated concealment job was done on the Town Hall clock in Hungerford in Berkshire.

Antennas are mounted at the centre of each of the four faces of the clock next to the hands.

The four faces have been renewed and the clock hands themselves have been replaced with glass-reinforced plastic versions that have been balanced to ensure the clock keeps the right time.

Anyway back to our original point before we got distracted. What we really wanted to say is that when you think about it,all the money put into these networks and that some of these masts are in lonely areas with lots of valuable copper tied up in the site then you can see how it starts to become a security risk. So it was nice to see that a small company based up in Stirling is now providing dedicated security for the mobile phone masts.