Our View: Economically, a 'unipole' is it

NO BARS UP NORTH This overhead view of Longboat shows why cell reception is so unreliable — no high antennae.
Longboat Key resident Jim Eatrides, president of Alpha-Omega Inc., specializes in connecting hospitals, municipalities with cellular-and-wireless networks.
A simulated "unipole" cell tower rises above the tree and to the right of the utility pole just north of the dentist's office on the north end.
A sample of a 150-foot unipole.
A simulated unipole was placed near the water lift station behind the Euphemia Haye restaurant. It's sticking up just left of the utility pole.
Here's what residents of Dream Island would see heading toward Gulf of Mexico Drive if a unipole were on the Longboat Island Chapel land.

Currently 1 Response

1.
The Observer keeps flip-flopping on cell towers. Now Mr. Walsh is shilling for the tower-guy again. It is not enough that Mr. Walsh is being irresponsible, he has also helped to be a part of the emotionalism. So far the taxpayers have spent $100,000 on Mr. Eatrides wealth tower.

The town has held more than 17 meeting listening to the cell tower sales people drone on and on and on, making all sorts of statements that prove to be inaccurate. Yet the commissioners keep listening, being no wiser for their time. A total of less than 10 residents have shown up for all the meeting combined. Cell phone reception is a non-issue and needs to be dropped.

Mr. Walsh should become familiar with modern LTE technology before huffing and puffing about the plight of an old technology tower that degrades the entire community. If Mr. Walsh would bother to learn about current technology he would realize that Longboat Key needs community wifi far more than a relic tower that serves only a small part of the community.
gene jaleski
Sun 14th Oct 2012
at 1:19pm