The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for the oversight and licensing of Telecommunications Antenna Structures. These structures support antennas which transmit and/or receive radio energy. The FCC requires antenna structures to be licensed and registered per title 47 if the structures interfere with FAA flight paths.
There are 23 Antenna Structures types identified by the FCC for Cell Tower and Antenna sites as identified in the below examples:
![9210 Katella Ave Garden Grove Ca Img 4810 8 Largehighdefinition | Wireless Equity Group 9210 Katella Ave Garden Grove CA IMG 4810 8 LargeHighDefinition | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/9210-Katella-Ave-Garden-Grove-CA-IMG-4810-8-LargeHighDefinition-768x1024.jpg)
![Postal Code10.5 Screenshot 2022 11 03 | Wireless Equity Group Postal Code10.5 Screenshot 2022 11 03 | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Postal-Code10.5-Screenshot-2022-11-03.png)
![Screenshot 2022 07 14 085923 | Wireless Equity Group Screenshot 2022 07 14 085923 | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-07-14-085923.png)
Contents
Federal Communications Commission Antenna Structure Types
- B – Building
- BANT – Building with Antenna on Top
- BMAST – Building with Mast
- BPIPE – Building with Pipe
- BPOLE – Building with Pole
- BRIDG – Bridge
- BTWR – Building with Tower
- GTOWER – Guyed Structure Used For Communication Purposes
- LTOWER – Lattice Tower
- MAST – Mast
- MTOWER – Monopole
- NNGTANN – Guyed Tower Array
- NNLTANN – Lattice Tower Array
- NNMTANN – Monopole Array
- PIPE – Any type of Pipe
- POLE – Any type of Pole
- RIG – Oil or Other Type of Rig
- SIGN – Any type of Sign or Billboard
- SILO – Any type of Silo
- STACK – Smoke Stack
- TANK – Any type of Tank (water, gas, etc.)
- TREE – When used as a support for an antenna
- UPOLE – Utility Pole/Tower used to provide service
Example Cell Tower and Radio Antenna Structure Types
![Buildings And Antenna At Paulista Avenue Sao Paulo Brazil | Wireless Equity Group Cell Tower Property Values Buildings and Antenna at Paulista Avenue - Sao Paulo, Brazil](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/buildings-and-antenna-at-paulista-avenue-sao-paulo-brazil-1024x682.jpg)
B – Building
![Rooftop Antenna | Wireless Equity Group Telecom Antenna Structure Types - Rooftop Antenna](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Rooftop-Antenna-1024x767.jpg)
BANT – Building with Antenna on Top
![Fukuoka Japan Skyline | Wireless Equity Group Fukuoka, Japan Skyline](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fukuoka-japan-skyline-1024x684.jpg)
BMAST – Building with Mast
![Tv Antenna On The Roof Of A Multi Story Building | Wireless Equity Group TV antenna on the roof of a multi-story building](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tv-antenna-on-the-roof-of-a-multi-story-building-1024x680.jpg)
BPIPE – Building with Pipe
![Building With Pole Antenna | Wireless Equity Group building with pole antenna | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/building-with-pole-antenna.jpg)
BPOLE – Building with Pole
![Brooklyn Bridge Sunrise New York City | Wireless Equity Group Brooklyn Bridge Sunrise, New York City.](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/brooklyn-bridge-sunrise-new-york-city--1024x681.jpg)
BRIDG – Bridge
![Mobile Network Cell Tower On Roof Of Building In City | Wireless Equity Group Mobile network cell tower on roof of building in city.](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mobile-network-cell-tower-on-roof-of-building-in-city--1024x682.jpg)
BTWR – Building with Tower
![Low Angle View Of Antenna Tower Against A Blue Sky 5G Network Cell Tower | Wireless Equity Group terminate a cell tower lease](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/low-angle-view-of-antenna-tower-against-a-blue-sky-5g-network-cell-tower--1024x682.jpg)
GTOWER – Guyed Structure Used For Communication Purposes
![Tele Radio Tower | Wireless Equity Group Tower Capital](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/tele-radio-tower-1024x678.jpg)
LTOWER – Lattice Tower
![Minimalistic Photo Of Antenna Clouds And Sky | Wireless Equity Group Minimalistic photo of antenna, clouds and sky](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/minimalistic-photo-of-antenna-clouds-and-sky-1024x682.jpg)
MAST – Mast
![4G 5G Antenna Background Blue Broadcast Broadcasting Business Cell Cellular Communication Connection T20 Yn7Mve | Wireless Equity Group Cell Tower Companies](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/4g-5g-antenna-background-blue-broadcast-broadcasting-business-cell-cellular-communication-connection_t20_YN7mVE-1024x768.jpg)
MTOWER – Monopole
![Communications Tower 3 | Wireless Equity Group Communications Tower](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/communications-tower-3-682x1024.jpg)
NNGTANN – Guyed Tower Array
![Communication Tower At Sunset | Wireless Equity Group buy cell towers](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/communication-tower-at-sunset-1024x682.jpg)
NNLTANN – Lattice Tower Array
![Monopole Array Antenna | Wireless Equity Group monopole array antenna | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/monopole-array-antenna-683x1024.jpg)
NNMTANN – Monopole Array
![Antenna On Pipe | Wireless Equity Group antenna on pipe | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/antenna-on-pipe-1024x685.jpg)
PIPE – Any type of Pipe
![Antenna For Mobile Telephony Seen Against The Light | Wireless Equity Group Antenna for mobile telephony seen against the light](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/antenna-for-mobile-telephony-seen-against-the-light-1024x682.jpg)
POLE – Any type of Pole
![Oil Rig Aerial | Wireless Equity Group Oil Rig Aerial](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/oil-rig-aerial-1024x682.jpg)
RIG – Oil or Other Type of Rig
![Blank Billboard Against Sky Billboard Large Blank Billboard With Empty Screen And Beautiful Sky | Wireless Equity Group Blank billboard against sky. Billboard - Large Blank Billboard with empty screen and beautiful sky](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/blank-billboard-against-sky-billboard-large-blank-billboard-with-empty-screen-and-beautiful-sky-1024x684.jpg)
SIGN – Any type of Sign or Billboard
![Silos On The Farm In Countryside | Wireless Equity Group Silos on the farm in countryside](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/silos-on-the-farm-in-countryside-1024x768.jpg)
SILO – Any type of Silo
![Antenna On Smokestack | Wireless Equity Group antenna on smokestack | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/antenna-on-smokestack-792x1024.jpg)
STACK – Smoke Stack
![Rooftop Building Old Wall Tower Metal 1087323 Pxhere.com | Wireless Equity Group Water Tower Antenna](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/rooftop-building-old-wall-tower-metal-1087323-pxhere.com_-1024x683.jpg)
TANK – Any type of Tank (water, gas, etc.)
![Screenshot 2022 02 03 105718 | Wireless Equity Group Screenshot 2022 02 03 105718 | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-02-03-105718.png)
TREE – When used as a support for an antenna
![Utility Tower Screenshot | Wireless Equity Group Utility tower screenshot | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Utility-tower-screenshot.png)
UPOLE – Utility Pole/Tower used to provide service
Additional Telecom Industry Antenna Structure Type Classifications
Although the above referenced categories are used by the government licensing authority, there are additional classifications the telecommunication industry uses to categorize a cell tower or antenna structure.
- Collocation – Multiple tenants on one structure
- Ground space – attached on the ground
- Interior Space – inside a building
- Outdoor Cabinet – covered outdoor structure
- Paging Tower
- Rooftop
- Stealth tower – hidden structure
- Tunnel
Example Telecom Antenna Structure Type Classifications
![Communications Tower | Wireless Equity Group communications tower](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/communications-tower-681x1024.jpg)
Collocation
![9210 Katella Ave Garden Grove Ca Img 4810 8 Largehighdefinition | Wireless Equity Group 9210 Katella Ave Garden Grove CA IMG 4810 8 LargeHighDefinition | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/9210-Katella-Ave-Garden-Grove-CA-IMG-4810-8-LargeHighDefinition-768x1024.jpg)
Ground space
![Screenshot 2022 09 08 175716 | Wireless Equity Group Screenshot 2022 09 08 175716 | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-08-175716.jpg)
Interior Space Only
![Postal Code10.5 Equipment Pic | Wireless Equity Group Postal Code10.5 equipment pic | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Postal-Code10.5-equipment-pic-1024x694.png)
Outdoor Cabinet
![Paging Tower | Wireless Equity Group paging tower | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/paging-tower-768x1024.jpg)
Paging Tower
![Rooftop Antenna | Wireless Equity Group Telecom Antenna Structure Types - Rooftop Antenna](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Rooftop-Antenna-1024x767.jpg)
Rooftop
![Origin 2 | Wireless Equity Group origin 2 | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/origin-2.jpg)
Stealth tower
![Tunnel Antenna | Wireless Equity Group tunnel antenna | Wireless Equity Group](https://wirelessequity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tunnel-antenna-1024x768.jpg)
Tunnel
Antenna structures requiring notification to the FAA.
(see title 47 section 17 for latest version)
A notification to the FAA is required, except as set forth in paragraph (e) of this section, for any of the following construction or alteration:
- (a) Any construction or alteration of more than 60.96 meters (200 feet) in height above ground level at its site.
- (b) Any construction or alteration that exceeds an imaginary surface extending outward and upward at any of the following slopes:
-
- (1) 100 to 1 for a horizontal distance of 6.10 kilometers (20,000 feet) from the nearest point of the nearest runway of each airport described in paragraph (d) of this section with its longest runway more than 0.98 kilometers (3,200 feet) in actual length, excluding heliports.
- (2) 50 to 1 for a horizontal distance of 3.05 kilometers (10,000 feet) from the nearest point of the nearest runway of each airport described in paragraph (d) of this section with its longest runway no more than 0.98 kilometers (3,200 feet) in actual length, excluding heliports.
- (3) 25 to 1 for a horizontal distance of 1.52 kilometers (5,000 feet) from the nearest point of the nearest landing and takeoff area of each heliport described in paragraph (d) of this section.
- (c) When requested by the FAA, any construction or alteration that would be in an instrument approach area (defined in the FAA standards governing instrument approach procedures) and available information indicates it might exceed an obstruction standard of the FAA.
- (d) Any construction or alteration on any of the following airports and heliports:
-
- (1) A public use airport listed in the Airport/Facility Directory, Alaska Supplement, or Pacific Chart Supplement of the U.S. Government Flight Information Publications;
- (2) A military airport under construction, or an airport under construction that will be available for public use;
- (3) An airport operated by a Federal agency or the United States Department of Defense.
- (4) An airport or heliport with at least one FAA-approved instrument approach procedure.
- (e) A notification to the FAA is not required for any of the following construction or alteration:
-
- (1) Any object that will be shielded by existing structures of a permanent and substantial nature or by natural terrain or topographic features of equal or greater height, and will be located in the congested area of a city, town, or settlement where the shielded structure will not adversely affect safety in air navigation;
- (2) Any air navigation facility, airport visual approach or landing aid, aircraft arresting device, or meteorological device meeting FAA-approved siting criteria or an appropriate military service siting criteria on military airports, the location and height of which are fixed by its functional purpose;
- (3) Any antenna structure of 6.10 meters (20 feet) or less in height, except one that would increase the height of another antenna structure.
Searching Cell Towers by Antenna Structure Type
If you’re looking for cell towers or radio antennas, there are just a few ways to search telecom antenna structures.