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:
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 35 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1.jpg)
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 36 2](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2.png)
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 37 3](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/3.png)
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
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 38 4](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/4.jpg)
B – Building
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 39 Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/5.jpg)
BANT – Building with Antenna on Top
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 40 6](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6.jpg)
BMAST – Building with Mast
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 41 7](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/7.jpg)
BPIPE – Building with Pipe
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 42 8](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/8.jpg)
BPOLE – Building with Pole
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 43 9](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9.jpg)
BRIDG – Bridge
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 44 10](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/10.jpg)
BTWR – Building with Tower
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 45 11](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/11.jpg)
GTOWER – Guyed Structure Used For Communication Purposes
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 46 12](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/12.jpg)
LTOWER – Lattice Tower
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 47 13](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/13.jpg)
MAST – Mast
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 48 14](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/14.jpg)
MTOWER – Monopole
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 49 15](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/15.jpg)
NNGTANN – Guyed Tower Array
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 50 16](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/16.jpg)
NNLTANN – Lattice Tower Array
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 51 17](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/17.jpg)
NNMTANN – Monopole Array
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 52 18 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/18-1.jpg)
PIPE – Any type of Pipe
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 53 19 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/19-1.jpg)
POLE – Any type of Pole
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 54 20 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20-1.jpg)
RIG – Oil or Other Type of Rig
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 55 21 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/21-1.jpg)
SIGN – Any type of Sign or Billboard
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 56 22 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/22-1.jpg)
SILO – Any type of Silo
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 57 23 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/23-1.jpg)
STACK – Smoke Stack
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 58 24 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/24-1.jpg)
TANK – Any type of Tank (water, gas, etc.)
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 59 25 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/25-1.png)
TREE – When used as a support for an antenna
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 60 26 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/26-1.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
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 61 27](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/27.jpg)
Collocation
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 62 28](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/28.jpg)
Ground space
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 63 29](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/29.jpg)
Interior Space Only
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 64 30](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/30.png)
Outdoor Cabinet
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 65 31](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/31.jpg)
Paging Tower
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 66 32](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/32.jpg)
Rooftop
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 67 33 1](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/33-1.jpg)
Stealth tower
![Wireless (Cell Tower) Antenna Structure Types 68 34](https://sitebid.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/34.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.
Cell Tower Site Directory
FCC Antenna Registration Search