Powerful protection for telecommunication towers
Solutions to combat transient voltage within cell towers and the wireless industry
5G, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving – the way we and our electronics communicate is rapidly changing. The wireless infrastructure that supported old-school telecommunication technologies has evolved over the years to accommodate these innovations and expand network coverage.
Unfortunately, regulations and standards surrounding transient voltage protection haven’t kept up. This means that your telecommunications towers and connected electrical systems are at the mercy of harmful transients, from sudden surges to indirect and direct lightning strikes.
It only takes a split second for an electrical event to compromise your transmission capacities and network availability, hindering your ability to keep up with the constant demand and expansion of telecommunications structures.
As an international engineering firm, DEHN is committed to keeping the channel clear when it comes to implementing effective transient voltage protection. We’ve seen how proactive protection measures can save your most vulnerable telecom systems from electrical damage.
Before we develop a customized plan for your system, we’ll conduct a tailored risk assessment to inform you of the existing risks to your specific systems. Contact DEHN to schedule an assessment today.
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Is your telecommunication infrastructure and network coverage at risk?
If your towers and cell sites don’t have lightning protection, grounding systems, surge protection devices, and other transient voltage protection solutions, then yes – your systems will be damaged when an electrical event occurs.
Cell sites and other telecom tower types – including lattice towers, stealth towers, and guyed towers – are highly susceptible to external transient voltage, such as a lightning strike, as they support antennas and other telecom equipment and are typically installed in exposed, open outdoor areas. Similar infrastructure like rooftop sites, are also more vulnerable because of their elevated position.
Damage can also come from internal transient voltage, like surges and overvoltage from your own internal electrical components or the power grid. Employees, installers, and service technicians in the vicinity of towers can be seriously injured even in an indirect lightning strike.
From outages to restricted service, physical and electrical damage from one of these threats could hurt your customers and reputation. If you need to repair and replace antennas, remote radio units, base stations, and other wireless power supply systems, you also may have to deal with significant costs.
Transient voltage protection is critical to help minimize the negative side effects of these common electrical threats. DEHN can implement proven solutions to help safeguard your wireless systems – request an assessment today.
Contact DEHN today to schedule your risk assessment.Transient voltage protection for the wireless industry
With more than 100 years of experience under our belts, DEHN understands the diverse protection needs of your wireless operation. Within the telecommunications sector, we specialize in protective concepts in the following areas:
- Base stations
- Radio heads
Request a risk assessment today and take the first step toward a reduced risk of service disruptions.
Request an assessment with DEHN today.Electrical threats to telecom towers and base stations
A base station, also called a cell site or typical cell tower, is an important infrastructure for the transmission and reception of wireless communications signals.
From the bottom of the mast to the remote radio unit (RRU) and mounted antennas, the sky-high components of a base station have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than most infrastructure. Even a cloud-to-ground strike that occurs nearby can disrupt the tower’s operation or compromise the equipment’s physical integrity.
Comprehensive protection can help eliminate surge damage, reducing the risk of downtime as well as saving your company money on service and repair costs.
How transient surges affect radio head operation
Modern radio systems rely on remote radio units and active antenna arrays within radio heads. This active RF technology, including sensitive AC and DC components, is often installed directly into the mast of a wireless base station or onto an existing building’s rooftop.
These elevated and often compact installations increase the risk of damage from a lightning strike tenfold. These surges can disrupt the operation of wireless communication devices, including telephones and radios. Laying supply lines parallel to the mast also increases the risk of other types of transient surges.
Installing complete protection concepts can reduce surge effects to a harmless level on mast installations. For rooftop sites, radio technology may need to be equipped with additional protective systems if the building doesn’t have an existing setup or has outdated or noncompatible protection.
DEHN can develop tailored solutions for even the most complex radio head applications. Our combined surge and lightning arresters have high flow current extinguishing capabilities and follow current limitation capacity to help knock out the common tripping of system fuses that often shut down telecom towers.
Don’t stay static and wait for transient voltage to strike – request a risk assessment from DEHN today.
Get your risk assessment today.How wireless carriers can change the channel on transients by adding proper protection
Transient voltage is inevitable, but the resulting damage doesn’t have to be. You can take back control of your telecommunications infrastructure with proactive protection solutions from DEHN.
We believe that a holistic approach to transient voltage protection is the best way to preserve human lives and ensure high-quality transmission capabilities and consistent availability. Since 2003, we’ve worked with countless customers across the North American market to optimize their wireless system protection.
We’ve evolved our solutions with the industry’s changing needs, so you can have peace of mind that your telecom towers will operate as intended with limited disruptions to service. All our solutions comply with industry standards, such as the NFPA 780.
Our tailored products for the telecommunications industry include:
- Antenna earthing
- DEHNgate
- DEHNsecure
- DEHNsite
- DEHNpatch
- Overvoltage protection box
- Grounding systems
- Equipotential bonding bar
We start by learning about your systems and the specific risks facing them with our in-depth risk assessment. This will help identify opportunities for improved protection and help you better understand what could happen if lightning were to strike one of your towers.
Get in touch with DEHN today to schedule an assessment.
Contact DEHN to request an assessment today.
Earthing / Equipotential Bonding
Products for installing an earth-termination system and for establishing equipotential bonding.
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Antenna Earthing
Pipe clamp for lightning equipotential bonding of pipes (e.g. antenna poles) according to IEC/EN 62305-3.
With gradually adjustable tensioning strap, for connecting one or two conductors and suitable for through-wiring.
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929148
DEHNgate
Combined lightning current and surge arrester with maintenance-free quarterwave technology for multi-frequency applications (multi-carrier systems).
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971126
DEHNsecure modular
Spark-gap-based, single-pole, coordinated lightning current arrester DEHNsecure modular, classification Type 1 as per EN 61643-11.
Request an assessment from DEHN today
Our team has ample experience working with network operators, wireless service supply companies, system technology suppliers, installers, and equipment suppliers across the telecommunications industry. We understand the unique challenges facing the infrastructure you create and maintain, and we’re prepared to help you operate it to the highest level of efficiency.
Experience the benefit of having a longstanding industry leader on your side. Contact DEHN today to schedule your risk assessment and secure the safety of your telecommunication tower structure and related wireless infrastructure.
Request your risk assessment