I always wonder how telecommunication masts operate. Some have very huge dishes that look like drums. What’s the function of these drums?

Question

I always wonder how telecommunication masts operate. Some have very huge dishes that look like drums. What’s the function of these drums?

In: 9

Answer 1

Point to point microwave link. Two drums on two towers have their flat parts pointing at each other. This type of communication isn’t for cell phones as the strength of that type of signal drops off very fast if you aren’t right in between those two dishes. Instead, these towers often have cell phone antennas as well (usually three tall rectangles on the pole) and use the microwave link to get all the phone calls back to the rest of the world. Microwave links are often used instead of wires in remote locations.