Fiber-to-the-antenna: Benefits and protection requirements

Data throughput demands of fourth generation telecommunication systems have acted as a stimulus for a paradigm shift of the cell tower structure. This paradigm shift has included the implementation of the fiber-to-the-antenna (FTTA) architecture. FTTA architecture implementation has enabled lower power requirements, distributed antenna sites and a smaller base station footprint when compared to conventional tower sites. This paper will review the changes in cell tower architecture being implemented to meet fourth generation network operating performance criteria and examine the steps that need to be taken to protect cell tower components from lightning and other surge and transient effects.