More cell phone towers coming to Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — There’s a building boom on Hilton Head Island that doesn’t involve new homes. Instead it’s a cell tower building boom.

The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports http://bit.ly/SDDPer that American Tower is planning to build several towers on the resort island within the next year. AT&T activated two new cell sites several weeks ago.

In the past, residents and island visitors had been frustrated by dropped calls and wireless dead zones.

Earlier this month, town council approved new rules for cell towers. The old rules required the towers to be farther away from homes so they wouldn’t damage property if they fell. That eliminated many suitable sites.

Towers are now designed to fold and buckle inward during storms, instead of falling outward like a tree.

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Information from: The Island Packet, http://www.islandpacket.com