It was the end of 2022 when this blog spotted these things. Now they are everywhere.
There was a plan to write a post about it, because it should have been a local election issue – better late than never!
Orwell Road, Templeouge
If you have witnessed the groundwork and installation of these masts you will know it occurs in a very rapid fashion, they can be installed in a matter of days.
There looks to be no need for site Planning Application and Notice, because it appears this is done on council controlled land i.e. along the roads and as far as this blog understands, Councils are exempt for needing to apply for planing to do works.
It also has the looks of a sweet deal for the mobile phone companies and council coffers.
Perhaps some of the first-time newly elected local councillors could could do some digging and shine a light on the background and impetus behind this roll out.
Twitter / X notices
@DiarmaidOCon posted an open question Friday, 9th of august 2024 on twitter / X is the first this blog noticed of anyone else noticing.
These are mobile phone masts managed by the mobile network operators.
They are being rolled out and installed at rapid speed so extensively now that it is harder for anyone not to spot one, they are designed to blend in more than typical mobile phone masts, they are being laid along existing road network. Typically in clusters with each mast very close to the others. Often at bus stops and very often really close to schools and shops, and even houses.
In many cluster the distance between bus stops is the distance between masts.
The only surprising thing is it took so long for anyone else to notice, but they are hard to deny now.
What can I do if I spot one of these?
Visit the Comreg site viewer map that displays all the active mobile / cell network masts and towers across Ireland with an integrated Google maps and street view – It couldn’t be easier.
Using the Orwell Rd, Templeouge example anyone can use Google Maps street view to go back in time and see that the mast did not appear during the 2021 live view capture – this confirms a very likely 2022 or possibly sometime after May 2021 insulation date (see end of blog extra reference).
The Politics of it all
Usually local politicians are like flies to you know what when it comes to the roll out of shiny new infrastructure they have little connection to but happily take credit.
Curiously this blog has no recollection or example of local councillors clustered around the roll out of this new layer of telecoms mobile phone and data masts, many right beside peoples houses (you know the people who vote) and children’s schools, or any announcements or PR releases about any of it.
Funny that, but if you find any past press release or more information on this expanding mobile mast network roll out, please post to a tweet and @Ireland_Is_Full in your tweet and this blog post can be updated.
What is the big box beside the pole?
This is the comms cabinet. It is filled with network hardware. Sometimes there is a second one close or a little further away (green cabinet) that is probably the power feed box.
The comms cabinet is potentially stuffed with Huawei kit, this might mean the Chinese have a nice big fat backdoor into the mobile network and data traffic, further meaning the Irish mobile phone owning and holding population are potentially open to being surveilled by China and even other foreign actors with any knowledge from far away.
Supermarket Car Parks and other locations
These or a variant of this design are starting to appear in Supermarket carparks as well as other commercial private locations. They are sometimes not as large or tall as the one in the phots here. See if you can spot more.
Additional Information, Update 1
(23rd August, 2024) – As previously indicated these masts and roadside network cabinets have also been springing up across the UK, with Northern Ireland no exception. A video posted to twitter depicts some locations that have apparently been destroyed by fire and marked with “DANGER RADIATION”
Extra Reference:
The photo below is the May 2021 google maps street view capture showing the the Three mobile mast was not in place at that time.
