And, secondly, many communities have set out to fight the pin cushion effect that cell towers give their rural countryside. The town of Amherst this spring, for example, applauded U.S. Rep. Charles Bass' proposed U.S. House bill aimed at giving local communities control over antennas. Lawyers from the town and Omnipoint have been battling over the company's plans to erect of four 190-foot cell towers. It is just one of many tower fights in the state. In response, cell phone companies have started hiding the antennas on water towers, smokestacks and high-rise buildings.
Companies say they are trying harder to avoid building unsightly towers that spark citizen protests.
Last month in Durham, for example, the town agreed to let Sprint PCS place an antenna on the town's Foss Farm water tower. The agreement with the town also allowed Sprint to build a 150-foot tower in the former landfill. Thomson said the company tries to piggyback on existing structures such as fire towers which won't change the skyline, whenever possible. Yet, few question the successful future growth of wireless communications. Consumers are faced with more and more choices than ever when it comes to wireless service.