Locating Cell Towers Near Me: A Step-By-Step Guide

When it comes to cellular carriers, our primary focus is often on coverage. We want our devices to work seamlessly wherever we go, and carriers are constantly expanding their networks to ensure that. However, while improved coverage is great for our devices, it raises concerns about our health.

For individuals with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, being near a cell tower or any strong source of EMF radiation can trigger various symptoms. Moreover, RF-EMF radiation, which is emitted by cell towers, has been classified by the World Health Organization’s International Association for Research on Cancer as potentially carcinogenic to humans.

If you’re worried about the potential health impacts of cell tower radiation, you might be wondering how to locate nearby cell towers.

This comprehensive guide aims to address that question. We’ll explore different resources that can help you find cell towers in your vicinity, as well as provide insights into testing radiation levels in and around your home. It’s important to note that our focus will primarily be on 4G cell towers. If you’re specifically interested in locating 5G cell towers, you can refer to our dedicated guide on Locating 5G Cell Towers Near Me for step-by-step instructions.

AT&T

I want to talk about AT&T’s coverage because it’s one of the key factors we consider when choosing a cellular provider. AT&T has the second-largest coverage area among all providers, covering around 68% of the United States with its 4G network. While there may be a few areas with no coverage, the majority of the contiguous United States is well-covered by AT&T.

To get more specific, let’s explore the tower locations in a sample area. I’ll also share how you can find this information for your own hometown. It’s important to have this knowledge so you can make informed decisions about your cellular service and ensure that you have reliable coverage in your area.

AT&T Cell Phone Tower Map

In the image above, which I obtained from CellMapper.net, you can see the map displaying the locations of AT&T’s 4G cell towers in the Denver metropolitan area. The yellow circles represent general areas where multiple towers are located, with the numbers inside indicating the count of towers in each vicinity. By zooming in on a specific area, we can even pinpoint the exact locations of these towers. This information can be valuable for understanding the distribution of cell towers in the region and assessing the coverage in different areas. It allows us to get a closer look at the infrastructure that supports our cellular network and provides insight into the availability and strength of AT&T’s 4G signal in the Denver metropolitan area.

Clicking on a circle provides information about the transmitter’s range.

By examining the color of the tower’s dot, we can determine its signal strength and identify the homes and structures within its range. A bright green dot represents a signal strength between -40 and 85 dBm.

AT&T Towers Near Me

To access this information for your own area, visit CellMapper.net. Once on the website, your screen will display your local area instead of Denver. Use the plus and minus signs on the map to zoom in or out and locate your specific neighborhood.

Next, select your cell provider from the drop-down menu, as each provider has different tower locations. Since we’re focusing on AT&T in this example, choose AT&T from the menu.

As a quick shortcut to find AT&T, simply type in “310” in the search bar.

After selecting AT&T, shift your attention to the “Network” field. Click the drop-down arrow, and you will see a list of options similar to this.

Choose the “4G” option from the drop-down menu and wait for the map to load. Now you can see the locations of all AT&T’s 4G cell towers in your vicinity. It’s important to note that while CellMapper does provide some information about 5G towers, it may not show all of them. For example, a search for 5G towers in Denver may not yield any results, even though AT&T introduced 5G in the area in March 2020. If you’re specifically interested in locating 5G towers, refer to our earlier advice and visit the guide on Locating 5G Cell Towers Near Me.

Sprint and T-Mobile

Following the merger between Sprint and T-Mobile in August 2020, the two carriers have combined their operations under the T-Mobile brand. However, it is expected to take another two or three years for both carriers to fully integrate onto the same network. In the meantime, Sprint users continue to rely on their existing set of towers, while T-Mobile operates on a separate set of towers.

To view T-Mobile’s 4G coverage area, you can access the map by clicking here. This map will provide an overview of the areas covered by T-Mobile’s 4G network.

Sprint’s 4G coverage area: (map accessible here)

Sprint and T-Mobile Cell Phone Tower Map

As previously mentioned, Sprint and T-Mobile currently operate on separate tower systems, with Sprint using CDMA technology and T-Mobile utilizing GSM technology. Although there may be future changes in their technology alignment, for this guide, we will focus on their tower locations individually. To identify the locations of Sprint’s 4G cell towers in our sample area of Denver, we will once again rely on the tool provided by CellMapper.net. By accessing the map, you can view the specific locations of Sprint’s 4G towers in Denver.

Moving on, let’s explore the locations of T-Mobile’s 4G cell towers. By referring to the map, you can easily identify the specific areas where T-Mobile has established its 4G towers.

Sprint and T-Mobile Towers Near Me

To begin, let’s gather the data for Sprint. On the CellMapper homepage, locate the “Select a Provider” drop-down menu and choose “Sprint – 310120”. As for the network, we will continue to focus on 4G connectivity.

Once the map is loaded, you will be able to view the positions of Sprint’s 4G cell towers in the vicinity. Proceed to your specific neighborhood and use the zoom function to obtain more details.

To access the locations of T-Mobile’s towers, click on the drop-down menu labeled “Select A Provider” once again. This time, select “T-Mobile USA – 310260” from the list.

Select T-Mobile and wait for the map top populate. From there, you can see the T-Mobile 4G towers in your area.

Verizon

Verizon’s network is renowned for its expansive coverage, with an estimated reach of 70% across the United States, encompassing approximately 98% of the American population. You can view their current 4G LTE coverage map, which illustrates their extensive network, by accessing it here.

Verizon maintains tens of thousands of cell towers across the United States to achieve extensive coverage for their network.

Verizon Cell Phone Tower Map

Finding an exact number of towers that Verizon has is challenging, but the image from CellMapper.net reveals a substantial network. For comparison, here is the map for AT&T:

And T-Mobile:

And Sprint:

Returning to our local example, here are the tower locations for Verizon in the Denver metropolitan area:

Verizon Towers Near Me

To locate Verizon towers near your home, you can use Cell Mapper again. Simply type in “311” in the Select A Provider screen to access Verizon – 311480.

To view Verizon tower locations in your local area, select Verizon from the drop-down menu and the map will populate. Zoom in on the towers and click on them to access more information about their transmission range.

Testing Tower Radiation Near Your Home

If you want to measure the amount of radiation from a nearby tower that reaches your home, you’ll need an EMF meter. The TriField TF2 is a recommended option, but you can also refer to our guide for more budget-friendly options. Once you have the meter, go outside and turn it on. If you can visually see the tower, you can test the radiation strength at different distances from your home, similar to the demonstration in the provided video.

You can also check the radiation levels inside your house. However, it’s essential to consider that you will detect EMF from other devices in your home and its surroundings. Even if you turn off the electricity completely, your meter may still pick up radiation from WiFi signals, smart meters, power lines, and other devices. Cell towers are not the sole source of EMF radiation in your neighborhood, but they do contribute significantly to the overall issue.

Final Thoughts

The examples in this guide were based on the main cell phone carriers in the United States. If there are other, smaller carriers in your area, they may operate off their own towers, although many simply lease space on another carrier’s transmitter. Nonetheless, to check the location of smaller carrier towers, use that same Cell Mapper tool but browse the provider menu until you find the one you’re looking for.

The prevalence of cell towers means great things for our connectivity, but it comes at a huge price. EMF radiation has not been shown to be safe– in fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary. To learn more about some of the research, head over to the Top 30 Studies on EMF Radiation.

Not only could more cell towers mean higher rates of cancer and other health issues, but consider life as a person with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. There are very few pockets of the country that are completely devoid of cell coverage. The spots that do exist tend to be quite rural and far-flung, making finding housing and work a challenge.

Fortunately, there are some things that can be done to reduce your exposure to EMF radiation from cell towers and other sources without having to relocate to a remote corner of the world. The Definitive Guide to Whole House Protection can help with actionable solutions to make your home an EMF-free oasis.