New mast planned for Mayo town

COMMUNITY NOTES: BALLYHAUNIS - WESTERN PEOPLE (FEBRUARY 25 EDITION)

A company building communications towers around Ireland has sought planning permission for a telecommunications mast in Ballyhaunis which, it says, will “ensure adequate mobile reception for the area”.

Towercom Ltd proposes to construct a 24-metre monopole in Beech Park, Ballyhaunis in place of a 20-metre lattice tower which had been granted full planning in 2022. This [20-metre] facility was not constructed as it was found to be “inadequate to deliver the required level of reception quality”.

In a statement to this column, Towercom said the new structure “will be on a one metre raised foundation, giving a total height of 25 metres”.

“The revised facility will guarantee adequate mobile telephony reception services for business and home users in the Ballyhaunis area. The current site contains a 15-metre lattice.

“The increased height will provide line to sight to surrounding transmitters, resulting in higher data speeds for customers receiving coverage from Ballyhaunis and surrounding locations.

“It will also ensure mobile customers in the town of Ballyhaunis can receive enhanced 4G services and, for the first time, new 5G services.”

Towercom claims the new facility will “additionally be available for use by the emergency services” provided by Tetra Ireland, which in a letter of support for the mast last January states “there is the potential for Tetra Ireland to transfer equipment to the new structure”.

The increased height of the new structure would improve coverage in the area for the emergency services, notes Tetra, which designs communications systems for rescue and other emergency services.

Towercom is owned by John Laing, an investor in infrastructure with assets globally.