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Article Title: Those Rectangular "White Boxes" on the Towers... What is a Panel Antenna and How Does It Bring You the Internet?

We pass by them every day, perched on building rooftops or towering steel structures, yet we rarely stop to ask ourselves: What is the function of every piece hanging up there?

If you think a tower is just a "single piece of iron" broadcasting the internet, you are missing out on a lot of fun engineering. Today, we will decode the mystery of the most important piece in the world of wireless communications, which appears clearly in the picture (those long rectangles): It is the Panel Antenna (known globally as Antenne Panneau).

1/ It's Not Just a Broadcasting "Stick"!

In the early days of radio, antennas sent signals in all directions (360 degrees), like a lightbulb illuminating an entire room. But in the world of modern communications (GSM, 3G, 4G, 5G), this "waste" of signal is unacceptable.

Here is where the Panel Antenna comes in. Think of it like a "Flashlight" rather than a regular lightbulb. It doesn't send the signal randomly; instead, it focuses it in a specific direction with high power (High Gain).

2/ The Secret of the Number 3 (Why do we always see them in groups?)

If you look closely at the attached picture, or at any telecom tower in your city, you will often notice 3 rectangular antennas (Panels) mounted around the pole in a triangular shape. Is this a coincidence? Of course not.

Since the Panel Antenna is a "Directional" antenna, each one covers a specific angle called a Sector. Usually, a single panel covers a horizontal angle of 120 degrees. Using simple math: 3 Antennas × 120 degrees = 360 degrees.




So, to cover the area surrounding the tower completely without any "blind spots," engineers install 3 antennas, each responsible for covering one-third of the area around the tower. This allows your phone to transition smoothly from one antenna's coverage to another as you move around the tower.

What is the Difference Between the "Rectangle" and the "Circular Dish"?

In the picture you took, we see two types of devices:

  • The Long Rectangles (Panel Antennas): These are the ones that talk directly to your phone. They are responsible for sending and receiving 4G/LTE data to and from you.

  • The Small Circular Dish (Microwave Dish): (Visible slightly to the right) This has nothing to do with your phone! Its function is to link this tower to another tower or to the main center. It acts like an "invisible network cable" transferring huge amounts of data.




Hidden Engineering: The Tilt

Did you know that these antennas don't look directly at the horizon? If you climbed the tower, you would find them tilted slightly downward by a few degrees. This technique is called Downtilt. The goal is to direct energy toward users on the ground, rather than wasting it in the sky, and also to prevent signal interference with other distant towers. It is a very precise process that can be done manually or electrically remotely (RET).



The Conclusion

The next time the 4G+ or 5G symbol appears on your phone, remember that there is a Panel Antenna on a roof somewhere, aimed precisely at your area, acting like a goalkeeper catching your requests and sending you data at the speed of light.

These silent rectangles are the unknown soldiers keeping us connected to the world.


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