Locating cells

Following this post https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/mobilebroadband/t/... I invested in an Android phone and have downloaded Network Cell Info Lite, Cell Mapper, LTE Discovery, OpenSignal.

Some apps locate the same tower in different locations. It appears that NCIL (and the other apps) don't have a map of towers but use observed data from other users to determine the approx location of the cell. https://www.m2catalyst.com/manual and https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/questionable-gsm-tow...

Our smallish town (22k people) is linear in design following a valley, with the railway, canal and a bypass on the top of the valley. Cellmapper shows the towers to be on the railway line. Most of the "observations" must be from the railway passengers.

I guess I don't need to know the tower location and could just use the gauge / signal strength info (inside / outside the property) from the apps to determine the "best" network for my area - or is this too over simplistic?

Am I right in thinking that emergency calls are routed via any available mobile operator - and not the one that matches the installed SIM?

I'm looking to provide emergency access if FTTP/DV fails due to power failure etc.

In reply to a post by BarkingMad:

Our smallish town (22k people) is linear in design following a valley, with the railway, canal and a bypass on the top of the valley. Cellmapper shows the towers to be on the railway line. Most of the "observations" must be from the railway passengers.

CellMapper is 'crowd sourced' so that is quite likely. If are willing to share the town name, then others can look at the info on the cellmapper.net website to see. If you have cell ID numbers for any network it would be of interest, but not essential.

Not all the Android apps are reliable CellMapper comes highly recommended from people around the globe for using the Android API's correctly and then running their own mapping system. They also have subscription for those of us interested in improving the tool.

The other apps are generally 'guessing' and often get it wrong. My local Vodafone mast is to the west of my home, but three Android apps have arrows pointing east. Nothing there, so I assume these apps are written by researchers whom are no longer interested in the apps.

If you have a business email mast data seems accurate. 7 day trial

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

If you have a business email mast data seems accurate. 7 day trial

Yeah, mastdata I thought was itself just going through the planning applications? It started with a dump from the original Ofcom sitefinder that shut down.

Thanks ukhardy07 - I don't have a business.

jchamier - here is some info which is delimited by # which I've gathered from cellmapper.net

Operator#Tower ENB ID#Status#Comments#Physical tower location#
Voda#520760#Green#Building in close proximity with antenna #51.75545017395056, -0.5609061073453023#
Voda#524515#Green#At end of the railway station car park#51.7645313150392, -0.5662490676880103#
Voda#512494#Green#Billet lane bridge - north#51.76731339785693, -0.5769028018662451#
O2#512494#Green#Billet lane bridge - south#51.76695153759765, -0.5772997687446068#
O2#524515#Green#At end of the railway station car park#51.7645313150392, -0.5662490676880103#
O2#520760#Green#Building in close proximity with antenna #51.75545017395056, -0.5609061073453023#
EE#13283#Red#Cannot see a tower in this area##
EE#35710#Red#Seems to be on the railway line near billet lane##
EE#13006#Red#Seems to be near to end of station car park, but on the railway line##
EE#31635#Green#On the water tower#51.7545369782738, -0.5798264096864948#
Three#7174#Green#On the industrial estate#51.76890004223936, -0.5819391657920145#
Three#3543#Green#On a building in town#51.761228379569644, -0.5675317447206822#

My Iphone (with EE) says I receive service from 3400449 Cell 1 and 3400452 Cell 4 which is associated with the red ENB ID 13283

Please note, FTTP is not available in my area, although I did see Hey! pulling fibre in the BT pavement ducts yesterday, so perhaps this will make OR consider us for FTTP. I was learning how to use the different apps so I could help parents when I visit then for their BT FTTP/DV install early in June. They are with PlusNet Mobile but I believe they are closing the mobile side. The default alternative would be EE but it would be more expensive - hence the investigation.

I suppose I could get on my bike and cycle around town collecting signal data to improve the cellmapper view. It's strange I cannot physically see the EE masts - I have looked.

Do you have android? Believe it’s free for android app use as an individual?

I've found two of the EE towers and will look for the third later.

EE 35710 is physically located just north east of Voda/O2 512494. It is about 180m from its derived location.
EE 13283 (a small Orange PCS mast) is approx 1000m south of where Cellmapper thinks it is located.

I need to use CellMapper more before I can move the masts.

I found them by walking along, looking at the signal strength with CM / CellID. Is there a better method?

I think 13283 is near the rail line behind Audley House on he Northbridge Industrial estate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.768439,-0.5824477,3a...

In reply to a post by BarkingMad:

jchamier - here is some info which is delimited by # which I've gathered from cellmapper.net

As you can see the long Cell ID is complex as you have frequency(band), and sector. Typically most cell sites have 3 sectors from each mast. The eNB (enhanced Node B) is the LTE (4G) reference for the entire site, not just the sector.

Thanks for the numbers will have a look.

PS: Others can move cell sites

In reply to a post by skandia2:

I think 13283 is near the rail line behind Audley House on he Northbridge Industrial estate.

Agreed, thank you for the street view link. I've updated Cellmapper. Obviously positioned for railway coverage.