What is this installation?

[atomcrusher]

See attached photo .. this installation (.. a local resident told me it is a Telkom installation) is situated on the foothills of the Langeberg mountains near my home.
What type of installation is it? What purpose does it serve?

 

[MickeyD]

It is a Telkom tower with an assortment of radio links (cellphone, point-to-point and long haul microwave, etc.) and you will probably find the exchange in the building as well. The two other standalone masts probably belong to Vodacom, MTN or Cell C.

 

[MickeyD]

The exchange is in town (Buitekant) and that building above is a dedicated "Microwave" tower site.



EDIT: remembered where it is, so ignore my PM Beautiful area of our country!

 

[atomcrusher]

The exchange is in town (Buitekant) and that building above is a dedicated "Microwave" tower site.

EDIT: remembered where it is, so ignore my PM Beautiful area of our country!

Thanks MickeyD. Yes, I am fortunate to have retired in such a scenic part of the WC, and we have an unrestricted view of the Langeberg range from my stoep & swimming pool area. I never tire of the changing views as the sun moves overhead, and the contrasting shadows in the deep gorges of the Langeberg. My house is up on a hill so my views of the 'berg are unobstructed

 

[MickeyD]

That installation has probably been there for some time. Telkom used to have longhaul microwave links as a backup route in case their "inter-town" cable network failed. Take your binoculars with next time and see if you can spot another tower or "microwave dish" much further away along the mountainside (must have line of sight - LOS). One will definitely point back to the exchange building in town.

Now it's basically used as a backup for the cellular operator links (those long flat panels, to keep the terms simple) in case there's a cable failure to the site.