Tower or not to tower.

[KC1BUD]

I have a tentative offer from an internet provider to get free high-speed and to be allowed to put up my own antenna on their tower.

Is it allowed by the FCC for a ham to mount their antenna on a commercial tower?
Would getting free internet be considered compensation?
Or would the free internet be considered payment for the land used, and use of the tower for amateur radio purposes be OK?

[K4AC]

Receiving compensation only violates Part 97 if you are being compensated for providing communications via amateur radio; trading tower space for Internet service is well outside of what Part 97 regulates.

There may be some local ordinance against commercial use of amateur towers- probably not likely to draw the attention of Code Enforcement though.

Amateur antennas can be mounted on commercial towers; in fact many of the wide coverage repeaters are on commercial towers.

Doug
K4AC

[One Country Boy]

I'm in agreement with Doug. I don't think there is a violation there of part 97.

Merry Christmas to you.

[KE5ZRT]

Sounds like a legitimate deal to me. Go for it.

[wa8yxm]

I will join the chorus here too. You ask if it is OK to put ham antennas on a commercial tower... Most every repeater from the Pacific to the Atlantic is so mounted. There is no problem at all.

If they give you free internet and tower space in exchange for letting them put the tower on your land.. and they do not also give you $$$$$.. You are the sucker in this deal.

NOTE: I do recall reading somewhere, a long time ago, about the restriction that the ham antenna not be the TOP MOST antenna.. but please do not take my word for that.. Grab your handy dandy copy of the FCC rules and re-read it.. For one thing it has been so long since I read that and the rules have changed so many times that it may now be "history"

But side mounting.. That's ok

That said I put MY 2-mtr beam on top on my house.. Nobody ever complained..

[One Country Boy]

Tower space where I'm located is very expensive, depending on height and location.

All the repeaters in our area are located atop commercial towers.