Last week this large black box was installed on a telephone pole in the Bel Air neighborhood.
Does anyone know what it is and what it does?
What’s this Mystery Box on a Telephone Pole?
Edhat Reader
April 28, 2025, 10:11 am
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Probably Frontier fiber optics.
https://www.edhat.com/news/frontier-fiber-optic-and-5g-internet-service/
AI: “Frontier Communications is installing utility boxes, specifically cabinets, in certain Santa Barbara neighborhoods as part of their FiberOptic service installation project. The majority of the work involves using existing overhead poles and underground structures, and city staff is involved in aspects like traffic control and the placement of these cabinets.”
The AI paragraph is from 2021, here: https://santabarbaraca.gov/news/frontiers-fiber-home-project-starts
It is probably a Micro Cell Site. Note the cylinder at the top of the pole – with cables connecting to the lower enclosure. The upper device would be the antenna, with the lower part containing the electronics.
Yet another example of AI spewing incorrect info. It’s a friggin’ cell site transformer/power box. Says so right on the box. They are everywhere. Lovely, aren’t they? Competing for neighborhood ugly with the fiber optics cable connectors—that’s those black cylinders on the actual cables, often near a loop/spool of extra cable, just to make sure it’s even messier and uglier. For cellular, we’ve got multiple players placing them: Verizon and AT&T each have their own. Same with fiber cable. We’ve got AT&T, Frontier and Cox. Somehow, the city and the county allow the uglification of our community. It’s starting to look very third-world around here so that we all can have awesome cell and internet service!
Do you use a cell phone? If yes, do you like a strong reliable signal? If you don’t use a cell phone well I am sorry you have to look at it.
AI wasn’t incorrect, I, who posted it, was. I wasn’t sure which utility was in those boxes. I *did* give a non-AI source for what it quoted to me, if you noticed.
I’m not automatically defending AI, just critiquing your criticism.
It’s hideous.
Not as hideous as the poles and wires are to begin with.
Look on the bright side if these unit(s) replace a cell tower(s).
Incorrect. Those utility pole mounted boxes and antennas are *local area* cell sites that connect to your phone and then on to the large cell towers “nodes”, some of which are disguised as “trees” with plastic “leaves” covering the antennas, and some just plan ugly giant poles with an array of antennas.