Mobile cell sites

Mobile cell sites are infrastructures transportable on trucks, allowing fast and easy installation in restricted spaces.

COWs provided cellular service in Southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley in 2004 when most of the area's stationary cell towers were destroyed.

[2] In January 2009, 26 cell-on-wheels units were put in place in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of Barack Obama to handle the millions of extra people and their calls in the city, especially on and near the National Mall.

Many telecommunications companies also use COWs for long-term placement when financing or infrastructure considerations prevent building a permanent site at the location.

For instance, a carrier may have approved the placement of a cell site for coverage reasons, but the remaining budget is inadequate to fund the construction for a fiscal quarter or even longer.

[citation needed] An engineering team may be able to place a COW on location to provide immediate coverage with few costs other than leasing, electricity, and backhaul.