The Future of Wireless: When Will Power Lines and Telephone Poles Fade?
Well, we do have commercial wireless systems in place already. That smartphone you most likely own is quite the miracle in the advancement of telecommunications technology, being capable of doing things we didn’t even dream of 20 years ago. Home and business wireless networks are now common and very reliable. But why are power lines and telephone poles still so prevalent in our daily lives? Here’s why:
Reliability and Efficiency
Wires have proven to be extremely reliable for the transmission of telecommunication signals. This reliability is crucial for businesses and everyday communication. For instance, while the cellular phone network is wireless, these towers essentially tap off a wired fiber-optic network to transmit data signals.
The recent rollout of 5G technology has introduced home internet services as a totally wireless service, which is quite amazing on its own. The only cable needed is the power cable to power the gateway. Behind all this wireless excitement is a robust and widespread network of fiber-optics and nodes that ultimately makes up what we know as the Internet.
Why More Things Aren’t Wireless
One of the key reasons more isn’t wireless is the physics and mechanics of electricity and magnetism as we understand them today. AC electric power cannot be reliably transmitted wirelessly over significant distances due to immense power requirements and potential dangers.
Wireless Power Technologies
Some people might immediately think of Tesla’s “Tesla Tower” to put wireless energy on the map, but given the current understanding of physics and mechanics, such a setup would not be efficient, reliable, or economically feasible.
Technologically, there are wireless power technologies in existence today. For example, many people own a Qi charger, which charges another device through inductive coupling. This technology is essentially two coils of wire in close proximity. When an AC current flows through the first coil, the pulsing magnetic field induced in the second coil causes a current to flow, provided the second coil is in a closed circuit.
Challenges with Wireless AC Power Transmission
Transmitting AC power wirelessly over considerable distances would require tremendous amounts of power, making it commercially infeasible. This also poses safety risks as the emitted electromagnetic radiation or field would decrease in intensity as the observer increases distance from the source. This would mean the farther from a wireless AC power transmission site you are, the less voltage would be induced in the receiving winding (the equivalent of a transformer).
Moreover, to receive the same amount of power wirelessly as one would with wires, the wireless AC power transmission site would have to output an extremely high-intensity electromagnetic field, requiring enormous amounts of electricity. This would be very dangerous, potentially inducing voltages in unintended objects and causing undue discomfort to people. It would be like continuously being inside a transformer, feeling the hum and experiencing heat and electrical shock.
The Endurance of Power Poles and Telephone Poles
As far as power poles, utility poles, and telephone poles are concerned, they will likely never go away, at least not in the foreseeable future. They may be reduced in overall presence as more areas apply for power and telecommunications undergrounding. Utilities will always place the additional cost of undergrounding on whatever entity requests it—usually commercial entities or even homeowner’s associations managing neighborhoods that apply for these sorts of things. Unsurprisingly, these costs are passed on to residents in the form of more HOA fees.
Power poles, towers, substations, and other infrastructure are here to stay due to the current limitations and requirements of reliable and efficient power and communication transmission methods.