About Sitefinder

Purpose

Sitefinder is the Government's data base of mobile phone base stations operated by Ofcom on behalf of central government. Establishing a national database of base stations was a recommendation from the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) - also known as the Stewart Group because it was chaired by Sir William Stewart.

Ofcom hosts the Sitefinder tool on behalf of Government. It is a general resource for people wishing to inform themselves about the location and operating characteristics of mobile phone base station sites around specific locations.

Operational transmitters and sites that are in the process of being built are included on the database, however sites at an earlier stage in the planning process may not yet be included. Mobile network operators (except Airwave and Everything Everywhere, the combination of T-Mobile and Orange – see FAQ section) update their information on a voluntary basis every 3 months or so. Ofcom cannot accept liability for any inaccuracies or omissions in the data provided within Sitefinder, or its currency.

Base stations may be located on or in buildings, street furniture (lamp-posts / cabinets), roof-tops, individual or shared masts or may be hosted by other masts such as broadcast radio or TV masts. A Sitefinder entry does not therefore imply the presence of a mast, only a base station transmitter.

How to use the database

The Sitefinder display shows a UK map. You can search for base stations using any well known location identity: post code, street name or town name.

Alternatively you can drag the map or zoom in to a particular location.

Base stations will be displayed as blue pins when the map is zoomed in.

To see the base station details, zoom in so that the map scale shows some blue pins, then click the mouse pointer over a blue pin and the site details will be displayed.

What information does Sitefinder provide?

The Sitefinder database provides information on cellular radio transmitters in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Information Provided on Sitefinder Database:

Name of Operator	The name of the organisation that operates the transmitter.
Operator Site Ref.	This is the operators unique base station name or reference number.
Station Type	Microcell or Macrocell. A Macrocell is normally associated with a mast or other structure supporting a large antenna designed to give coverage over a large area; a Microcell is a low power station, often using unobtrusive antennas, designed to give coverage over a small localised area.
Height of Antenna	Metres above ground level (NB. this will be the height of the antenna, not necessarily the height of any supporting mast or tower).
Frequency range	In the UK the following frequency bands are used for cellular telephony: MHz 380 - 385 TETRA 390 - 395 TETRA 876 - 915 GSM / 3G 921- 960 GSM 1710 -1781 GSM 1805 -1876 GSM 1900 - 1980 3G 2110 - 2170 3G
Transmitter power	Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP dBW) per channel. Equivalent isotropic radiated power is the maximum power out of the antenna in a given direction (usually a few degrees down from the horizontal). This is the design power for the particular channel, during quiet periods the power may be less than the stated EIRP. The antenna acts to focus the radio beam, like a lamp reflector, therefore the maximum power will appear in a particular direction. The power in other directions, such a vertically downwards is sometimes significantly less. dBW. A dBW expresses power in relation to a reference level of 1 Watt. Examples: 30dBW = 1000 Watts 20dBW = 100 Watts 10dBW = 10 Watts
Maximum licensed power	EIRP dBW per channel. The maximum licensed power is the highest power that would ever be permitted from a particular transmitter. In practice, most transmitters operate substantially below this limit.
Type of Transmission	Three types of cellular technologies operate in the UK : GSM is the Global system for Mobile Communications or Groupe Speciale Mobile. This is the international operating standard for the second generation of digital cellular mobile communications. Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), commonly known as 3G, is the third generation of digital mobile phone technology. Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) is a digital mobile service that combines two-way radio, mobile telephony and messaging in one handset. It is designed to be used by professional groups such as sales forces, field service teams and the emergency services. The TETRA handsets can communicate directly with each other when outside the reach of a cellular base station.