Like any respectable Geek, I've done my fair share of modifying stuff to make it "work better", or in some cases...accidently set fire to it!. But in the case of these mobile phone masts, it's purely cosmetic.
If we were to take a before an after picture, I guess it would be bit like those makeover TV shows where they take a plain looking man or woman, give them a new haircut, new clothes and some strategic waxing, and hey presto... they look like a supermodel... well sometimes anyway... In the case of these telecoms masts, it's about blending in with the natural surroundings, and they've done a good job! The one in the picture is on the M4 motorway near Newbury in the UK, and belongs to Vodafone, whose HQ is down the road. I've driven past this mast many times, but never noticed it before until I was in the car with a friend who pointed it out to me.
This just shows that technology and nature can blend together, and until we can get the trees to form a communications infrastructure, just as they do on the moon of Pandora in the movie Avatar, then we're have to make do with a make over regime. I just wish they could do the same for Electricity Pylons, although my nephew thinks they look like Transformers, so perhaps they are already in fact "Robots in Disguise"
StuartM0RXX
Ah but where is the second one on the M4 and the one on the M25?
All of which have been there for many many years!
Good hunting.
Pete Wood
Perhaps we should do a "Where's Wally" style competition using Google Maps! :0)
awneil
They started doing this in the UK on the old analogue cellular system - before GSM came along!
qlue
We've had these in South Africa almost since the introduction of cellphones! :D