Charlottesville, VA - Madison Williams
Site #1 - United States Cellular Corp. Cell Tower on top of Carter’s Mountain
There are many cell towers on top of Carter’s Mountain that are visible from all over town, however I chose this one because it has to do with cellular technology. The cell tower helps form a cellular network and is important in maintaining service. The technology in play is the equipment that transmits signals and creates electronic communications. The land is owned by Carter’s Mountain Community Tower, and therefore is a part of the Crown Orchard monopoly (or so I believe). This cell tower benefits anyone who uses US Cellular and does not benefit any other competitors who want to have a tower on the mountain. I found out more information by going to the US Cellular site and found all kinds of specifications about this specific tower. I was unable to find a picture of that part of Carter’s Mountain, but here is a screenshot from the map.
Google Maps
Site #2 - Dominion Energy at 1719 Hydraulic Rd
I know of this site because I drive by it all the time when I am driving up Rt 29. I selected it because Dominion Energy is an important power source for residents all throughout Virginia and other states. The land is owned by the energy company, Virginia Electric and Power Company, and is used for maintenance purposes. I was unable to find a picture of it, but below is a picture from Google Map’s street view. You can see the large cell tower in the back of the photo, which also belongs to them.
Google Maps
Site #3 - UVA Data Center – Carruthers Hall
I drive by Carruthers Hall very frequently as it is across from a big shopping center. I chose it because I know that the Carruthers Data Center is housed there, and it reminded me of our center on campus that we took a tour of. It was recently renovated and helps support the IT infrastructure of the large university. It contains various servers and gear that helps maintain the computing capabilities of UVA. The land and building is owned by UVA and it also houses Student Financial Services. This data center benefits all who are within the computing realm of the University. It may not serve a purpose to members who are not in the university community, but it is still very important. I found more information by navigating to the main UVA website and searching data centers.
https://www.martinhorn.com/project/uva-carruthers-data-center/
http://uvafinance.blogspot.com/2018/01/carruthers-hall-improvements-many.html
Site #4 - NRAO Technology Lab at Boxwood Estates
I see the sign for this Technology Center every time I drive from my house into town. I selected it because I did not know much about it and was interested in learning more. This is a type of lab where they test radio technology such as amplifiers and receivers. According to the GIS, the land and buildings are owned my Ivy Road Properties LLC, so NRAO must just be leasing the space. This lab benefits radio technology by advancing it and making it better and I cannot think of anyone who is not benefitting. I found out more information about this site by going to the NRAO website and looking at facility locations and reading about it. I was unable to find any images of the inside, but that is not surprising.
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/cdl/facilities
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