The owner of the guyed tower that collapsed in Illinois, hitting a high-voltage line, has not been identified; however, it has been established that it is not a cell tower, contrary to local media reports.
More than 25,000 ComEd customers lost electricity Friday after a communication tower collapsed onto a high-voltage transmission line in Carol Stream, Illinois, knocking out power across several DuPage County communities.
The outage began in the afternoon and affected a wide swath of customers in Carol Stream, with ripple effects in Glen Ellyn, Winfield, and Wheaton. Power was restored to nearly all customers by 10:10 p.m., according to ComEd.
News reports incorrectly described the fallen structure as a cell tower, and one network news report said that phone service in the area was down, hitting residents and businesses with a “double whammy.”
However, the structure isn’t a cell tower, although it might have supported service for a wireless internet service provider, since some Facebook posts said that their internet was still out after electric service became available.
The structure is not listed in the FCC’s database because no lamping was required, as it is under 200 feet.
SBA Communications and T-Mobile own the nearest cell towers.
The collapse forced temporary closures across the affected area, including Coral Cove Water Park, which the Carol Stream Park District shut down for the day, along with multiple other facilities and programs.
