Glossary
Cell Tower Technician Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential cell tower technician terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key cell tower technician vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in cell tower technician training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- 100% tie-off
- Being connected to fall protection at all times.
- Antenna
- Device that sends and receives radio signals.
- A trained climber permitted to climb towers.
- Capstan hoist
- A powered hoist for lifting loads.
- Closeout package
- Photos and documents proving completed work.
- Coax
- Coaxial cable for RF signals.
- Competent climber
- A climber able to identify hazards and lead work.
- Gin pole
- A pole used to lift equipment on towers.
- Lanyard
- A connector between harness and anchor.
- Rescue plan
- A plan to rescue a climber at height.
- RF exposure
- Radio frequency energy that can be hazardous near antennas.
- RRU
- Remote radio unit.
- Small cell
- A low-power cell site on poles or buildings.
- Sweep test
- A test of cable and antenna performance.
- Tower mapping
- Documenting equipment on a tower.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Cell Tower Technician practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Cell Tower Technician training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.