BACKGROUND

Wireless communications networks are becoming more prevalent throughout the world to provide the necessary capacity to meet the demand for bandwidth. Installing or expanding wireless networks, however, is more than just placing an antenna on communication towers. Maintaining the communication infrastructure after installation, including the antennas, is needed to ensure a reliable wireless communications network.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the disclosure provides a sensor based monitoring system (SBMS) for a wireless communications network. In one example, the SBMS includes: (1) a monitoring device configured to collect antenna data of an antenna mounted on a communications structure of a wireless communications network and communicate the antenna data over a wireless network, and (2) a SBMS server configured to provide actionable intelligence based on the antenna data and system data of the wireless communications network from at least one other data source.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a monitoring device for a SBMS. In one example, the monitoring device includes: (1) cellular connectivity circuitry configured to send and receive data via a cellular network, (2) sensing circuitry configured to sense antenna data of a mounted antenna, and (3) a processor configured to direct the sensing circuitry to sense the antenna data according to a profile, and control the cellular connectivity circuitry to send the antenna data to a SBMS server according to the profile.

In yet another aspect the disclosure provides SBMS server for a cellular network. In one example, the SBMS server includes: (1) data storage configured to store antenna data from antennas mounted on communications structures of the cellular network and system data of the cellular network, and (2) a processor configured to generate actionable intelligence for one or more of the communications structure based on an analysis of the antenna data and the system data.

