The carrier's authoritative RF data sheet for a wireless site. Defines every antenna, azimuth, tilt, and line — and gates acceptance.
RFDS (RF Data Sheet) is the carrier engineering package that tells the field crew exactly how a wireless site is to be configured: antenna models, azimuths, mechanical and electrical tilts, AGL heights, line and radio assignments, and bonding details. It is the document the site is built to and accepted against.
HexTel crews verify RFDS adherence at three checkpoints: pre-climb documentation review, mid-install dimensional checks (azimuth via compass + GPS, tilt via inclinometer, AGL via tape from grade), and post-install close-out photos against every line on the RFDS. Any field deviation goes through an RFDS change request with the carrier RF engineer before the crew commits.
RFDS = RF Data Sheet. It is the carrier's authoritative drawing and configuration package for a wireless site, defining every radio-frequency-relevant detail: antenna model, azimuth, mechanical and electrical tilt, AGL (above-ground level) mounting height, line and connector types, ground/lightning bonding, and radio configuration.
The RFDS is what the carrier's RF engineer signed off on for performance. If a field crew installs an antenna 2° off azimuth or mounts it 5 feet below the spec'd AGL, the site won't perform the way the engineer modeled — coverage holes, interference into adjacent cells, or failed acceptance. The RFDS is checked at every step from delivery through close-out.
A complete RFDS includes: sector layouts and azimuths, antenna model and per-port assignments, mechanical and electrical tilt per sector, AGL per antenna, transmission line / hybrid / fiber-to-the-antenna routing, RRU/radio mounting plan, tower-top amplifier (TMA) configuration, and grounding/bonding diagrams. Carrier templates vary — T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Dish each have their own format.
A diagram on the RFDS showing every transmission line, fiber jumper, and radio connection from the equipment shelter or cabinet up the tower to each antenna port. Crews use it to plan cable runs, lengths, and tag/label discipline before climbing.
The carrier's RF engineering team. On programs run through a turn-key vendor, the vendor's RF design group may issue the RFDS under carrier delegation. Either way, it ships with the construction work package and any field deviation requires a formal RFDS change request.
A field deviation request (FDR) or RFDS change request goes back to the RF engineer with photos, measurements, and the proposed change. Construction does not proceed off-spec without written approval — the deviation has to be modeled and re-signed before install.
A 30-minute scoping call covers your portfolio, carrier mix, and the closeout standard your acceptance team requires.
