Hidden in plain sight is one of the most important communications networks in the US called AT&T long lines.

✅ WATCH NEXT - "The last electronics store"    • The last electronics store in the Uni...  

✅ WATCH NEXT - VINTAGE VIDEO GEAR    • Discovering vintage video gear with a...  

✅ TELL ME WHO I SHOULD TALK TO NEXT! https://www.petemeets.com/contact

What are AT&T Long Lines?

Before satellites and fiber optics transmitted information across the United States, there was a cold-war era communications network called long lines. It’s a microwave relay network with thousands of towers across the United States each about 40 miles apart.

I got hooked on the Long Lines network after running across some eerily beautiful photographs taken by Spencer Harding. Each truck-sized horn antenna pointed to yet another tower, crisscrossing the US.

The installations were hardened with blast-proof bunkers and were designed to enable critical military communications during a nuclear attack. By design, most are located in remote areas, far from population centers but thousands are still hidden in plain sight.

Were there towers near me? Could I get inside? I had so many questions, so I found an expert named Mike who took me to the Mojave Desert to show me his favorite site.

I hope you enjoy this video. Be warned, you may start googling your way down a rabbit hole like me.

Shout out to my guide Mike and Jack Beyer for the drone footage. Spencer Harding's book inspired this video, thanks for letting me use your images. Find Spencer's work here: https://spencerjharding.com/