Utility pole facts for kids

This pole carries telephone, electricity, and cable TV wires. You can even see two pairs of shoes hanging from the wires!

A utility pole is a tall pole that holds up important wires. These wires carry things like electricity, telephone signals, and cable TV. You might also hear them called telegraph poles, telephone poles, or power poles. They are a common sight in towns and cities all over the world.

Utility poles first started appearing in the mid-1800s. At first, they only carried one wire. But as technology grew, they began to hold many wires, especially in busy areas. In Canada, people often call them hydro poles. This is because many electric companies there have "Hydro" in their name.

Most utility poles are made of wood. However, their materials can be different depending on the country. Other common materials include steel and concrete. Sometimes, newer materials like fibreglass are also used. In some places, like the UK, poles have special brackets. These brackets help workers climb up safely to fix or connect wires.

What Do Utility Poles Do?

Utility poles play a big role in our daily lives. They help deliver essential services to our homes and schools.

Carrying Electricity

One main job of these poles is to carry electricity. Power lines run along the poles, bringing electricity from power plants to your neighborhood. This electricity powers lights, computers, and all your electronic devices. For very high-voltage power, much larger structures called pylons are used instead of poles.

Connecting Communications

Utility poles also carry communication lines. These include wires for telephones and internet. They also carry cables for cable television. Often, a single pole will carry both power lines and communication lines. This saves space and makes it easier to set up these services.

Where Are Utility Poles Found?

Utility poles are found almost everywhere people live. They are a key part of our modern infrastructure.

Poles Around the World

The look of utility poles can be different from country to country. For example, in parts of Europe, power lines often run straight across fields. You might not see as many poles lining the roads there. In North America, it's very common to see poles along streets. These poles often have many different types of wires and equipment attached.

Old and New Poles

Some utility poles have been standing for a very long time. Japan has a pole from 1923 that is still in use today! When poles get old or damaged, they need to be replaced. Workers carefully remove the old pole and put a new one in its place. This helps keep our power and communication systems working safely.

Images for kids

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  Wooden electricity poles in Germany. In central Europe, lines usually run just straight across fields, rows of poles accompanying roads are quite rare.

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  Steel utility pole in Darwin, Australia

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  Typical North American utility pole, showing hardware for a residential 240/120 V split-phase service drop: (A,B,C) 3-phase primary distribution wires, (D) neutral wire, (E) fuse cutout, (F) lightning arrestor, (G) single phase distribution transformer, (H) ground wire to transformer case, (J) "triplex" service drop cable carries secondary current to customer, (K) telephone and cable television cables

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  A joint-use utility pole in China

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  Standard arrangement for telephone poles

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  Head of a 400 V pole in Switzerland. In Europe, insulators usually were attached directly at the pole.

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  Several power poles made of concrete

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  Pre-apprentice lineman class climbing telephone poles

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  From 1923, the oldest utility pole in Japan, still in use in the city of Hakodate.

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  Poles in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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  Markings on a BT post

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  The tags on a Delmarva Power subtransmission pole located in Crisfield, Maryland, United States. The faded tag reads "733"

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  A utility pole replacement in Saugus, Massachusetts, United States

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  Tag and marking on the bottom of a wooden utility pole before it is installed

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  Telegraph pole with spars, insulators and open wires on a now decommissioned Railway Pole Route, Eccles Road, Norfolk, United Kingdom

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  White storks (Ciconia ciconia) in their nest on a utility pole in Romania

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  Brandings on a pole in Salisbury, Maryland, United States

See also

In Spanish: Poste para niños