(UK) What are those tall roadside poles that are like lamp-posts, but no lights and a bulge at the top?

I've noticed over the past year an increasing number of these odd poles. They are like lamp posts, but with no light at the top. There is a more bulbous part at the top about 2-3m long maybe. Also there is always some sort of metal box at the base (? containing some electric/electronic equipment). My first guess was these were 3G phone masts, but I've seen several quite close together along a street e.g. 100-200 metres apart, so it seems too close for mobile phone masts. It must be some sort of communication device. Can anyone help?

Answers:
They are repeaters for cellphones; the reason there are several is that they belong to different providers who won't share poles.
Thingy's for the Sat nav systems?
Spy cameras for MI5.
They are a warning to the drivers that a photo of them is being taken to determine their speed. If they are speeding they will get a ticket in the mail.

Often the poles look like a barber's pole with helical black and white stripes.
Transformer Poles for Electricity
I thought they were masts for mobile phones
Speed cameras.
if its a yellow box its a speed camera, theres usually white road markings just after it then more a few meters after the 1st set of markings (if this is what you mean)
definately speed cameras for aeroplanes (lol)
I think they are repeater masts for mobiles.
i have no idea but i think its just a tricky poles to make drivers slow down,, false alart
The one in my street has a CCTV camera at the top, watching a bad road junction for traffic offences etc. I think its monitored by the police somewhere.
SEA POLES!!
I think I know the ones you mean & if Im right they are CCTV for traffic flow - most of the ones Ive seen are on busy main roads & painted blue.
They could be Wi-Fi hotspots. Large metropolitan areas have started to introduce wi-fi networks, and where it's not been possible to incorporate into existing street furniture such as i-point internet kiosks individual masts may have been used as a last resort. They're more likely to be phone masts or CCTV traffic cams however.

Don't rule out the possibility though that they may just be replacements for the ventilation pipes for the rainwater run-off network, which originally were black with a 'crown-like' top to the pole in the capital, with variations of the design elsewhere around the country.
Hmm. Difficult to tell exactly what you mean from your description. A link to a photo might be useful if you can find one.

My best guess from what you've said is CCTV traffic cameras, to monitor the flow of traffic and spot traffic jams etc. But without a pic there's no way I can guarantee that's what it is.
Hmmm, it seems from the above that no-one actually knows for sure. I'm bet Big Brother knows, though. We are monitored throughout our day in various ways, from supermarket 'points' cards to mobile phone usage - there's no such thing as privacy!
Apparently, according to government figures, there are over 1million poles in the UK with legal work permits, so what ever they are doing there they have work permits so BACK OFF they are only doing their jobs!
mobile phone mast,they usually have a big box on the ground next to them.
Mobile phone masts.

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