WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency plan to create a tower location database though a memorandum of understanding that requires them to exchange unclassified database information on tower locations on a quarterly basis.
The FCC will provide information from its Antenna Structure Registration database, and NIMA will contribute its Digital Vertical Obstruction File for the database. The agencies believe the MOU will assist them in maintaining information on tower and antenna facilities for purposes of national security, aircraft navigation safety and the deployment of wireless communications services.
The FCC plans to use NIMA’s database to improve the ASR database and possibly to create a database of tower sites or possible tower sites to assist in the collocation of facilities. Meanwhile, NIMA will use its improved database to provide imagery and imagery information to national, military and civilian customers to support national security objectives.
