State wireless associations have increasingly become the focus of larger wireless industry trade groups looking to bring more hands-on experience to their causes. This has been especially true of wireless infrastructure groups like PCIA and NATE that focus their efforts on the nuts-and-bolts of putting together wireless networks. In April, 11 state wireless associations will be converging in Mississippi for the South Wireless Summit 2013.
RCR Wireless News recently caught up with Steve Nicley, South Wireless Summit 2013 Chairperson, to get more insight into the importance of state wireless associations, which Nicley belongs to a handful of, as well as information on the upcoming South Wireless Summit scheduled for April 2-4 in Tunica, Miss.
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RCR Wireless News: We repeatedly heard during the NATE 2013 conference last month that there is an acute shortage of qualified tower climbers available in the industry today. How are the industry and more specifically the state wireless associations dealing with these issues?
Steve Nicley: For the first time we are having a panel discussion that will be led by the staffing industry, Axis, Keneticom, Allstates, Telforce and Telecom Careers that will focus on the wireless industry, its trends, needs and future outlook for 2013 and 2014.
RCRWN: What impact will small cell densification have on the people and companies who work in the wireless infrastructure industry?
Nicley: This year the South Wireless Summit will have a panel discussion on small cells that will include DAS, small cells and other alternative installations to augment the needs of the future LTE networks for the carriers in 2013 and 2014.
RCRWN: What impact will small cell have on building owners and municipalities and how is this shaping the role of the state wireless associations?
Nicley: This will be an opportunity for building owners to add to their rental roles for installation of small cells on their properties; however, the property owners will need to adjust their expectations for rent and will need to get away from the macro cell rent model and adjust to a lower small cell rental model.
RCRWN: Why was the South Wireless Summit created and what can you tell us about this year’s event?
Nicley: Last year six wireless associations created the South Wireless Summit to fill in a meeting need due to CTIA moving to a May meeting. We chose Tunica, Miss., as a central location for all these states and envisioned an active couple of days of education and recreational events. We had the good fortune to have seven associations (Fla., Tenn., Ken., Ga., Ala., Miss./La., Ark./Okla.) participate and drew over 400 people. We focused the proceeds to fund college scholarships for members of the wireless community’s families. As a result of the 2012 South Wireless Summit, we awarded over $49,000 in scholarship funds to seven deserving college students covering the seven participating wireless associations.
For 2013, The South Wireless Summit has 10 wireless associations participating: Texas, The Carolinas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas/Oklahoma. We anticipate over 500 participants this year with an educational content that highlights a small cell panel, a tower company and tower analyst panel, and a staffing company panel discussion.
Also, there will be mini meetings with topics that will include generators, tower audits, tower mapping, azimuth verification, stealth facilities and ancillary parts for installation. We have three great keynote speakers: Jonathan Adelstein, president of PCIA on Tuesday night; Marc Ganzi, president of Global Tower Partners for midday on Wednesday; and for the WWLF breakfast on Thursday morning, Sherry Stegall, SVP of C-Spire.
Once again for 2013, all the proceeds from the event will go to fund 10 college scholarships for the 10 participating wireless associations for college-age offspring of wireless industry professionals.
