FCC streamlines antenna rules
The FCC made a decision late last week sure to make tower owners happy. Part 17 of rules and regulations for towers was streamlined, giving greater clarity to tower marking, lighting and registration. The update is intended to address what many in the industry, including PCIA, feel are redundancies that are costing companies valuable time and money that could be better spent building out infrastructure and adopting advanced technologies quicker. Click here to read PCIA’s official statement regarding the change, but I think this quote from it says it all, “We thank the FCC for these common-sense updates that will bring Part 17 into the 21st century.”
Another tower death
Tragedy strikes again in the communications tower industry. This time it wasn’t a tower climber, per se. Thomas Lucas, a self-employed man in Stockton, Illinois, was up on a communications tower doing some painting when he fell 90 feet to the ground and was pronounced dead on the site. The incident is still under investigation, so there may be more to follow on this story. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family in this difficult time.
Cemetery towers
In Hamilton, New Jersey, officials are considering a 100-foot cell tower on land bordering cemeteries. The vote to enact this has been put on hold, so the existing dead zone (no pun intended) in coverage will continue until a site can be agreed upon and the tower built. As of right now AT&T Mobility is the only company interested in building the tower, but locals suspect that others will co-locate on the tower once it is in place, since most carriers lack coverage in the area.
This brings up a very interesting, relatively unused idea: installing new cell towers in cemeteries. Think about it — a cemetery is one of the few places a tower can be built and there’s no one to complain about either health issues or property value. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for respecting the dead, but if there’s an area of the cemetery property that could be used for this and wouldn’t be built directly next to any graves, wouldn’t this be an ideal spot in which to put one? Unless, of course, you’re superstitious and fear the possibility of haunted calls.
Tower news quickies
- PCIA put out a press release praising the FCC’s forthcoming tower safety workshop.
- Popular Mechanics attempts to explain to the public why there aren’t more cell towers.
- Africa’s largest phone operator, MTN Group Ltd., is rumored to be in talks to sell its Nigerian tower network to IHS Holding — for about $1 BN.
Regional/local tower news
- Hearing on proposed cell tower in Tewksbury, New Jersey, now set for Sept. 17
- Saxtons River, Vermont, to hold cell tower meeting
- Verizon Wireless temporarily withdraws application for new cell tower in Loudon County, Tennessee
- Sea Bright, New Jersey, cell tower design changed
- Split decision: Graham, North Carolina, turns down cell tower request
- Gaston, North Carolina, town debates merits of cellphone tower
- Verizon Wireless drops cell tower plans for Whiteside Cover, North Carolina
- Appeal to be heard in cell tower case in Penn Valley, California
- Cell tower plans nixed near Cody, Wyoming
- Southbury, Connecticut’s deal for cell tower progressing
- Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, approves new cell tower
- Cell towers proposed for Bohemia Fire Department in Long Island, New York, raise neighbors’ concerns
- City of Alamosa, Colorado, delays cell tower approval
- Cell tower proposed at Elks Lodge 2503 in Concord, Missouri, withdrawn
- Boothbay, Maine, board of appeals rejects second cell tower proposal
- Methuen, Massachusetts, neighbors say cell tower threat to health, home values
- South Park, Pennsylvania, zoning board to meet on cell tower
- Land damaged by tower construction in Lewisboro, New York
This week’s edition of cell tower industry news is created by Jarad Matula and brought to you by Towercrews.net.
