Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in PCIA’s Wireless Infrastructure 2010 show guide.
When Pat Tant and a few other people decided to meet at a local restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn., to discuss a local zoning issue, the first state wireless association was born – only no one realized it at that moment.
Fast forward a few years to today’s State Wireless Association Program efforts and you’ll find an interesting mix of grass-roots advocacy, charitable work, networking opportunities and national-level support. The success of the 27 state associations is pretty remarkable – more than $1 million has been donated to charities alone. In addition, municipal groups are starting to seek out advice from some state wireless associations as they help shape wireless policies, and employees from wireless operators are joining and even leading some of the volunteer organizations.
“At first carriers were admittedly skeptical about a group of volunteers getting involved in external affairs,” said Connie Durcsak, senior director for industry and government relations at PCIA. But through the years, operators, tower owners and the rest of the professionals in the infrastructure industry are realizing the work that SWAPs can supplement the work of the individual companies. Tenessee, Alabama and Georgia were the pioneer SWAP initiatives. Durcsak joked that when PCIA became involved in 2005, “we thought we might have a dozen associations in 10 years.”
Instead the SWAP effort has been successful on a number of fronts. Each association is different, but each group has advocacy and education efforts, a charitable arm and networking events. “We want each SWAP to keep that grass-roots flavor,” Durcsak noted. “When advocacy becomes boots on the ground, we’ve had a lot of success.”
“The carriers can’t be everywhere,” said Jon Dohm, president of the California State Wireless Association and a zoning manager for the west at Crown Castle International Corp. SWAP efforts are designed to help the operator deploy networks. “We aren’t working at cross purposes. We have always envisioned being an organization that helps carriers deploy networks.”
Indeed, several SWAP presidents talked respectfully about how carrier involvement helps the association, and how the SWAPs are careful to navigate what individual carrier companies are doing – lobbying at the state level for example – and the efforts of the volunteer groups. “We’re there for information, support and guidance,” said Rick Flynt, president of The Texas State Wireless Association, who works at C-Mark Corp.
Associations share success stories with each other and aid each others’ efforts, noted Nancy Chrisman, PCIA’s SWAP director. And because each association is unique, there are a variety of different projects. Chrisman’s role, among other things, is to shepard forming, set expectations associations to their launch; coach, counsel and support existing associations toward the realization of their vision; and provide a forum for the more than 240 board members for goals the first year and help so come together to share their ideas, challenges and best practices.
CalWA, the California association, counts 1,000 active members and as such, has the resources to help make a difference in zoning regulations, education and advocacy efforts. The group produced a professional quality video called, “You can’t have one without the other” that helps explain to groups how infrastructure is required for wireless communications. The association’s advisory board – comprised of senior personnel at operators and tower companies – tries to meet four times a year to plan high-level strategy. Since California is one of the more difficult states to site towers, the organization has taken efforts to strengthen its regulatory and education efforts, Dohm said.
The New York State Wireless Association counts more than 1,200 members, said NYSWA President Douglas Dimitroff, a lawyer with Philips Lytle L.L.P. The New York association also spends a predominant amount of time on advocacy efforts. Its regulatory committee is the largest of the committees, he noted. “There are 1,500 municipalities in New York. Trying to keep track of that is a daunting task.” The New York organization holds trade shows, marking its third event this June.
The Michigan Wireless Association held its inaugural meeting in March, said Mike Lord, MWA president and regional VP of network operations for MetroPCS Communications Inc., although people started working to form the group long before that. Lord said he was a little skeptical at first that wireless companies could support each other because the industry is so competitive. “But you go to a zoning meeting and hear the same things. All of the carriers are facing the same issues. We’d heard about the other successes and thought it was about high time we joined the fray and give ourselves a unified voice.”
Charitable efforts
As proud as association presidents are of their volunteer boards and advocacy efforts, they are also pretty pumped up by their charity work, which often involves a golf outing or two. Each state group picks their own charities. The Florida Wireless Association, for example, gives to Make-A-Wish Foundation and Special Operations Warriors Foundation, a nonprofit that helps children of fallen soldiers, said Mike Belski, president of the FWA and an employee at Global Tower Partners.
While the associations give to established charities, several also have quickly raised funds to help when a tower industry employee falls upon hard times. “We believe in helping our own as well,” noted Belski.
Company support
Of course, none of the SWAPs would have the measure of success they enjoy today without the backing of their parent companies. Employees who volunteer their time in SWAPs have to have the backing of their parent companies, which also help with the back-office work, Durcsak noted. State wireless associations have websites and e-mail alerts, plan educational and recreational events, as well as having to find places to hold networking events.
History of the groups
“The idea of a state wireless association happened somewhat by chance and somewhat by hope,” said Pat Tant, chairman of the National SWAP Executive Committee and VP of network Strategy at Mobilitie L.L.C. “In 1999, Knoxville and Knox County, Tenn., were encountering difficulty and resistance in building tower sites for the then seven license holders. Those were certainly the days when we on the infrastructure side of the house worked for Tritel, Nextel, Sprint, Powertel, Chasetel, GTE, BellSouth Mobility. The result of a strict zoning ordinance was the gathering of interested wireless professionals from all aspects of the industry coming together to discuss the best approach to combat the issue at hand – simply get our clients on air. A few people were contacted at local and regional tower companies, carriers, service providers, and legal representatives working within our industry. This group of interested parties totaled over 40 for a ‘discussion meeting.’ To make a very long story short, the industry was successful in changing the ordinance and moving forward with site builds.”
Tant quickly went on to sit on two more association boards – Alabama and Georgia. “I was never surprised by the response and interest in other states following suit due to the outstanding success Tennessee had,” Tant said. “What I may have been surprised with was the amount of time and work it was taking to launch new associations.”
In 2005, SWAP was born – the official national State Wireless Association Program – under the auspices of PCIA. Five years-plus into it, it seems like a good move for all involved.