WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association is awaiting Justice Department approval for a national database that will include information on potential wireless site locations targeting new and collocation opportunities. Justice is expected to take two to three months to vet the plan.
According to the association, the Site Search Clearinghouse “will be a secure computerized database … When a carrier begins site acquisition/construction activity in a particular area within its licensed market, it can submit search ring information for its proposed sites to PCIA for entry into the SSC database.”
Upon receiving this information, the database will determine whether any of the applicant’s search rings overlap with those of another carrier, thus pinpointing collocation possibilities. The database also may have the future capability of disseminating information regarding existing structures that could be used for antenna sites.
“With the growing wave of anti-tower sentiments, the wireless industry needs to take innovative approaches to ensure consumers have access to the wireless services they want. At the same time, we need to be mindful of local concerns with respect to the infrastructure necessary to make those services work. Collocation is one of the ways to accomplish both of these objectives. Part and parcel with that, however, is the need for a central database that any carrier can use to maximize collocation opportunities,” said PCIA President Jay Kitchen.
