WASHINGTON-The grass-roots backlash against antenna siting continued last week as lawsuits driven by environmentalists, soccer moms and organized labor were filed in three federal circuits to overturn the 1996 federal radio-frequency radiation exposure standard, while House legislation was uncorked to …
WASHINGTON-Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said last week he opposes the Leahy-Jeffords bill to repeal the antenna siting pre-emption law and will intervene if the wireless industry and state and local officials fail to resolve the controversy. “I …
WASHINGTON-In a stunning setback and reversal of fortune for the wireless industry, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and James Jeffords (R-Vt.) last week introduced legislation to gut antenna siting pre-emption provisions from the 1996 telecom act. “I do not want Vermont …
The Australian Communications Authority has postponed its planned auction of spectrum for personal communications services until early 1998 to clear up key policy issues that may be ambiguous to potential market entrants. The ACA was preparing to auction spectrum in …
Roberto Catalan, president of Argentina’s communications commission, known as CNC (Comision Nacional de Comunicaciones), recently completed a United States road show designed to attract investor interest for a personal communications services tender. The CNC is looking for foreign companies to …
Western PCS BTA 1 Corp. lost the first round of its battle with the city of Tucson, Ariz., over the city’s new zoning ordinance. Western claims the law prohibits it from providing service in Tucson. U.S. District Court Judge William …
WASHINGTON-A merger between long-distance giant AT&T Corp. and local telco stalwart SBC Communications Inc. would raise wireless competition questions and face legal and regulatory hurdles that could prove insurmountable, according to antitrust policy experts. At $50 billion, an AT&T-SBC marriage …
BOCA RATON, Fla.-Cellular towers constructed on the property of schools in Boca Raton, Fla. are receiving increased scrutiny by city officials. The Palm Beach County School district apparently thought it could bypass county and municipal zoning regulations when it leased …
Cellular carriers in the city of Grand Forks, N.D., said their systems are faring well despite massive flooding that has forced most of the city’s 50,000 residents to leave their homes for higher and dryer ground. Western Wireless Corp., operating …
ARLINGTON, Va.-RFM Facilities Management, a subsidiary of TeleCom Towers Inc., has been hired to provide antenna site management services for NationsBank Services Inc. The agreement calls for RFM Facilities to provide services at more than 1,350 buildings and properties located …
Antenna placement at the new Denver International Airport is on hold until carriers can convince airport authorities that additional sites won’t cause interference. “We didn’t spend $8 million building a radio system for this airport to have anyone come in …
Laws won’t stop traffic accidents Dear Editor: I am sure that law enforcement will want to lead the way to safer driving by laying down their mobile radio microphones while operating their cruisers, and motorbikes. Sure they will. The police …
WASHINGTON-At least one federal agency appears to be stepping up to the plate regarding expedited siting of new wireless towers and antennas in an effort to comply with the August 1996 presidential memo regarding unimpeded building of such network elements …
DENVER-The city of Denver is close to adopting a new zoning ordinance pertaining to wireless tower and antenna siting. Denver carriers and the city have been working together since January on crafting a new ordinance, which is set to be …
This is the fifth and last installment in the exclusive RCR five-part series highlighting the results of the 1997 National Wireless Opinion Poll conducted by TynanGroup, Inc., of Santa Barbara, Calif., in December. The margin of error associated with the …
As buildout battles blossom across the nation, many industry leaders are coming to recognize that success in site acquisition requires a comprehensive strategy for maintaining good relations with communities. The smart money is betting that front-end investments in community outreach …
With up to nine wireless carriers in every major U.S. city competing for their share of the wireless telephone market, the recent winners of the C, D, E and F auctions are facing some of the most difficult challenges to …
After a 1993 lawsuit charged a woman’s brain tumor was the result of her cellular phone use, the wireless industry funded an independent research program to study any possible link between brain cancer or any other health maladies and the …
GTE Wireless Inc. said it turned on service ahead of time in Cincinnati last week due, in part, to the existence of clear city zoning regulations. “I correctly advised [GTE] not to expect the FCC to completely exempt siting of …
WASHINGTON-This may be the last year San Francisco will serve as the venue for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association’s still-growing annual convention and exposition. Every square foot of the huge Moscone Center has been booked for weeks; the waiting list …
The idea of using laminated wood poles instead of steel for antenna towers made salesman Don Simon say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” “When the zoning people reject the steel, you bring out the wood,” said Simon of Mountain …
This is the third installment in the exclusive RCR five-part series highlighting the results of the 1997 National Wireless Opinion Poll conducted by TynanGroup Inc., of Santa Barbara, Calif., in December. This article explores public attitudes on tower siting and …
WASHINGTON-Following the conclusion of last year’s C-block personal communications services auction and of its 900 MHz specialized mobile radio auction, several winners that made their required down payments defaulted in one way or another on their second payments. Those second …
WASHINGTON-Despite carrier and Federal Communications Commission efforts to mitigate the situation, there still is plenty of confusion regarding wireless tower siting out in the suburbs. Many jurisdictions and their constituents either don’t understand new federal rules that mandate “no blocking” …
This is the second installment in the exclusive RCR five-part series highlighting the results of the 1997 National Wireless Opinion Poll conducted by TynanGroup, Inc., of Santa Barbara, Calif., in December. This article explores the public attitudes on wireless technology …
