Local Governments Ready to Work with Carriers on Wireless Collocation, NATOA Official Says

"We in local government … want more robust broadband coverage and more active competition,” Perez said. “In my 25 years of serving local governments … I have never heard one public official mention that or bemoan that their community has too much connectivity. We are fully vested in ensuring the rapid and efficient deployment of broadband wireless infrastructure. We understand that we're big users of wireless services for public safety and an array of applications that make government services more economical, more efficient and allow us to serve our constituents in new, economic ways.”

Associate Wireless Bureau Chief Jane Jackson said collocation is critical to addressing the U.S.’s need for wireless broadband. “We're making progress but it’s going to take time,” she said. “The demands on our nation’s wireless infrastructure are soaring. In order to meet this challenge, we must deploy the mobile broadband infrastructure that can take fullest advantage of the spectrum that’s available today. One way to do this is by leveraging the existing physical assets out there, by collocating wireless broadband towers on antennas and other available structures.” Jennifer Manner, Public Safety Bureau associate chief, said the issues raised are especially critical as public safety starts work on the new, national FirstNet. Collocation will be “instrumental” to “the design of the public safety broadband network and the continuing design and rollout of the narrowband networks,” she said.

"As each day passes, people expect to do more with their wireless device for less money,” said Ed Roach, associate general counsel at tower company SBA Communications. “Years ago, people would be excited if they could get a phone call somewhere. Now if they can’t download some app or some document they get upset. The expectation is very high.” And “as each day passes, it becomes more and more difficult to site a new tower,” Roach said. “When you put those two principles together, what ends up being critically important is collocation.” Collocation has helped carriers build out in markets more quickly and cheaply, Roach said. “In addition, collocation reduces new builds,” he said. “This is very important. It doesn’t eliminate the need for new builds but it reduces the need for them.” Roach said spectrum is important, but “without the infrastructure necessary, all the spectrum in the world will do you no good."

"With the increased demand for broadband and wireless services … and with the increased use of smartphones and tablets, the rapid deployment of new wireless facilities is more important than at any time in the history of the wireless industry,” said William Hackett, senior manager-federal regulatory compliance at T-Mobile: “One way for wireless carriers to rapidly deploy wireless facilities is, of course, through collocation.” T-Mobile views collocation as its best option, Hackett said. “We will actually put our antennas anywhere we can.” The Collocation Programmatic Agreement of 2001 has “streamlined the collocation process and created a set of rules for collocation on towers, buildings and other structures,” Hackett said. “By encouraging collocation, the FCC is reducing the number of towers that must be built, which also lessens the potential impact on historic property.”

Spectrum is deservedly getting a lot of attention, said Brian Kooyman, Sprint Nextel manager-wireless network/site development. “It’s a finite resource for us,” he said. “We look at it like the pipe through which communications happen. If you think of it like a highway it’s a good analogy. You have so many lanes that you can actually force cars to go through. Once you start running out of spaces to put those cars, you wind up with traffic jams.”