Tower sitings, co-location -- one industry's creative approach to antenna placement. Mike Allred, Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, SBC Wireless, 17330 Preston Rd., Suite 100A, Dallas, TX 75252. Ph. 972/733-8383. <ma3972@sbc.com>.

Al Manville’s introduction of the fifteenth speaker, Mike Allred.

Our next speaker comes from Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, SBC Wireless, from Dallas, Texas. He’s worked with them for the past 10 years. He’s held several positions in his capacity with that firm including manager for cellular tower construction, manager for facilities, and manager for EPA compliance. Mike Allred is going to be talking this afternoon about tower sitings and co-location; one industries creative approach to antenna placement. Mike.

Mike Allred

[The following text is adapted from the author’s abstract for the conference. Various slides were used by the speaker.]

The presenter reviewed some creative approaches to siting and mounting cellular antennas. His discussion included some of the mandates under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that a communications or tower company must consider, as well as issues related to tower placement and co-location with other carriers. He also reviewed the NEPA checklist, which includes the following: is the facility (including the tower structure, road[s], wires, etc.) to be located in an officially designated wilderness area; is the facility located in an officially designated preserve; will the facility affect threatened or endangered species or critical habitat; will the facility be located in, on, or within an area significant to American history; will the facility affect an Indian religious site; will the facility be located in a flood plain; will the construction change surface features; will the facility be equipped with intensity lights; will power levels be within specified FCC guidelines; and will this site cause any public controversy?

Slides were also shown depicting creative ways cellular antennas can and are being mounted (e.g., on monopoles, behind billboards, in church steeples, on buildings, and on water towers).

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