CWA urges industry to contact North Carolina Senate Commerce Committee
June 4, 2007 - The Carolinas Wireless Association is urging its members and other wireless communications professionals to support the North Carolina wireless facilities bill, S.831 .

The bill currently remains pending before the Senate Commerce Committee and is expected to be voted on this week, and committee members need to hear from industry members about the importance of the bill.

The association is requesting that interested parties should email or call as many committee member offices as they can to urge their support of the bill.

It is suggested that you:

Identify yourself and your interest in the bill.

Identify the bill by number (S.831 ) and topic (wireless telecommunications facilities).

Emphasize that the bill is important to the wireless communications industry because it will help bring consistency to the local review process.

Emphasize that, contrary to misinformation being spread by opponents, the bill does nothing to disturb a local government's traditional zoning and land use authority or safety rules.

Feel free to share any specific examples you have were local government processes have impeded wireless/tower deployment.

The telecommunications industry is trying to reduce the amount of information that wireless infrastructure builders have to provide in order to shorten the application process for cell towers. They would like to see the zoning boards evaluate their applications for wireless coverage in the same manner as other commercial endeavors, according to Brian Hurley, the chairman of the CWA.

Organizations Against S.831 include:
• N.C. League of Municipalities
• N.C. Association of County Commissioners
• N.C. Chapter of the American Planning Association
• N.C. Downtown Development Association
• N.C. Public Interest Research Group
• Preservation North Carolina
• Scenic North Carolina

Senate Commerce Committee Contact List