The Federal Communications Commission is fining General Communication Inc (GCI) $620,500 for cellular towers that are not compliant with FCC regulations.
GCI spokesman David Morris says much of the are due to the company’s acquisition of four cellular companies in the last seven years.
Morris: “When you acquire companies, you acquire what took place and so in this place the large majority have to do with registration and how that’s filed with the FCC. In three cases it had to do with how the towers were lit.”
GCI reported to issues to the FCC after finding 118 towers were unregistered with the FCC’s Antenna Structure Registration system and three unlit towers that were close to airports in Fairbanks and western Alaska.
In the FCC’s announcement of the fine, Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau Travis LeBlanc states, “Unregistered and unlit towers pose unacceptable risks to air and public safety. It is essential that communications towers are properly registered prior to construction, as well as properly lighted, to ensure that air traffic is aware of tower locations.”
GCI has 30 days to remit the full fine amount and has worked with FCC staff to create a three-year period during which the company will bring all cellular towers into compliance.
Morris: “We’re here for the long term and the way that you do things for the long term is make sure that you’re a good operator. So we wanted to make sure that the safety issues were addressed and they were and no one was in any danger at any point. And the registration issue, we wanted to make sure that was done as well.”
Morris says this does not put any of GCI’s upgrades on hold but actually helps them move forward.