NATE Newsroom:

NATE and Member Companies Crown Castle and Network Building + Consulting, LLC Host Tower Climbing Experience and Advocacy Event in D.C. Beltway

Posted on: October 16, 2024 Category: Legislative & Regulatory

For Immediate Release:
October 16, 2024

(Manassas Park, VA) – NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and member companies Crown Castle and Network Building + Consulting, LLC hosted a cell tower climbing experience and legislative advocacy event at a Crown Castle tower in Manassas Park, Virginia. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr also attended the event as a special guest.

At the event, participants included Capitol Hill staff members, FCC personnel, and think tank representatives. They were given a unique opportunity to be fitted with the appropriate fall protection equipment and experience climbing a telecommunications tower under the watchful guidance of safety trainers and certified technicians. Participants also learned firsthand the work that is conducted daily by vertical real estate companies, contractors, and technicians to build, maintain and deploy communications sites and related wireless broadband infrastructure.

Additionally, the event provided an invaluable forum for hosts NATE, Crown Castle, and Network Building + Consulting, LLC to highlight the industry’s current legislative priorities, which include the following policy areas:

  • Network Security/Funding the $3 Billion “Rip and Replace” Shortfall
  • Restoring the FCC’s Spectrum Auction Authority/Access to Future Spectrum Pipelines
  • Streamlining the Permitting Process and Addressing Agency Delays to Expedite Deployment
  • Resolving Pole Attachment Issues Impacting Broadband Deployment and Investment
  • Implementing a Technology Neutral Approach/Eligibility for BEAD Program Funding
  • Workforce Development/Role of Tower Tech Curriculum and Apprenticeship Programs

“NATE representatives are frequently asked about what it is like to climb a tower during the Association’s meetings in Washington, D.C., and so it was great to make this tangible experience a reality for the telecom centric staff members we collaborate with,” said President & CEO Todd Schlekeway. “Additionally, today’s event helped move the needle on highlighting the industry’s legislative and regulatory priorities. NATE would like to thank member companies Crown Castle and Network Building + Consulting, LLC for partnering with us to make this climbing experience memorable for all participants,” added Schlekeway.

“We are pleased to host Commissioner Carr and other esteemed staff members at our tower today,” said Kyle Stewart, Public Policy Manager at Crown Castle. “It is imperative that we work with our federal partners to create policies that ease the deployment of wireless infrastructure to support the increasing wireless demand. Today was a great opportunity to show and tell how our towers along with small cells and fiber provide essential wireless coverage to businesses, residents and first responders.”  

“It was a privilege to be involved with this climbing experience event,” stated Ryan Schock, Program Manager at Network Building + Consulting, LLC. “I was especially pleased that several of our company’s hard-working tower technicians were able to help facilitate the participant tower climbs and utilize the occasion as an opportunity to discuss the vital roles companies like Network Building + Consulting, LLC play on the front lines to enable connectivity in Virginia and throughout the country,” Schock added.

For more information on NATE, visit www.natehome.com. For more information on Crown Castle, visit https://www.crowncastle.com/. For more information on Network Building + Consulting, LLC visit https://www.networkbuilding.com/.

Tower Climb Photo 1

(Above) Representatives from NATE, Crown Castle, and NB+C pose for a photo outside the tower compound prior to the NATE Climbing Experience Event in Manassas Park, Virginia.

Tower Climb Photo 2 (Left) Matt Warner, Attorney Advisor at the FCC, smiles as he prepares to ascend the tower at the NATE Climbing Experience Event in Manassas Park, Virginia!
(Right) Nicole Herman, staff member at U.S. Senator John Thune’s office, stops for a photo before preparing to experience a tower climb at a Crown Castle tower site in Manassas Park, Virginia! Tower Climb Photo 3
Tower Climb Photo 4 Tower Climb Photo 5

(Above) FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr poses for a photo with members of the NB+C team (left), and Members of the Crown Castle team pose for a photo (right) at the NATE Climbing Experience Event in Manassas Park, Virginia.

Tower Climb Photo 7

(Above) NATE Board of Directors member Randy Scott of Texoma Contracting, Inc. assists a few Congressional Staff members with their harness gear prior to climbing the tower. 

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About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association

NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to providing a unified voice for companies in the diverse tower, broadband and communications infrastructure industries. It is recognized as the tower industry leader in promoting safety, standards, and education. Today, the Association boasts approximately 900 member companies (mostly small businesses) that construct, service or maintain hundreds of thousands of communications towers and next generation networks throughout the United States and 12 other countries. 

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About Crown Castle

Crown Castle is the nation’s largest provider of shared communications infrastructure. Our portfolio connects cities and communities to essential data, technology, and broadband service — bringing information, ideas, and innovations to the people and businesses that need them. With a unique combination of towers, small cells and fiber, Crown Castle’s nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data technology and wireless service. We are invested in Virginia and currently have 885 towers, 605 small cell nodes, and 1,175 fiber miles providing coverage to more than 73% of the Commonwealth where 65 of our employees make their homes.

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About Network Building + Consulting, LLC

NB+C is a telecommunications development firm delivering excellence for more than 35 years. From our four walls to the real world, we put next generation wireless within reach – offering a full scope of solutions, from early-stage project planning to engineering and construction, for clients in the wireless, fiber, and utility industries.

Our team of telecom professionals brings a depth of knowledge and breadth of experience across program types. You won’t find a team more driven and committed to helping you succeed, working to bring real-world outcomes that connect communities globally.

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Contact: Todd Schlekeway 
(605) 882-5865