Communications Towers

If you own, lease or want to build a communications tower, Garvey Schubert Barer has the experience and expertise to advise you on the full range of regulatory issues. We can help you

• Comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Aviation Administration regulations
• Meet historic preservation and other federal environmental laws
• Fulfill federal, state and local safety requirements
• Respond to FCC enforcement actions charging violations of the agency's painting, lighting, fencing and other antenna regulations

Our lawyers also conduct due diligence audits for clients selling or acquiring tower properties. Additionally, we structure sale/leaseback arrangements for tower owners.

Because of our expertise in tower regulation, Garvey Schubert Barer often is hired to help municipalities and private attorneys in local communities interpret provisions of the Communications Act of 1934. These provisions involve zoning, permitting and environmental issues, such as the effect of towers on migratory birds and protected habitats; they also involve aesthetic concerns.

Our tower clients include governmental bodies that either own towers or lease them. We help these clients comply with regulatory requirements; conduct audits of antenna structures; and negotiate advantageous leases, licenses and construction agreements with cellular and other wireless carriers.

Two Garvey Schubert Barer lawyers recently co-authored Broadcast Towers: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Money on Vertical Real Estate. This book, published in 2008 by the National Association of Broadcasters, contains comprehensive, practical advice on the business, technical and legal aspects of tower ownership and the leasing process. The book also explains how broadcasters that own towers and tower sites can comply with federal, state and local laws while generating revenue.