PCIA becomes PCIA
The Personal Communications Industry Association, a membership organization in Alexandria, Va., has made changes to reflect its focus on the wireless infrastructure industry.
The organization will no longer use the “formal, spelled-out” version of its name, preferring now to be called simply PCIA.
The use of the organization’s “tower owners and managers” membership section name, SOMA (Site Owners and Managers Alliance) has been discontinued, with former SOMA members now being referred to simply as PCIA members.
PCIA represents companies that develop, own, manage and operate towers and other facilities for the provision of all types of wireless, broadcasting and telecommunications services.
Founded in the era of land mobile radio, continuing through paging and messaging’s rise and fall, and transitioning from personal communications services to tower and antenna siting, PCIA has said that it has been instrumental in facilitating the emergence and growth of core wireless services by providing members with the expertise and support to address regulatory, marketplace and technical issues that have most effect on member businesses.
A statement from PCIA said that the backbone of wireless communication — tower and antenna siting, or wireless infrastructure — is one of the most vital telecommunications sectors. The association said that, as fundamental elements to the growth of all wireless communications, towers and antennas are essential to the formation of carrier networks that transmit voice and data.
“PCIA has made the wireless infrastructure our primary focus because what these companies offer is not discretionary — it is a vital and essential part of all wireless communications now and moving forward. From federal level advocacy to hosting the only trade show for the industry, by the industry, PCIA is the only organization dedicated to year-round support and advancement of the wireless infrastructure industry,” said Jay Kitchen, the organization’s president.
PCIA said that its had asked the FAA to streamline rules and procedures that affect tower owners and managers. In addition, PCIA is providing local governments with draft language that promotes co-location of towers and working with the FCC to clarify exemptions for new towers.
