Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has learned first-hand what it’s like to be a tower climber during his Bridging the Digital Divide road trip.
During a Tuesday visit to an SBA Communications site near De Beque, Colo., the chairman had the opportunity to climb a 131-foot cell tower. EasTex Tower LLC safety personnel and tower technicians fitted Pai with “appropriate fall protection equipment,” supervised his climb and discussed their work him.
Pai, as is his wont, tweeted about the experience.
It may look like a 131-foot cell tower, but at that moment it felt like Everest. Gulp. pic.twitter.com/bVM6jMHwjB
— Ajit Pai (@AjitPai) August 21, 2018
Whew! Climbed to the top. Thanks to @NATEsafety, EasTex Tower, and SBA for letting me get a literal bird’s-eye view at the top of this 131-foot cell tower. Wireless infrastructure is essential for mobile broadband services; great to see firsthand what it takes to make it happen. pic.twitter.com/EpXgrICgLQ
— Ajit Pai (@AjitPai) August 21, 2018
“I applaud Chairman Pai’s initiative to get out in the field in order to experience first-hand the safe work practices, diverse skill sets, knowledge base and work-ethic that are required of today’s tower technicians to conduct safe and successful wireless deployments,” EasTex Tower President and CEO and NATE Board of Directors Vice Chairman Jim Miller said in a press release from the National Association of Tower Erectors.
Both SBA Communications and EasTex Tower are NATE member companies.
