CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Tower Summit Keynotes: Room S224, SOUTH BLDG
Track I: Room S224, SOUTH BLDG
Track II: Room S225, SOUTH BLDG

WEDNESDAY APRIL 1, 2009
1:50 - 2:50 pm	TRACK I Finding the Money: Funding Your Tower in Tough Economic Times This year the tower industry, like most of America, faces unprecedented financial challenges. For the tower owner, is having a solid business plan enough? Can you get the cash you need to expand and grow? Our panel of experts will answer these questions and more, including: What are your towers worth? Where is the industry going? What does the future look like for tower businesses? And where will the money come from? Listen to leading financial analysts and investors as they discuss the impact of the economy on the tower marketplace, the industry's growth projections, and insights on both public and privately held tower companies. This session will include an outlook on valuation, industry consolidation, and capital structures. Challenges abound, but so do opportunities. If you are a tower owner needing the cash to expand and advance your business, this session is absolutely a must. Moderator: Clayton Funk, Managing Director, Media Venture Partners Bruce Eatroff, Partner, Halyard Capital Daniel Ryan, CEO, BAC Communications Infrastructure Group Matt Newton, Partner, Columbia Capital
	TRACK II Tower Siting & Coping With Regulatory Issues in a New Administration Despite the economy, the marketplace is still driving demand for tower space, and tower owners understand that tower funding and siting is just the first challenge they face. Let's assume you have managed to find the cash to build new towers, but other challenges loom. This panel will discuss the current environmental and regulatory hurdles faced by tower owners during the siting process and during ongoing operations. And what kinds of regulations and changes will a new presidential administration bring? Our panel of industry prognosticators will weigh in on how to maneuver around any pitfalls these changes will bring. And what about the opportunities that could come from talk of infrastructure investments? Come listen to how a new president and the planned "green" economy will affect the tower industry. Moderator: William Sill, Partner, Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer LLP Alan Zublatt, VP, Wireless Siting Solutions Paul Roberts, VP Compliance, American Tower Ken Rosenbaum, Partner, Environmental Resource Management
3:00 - 4:00 pm	TRACK I Spectrum Clearing in the AWS & 700 MHz Bands Will Free Carriers to Deploy This Year: Who Will These New Customers Be, Where Will They Deploy, and What Will They Require of Tower Owners? The past couple of years have seen two of the largest US spectrum auctions in history. And carriers will look to exploit these billions spent into paying service. Opportunities are huge, but how do you get your share? Happily, impediments in both spectrum ranges should clear this year, freeing carriers to deploy more payloads. Where will these deployments occur, and who will these customers be? What tower requirements will they have? Will they seek to collocate with existing PCS systems, or will they need new tower sites? What needs for payloads, cabinet space, footprint, power, lightning protection, tower heights, and backhaul options will drive their thinking? Our panelists will discuss all of these issues. Moderator: Christine M. Crowe, Partner, Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer, LLP Jake MacLeod, Principal VP, CTO & Bechtel Fellow, Engineering & Technology, Bechtel Communications Darrin M. Mylet, President, Business Development & Regulatory Affairs, Spectru-Station Kathleen O'Brien Ham, VP Federal Regulatory Affairs. T-Mobile USA
	TRACK II The Independent Tower Owner: How to Navigate a Harsh Economy and Win In the brutal US economy we all face, how can the independent tower owner negotiate all of the obstacles and still advance the business? Our panel of independent tower owners and vendors will weigh in on finding funding, securing sites, providing excellent competitive value to tenants, and far more. This panel will address the real-world practical concerns of the regional tower owner and how to win despite the impediments the current economy offers. Clearly, today's marketplace is tricky, but real opportunities are out there. This session will offer frank, hard-hitting opinions on what it will really take for regional tower owners to survive and prosper in these tough economic times. Moderator: William MacNamara, Vice President & Partner, Agility Ventures LLC Orazio Russo, SVP Business Development, Diamond Communications LLC Jackie Horvath, President, Horvath Communications Jason R. Steele, President, Steele Communications Inc. Larry Harris, VP, Mergers and Acquisitions, SBA Communications
4:10 - 5:00 pm	TRACK I Carriers Weigh In on Their Changing Needs: Are Your Towers Ready? The news is full of economic woes, but despite the economy, the tower industry offers real opportunity this year as carriers begin to exploit their AWS and 700 MHz spectrum and existing networks are being updated for new 3G systems. Carriers of all sizes have emerging needs, partly due to the use of overlay deployments and changing technology footprints and payload sizes. But what are these needs, and how much do they vary from carrier to carrier? Our panelists of major wireless carriers and tower owners explain the needs that drive their tower requirements. If you serve, or want to serve, wireless carrier tower needs as a tower owner or engineering firm, this panel is a must. Moderator: Dan Ryan, CEO, BAC Infrastructure Management Daniel E. Rebeor, Senior Director, National Real Estate, Cricket Communications Inc. John A. Storch, VP Network Deployment, Clearwire Veronica Sayer, Senior Manager, Master Agreements, T-Mobile Towers
	TRACK II Erecting the Tower: Safety, Siting, Permitting & Construction – The Full Gamut of Tower Construction This panel, led by the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), will examine the full array of issues involved in constructing towers. If you are a tower owner, carrier, or a construction firm, there are a host of issues involved in constructing towers you have to consider – and safety is number one. Hiring top-notch contractors and sub-contractors that will protect everyone's safety (both physically and legally) while bringing in projects on time and within budget is a crucial issue. Is being safe actually a profit point? Beyond safety, what elements should you look for in hiring contractors who follow best-practices in construction, tower management, and ongoing maintenance? This panel will feature NATE speakers, contractors, and experts who can help you choose wisely in building your tower, and, most importantly, protect your profits. Moderator: Eric Munsell, Environmental, Safety, Health & Security Manager, Telecommunications, Black & Veatch Jim Hopkins, VP Sales, SiteMaster Don Doty, Former Chairman, National Association of Tower Erectors Mark Lies, Legal Counsel, National Association of Tower Erectors
THURSDAY APRIL 2, 2009
1:00 - 1:40 pm	Tower Owner Keynote One of the premier tower companies in the US kicks off the day with a keynote addressing the concerns and opportunities of the industry from the tower perspective. Marc Ganzi, CEO, Global Tower Partners
1:50 - 2:50 pm	TRACK I The Tower Owner Roundtable: Where Is the Industry Going in These Tough Times? Challenges abound for tower owners today. As if the competition for sites and customers is not enough, the current fiscal environment poses key challenges. Unfortunately, this does not mean that regulatory issues, zoning, permitting, and new technical systems and backup requirements offer any less of a challenge. Major tower owners share their practical, no-nonsense concerns as well as their confidence in the opportunities the industry offers. Moderator: Benedikt Ibing, Director of Business Development, BAC Communications Infrastructure David Siegel, Director, national Sales & Customer Relations, T-Mobile Towers Terry Armant, SVP Development, Global Tower Partners Ed Farscht, CEO, Diamond Communications LLC
	TRACK II The BTS Systems of Tomorrow: Rapid Changes Affect Tower Owners Our panel of BTS vendors and experts will address how changes in base transceiver stations are affecting tower sites in terms of location, payload, footprint, energy requirements, and more. Carriers are adjusting rapidly to a new broadband wireless paradigm of highly data-intensive applications that customers are demanding – and BTS vendors are moving strongly to meet. But will this change affect tower owners? Do these changes bring opportunities to create added value and tower features that help secure customers? Do they perhaps even offer new products for the tower owner specifically? Join us for this panel of world-class BTS vendors who will share where their portion of the industry is going and how it can bring opportunity to infrastructure owners. Steve Mailey, Director of Engineering, General Dynamics Wireless Services Mike Seymour, VP Wireless Competency Center, Alcatel-Lucent Jose Alvarez, Business Solutions Director, Ericsson Gael Derven, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, E-Blink
3:00 - 4:00 pm	TRACK I Carriers Demand Power Savings: Is Your Tower Green Enough? Carriers see significant opportunities to save money on tower sites, and they are demanding solutions from their suppliers. Vendors of all types are adjusting to meet these demands, and it is profoundly affecting enclosure choices, BTS systems, primary power options, footprint, payload locations, and backup power options. It is clear that the "greening" of the tower is just beginning. What demands will carriers make on tower owners in the future? Will they begin asking tower owners to supply power solutions as is common in European "hotel power" trends? Are these changes threats or opportunities for profit? Our panel of industry association leaders, vendors, and tower owners weigh in on the requirements for green sustainability that are starting to take hold. Moderator: Nyhl Henson, Chairman & CEO, Broadspot World Wide Wireless Stenia Dziadiw, VP, Power Systems and The Green Energy Group, BCI Saswata Basu, GM, Energy & Security Solutions, Harris Stratex Networks Jake MacLeod, Principal VP, CTO & Bechtel Fellow, Engineering & Technology, Bechtel Communications Jose Alvarez, Business Solutions Director, Ericsson
	TRACK II Will Backhaul Bottlenecks Bring the Juggernaut of 3G & 4G Services to a Halt? Consumer customers want higher bandwidth applications and devices, and carriers are moving strongly to meet customer desires for these services. But how does this affect the tower owner? These applications require robust backhaul that in some cases is not yet available to carriers and must be built, which has the potential to impact the tower owner. What are the best options for carriers in terms of backhaul, and how will it affect tower owners. Do you need to site in locations where fiber optic is available, or will you need to plan locations for wireless backhaul, or both? How will changing backhaul requirements affect siting, payloads, cabinet facilities, and more? How should tower owners adjust now to keep tenants happy and prepare for the future? Our panelists will address the practical considerations and needs for backhaul. How can tower owners help their tenants meet these new requirements in a cost-effective manner? What infrastructure will tomorrow's carriers be demanding? Moderator: Stuart Little, Director of Corporate Marketing, Harris Stratex Rich Berliner, President, CEO & Chairman, Berliner Communications Rick Rotondo, Chief Marketing Officer, Spectrum Bridge Steve Mailey, Director of Engineering, General Dynamics Wireless Services Greg Friesen, Director, Product Management, DragonWave
4:10 - 5:00 pm	TRACK I Tower Power: Are Power Backup Systems Going Green? Carriers are clearly looking for ways to save money on power and power backup. The FCC, meanwhile, is trying to mandate increased backup power, creating a conundrum for everybody. But it doesn't end there. States are getting in on the act with environmental regulations governing noise and pollution, plus, in some cases, money to encourage greener power systems. What does all of this mean for tower owners, carriers, vendors, and the public? Backup systems run the gamut from diesel, propane, and bio-diesel systems to numerous types of battery backup systems, plus the emerging fuel-cell options. Are these new green options cost effective? Clearly, this issue is not going away in our lifetimes, so what is it that the tower infrastructure industry needs to know? Our panel of experts and vendors lays out the options for carriers and tower owners and the technical requirements for each solution. This session covers backup soup to nuts. Moderator: Stenia Dziadiw, VP, Power Systems and The Green Energy Group, BCI Joe Blanchard, VP Product Line Management, ReliOn Martin Travers, President of Telecommunications, Black & Veatch Jeremy Whiddon, Commercial Marketing Manager, Crystal Flash Energy
	TRACK II Distributed Antenna Systems: The Challenges & Opportunities It’s a new, evolving world for carriers, DAS providers and jurisdictions when it comes to building ubiquitous, voice and data rich networks for customers. Communities and their local officials are greatly improving their knowledge about DAS sites. Ordinances are starting to be proposed and written – how do carriers and DAS providers, as stakeholders, influence these codes? How do carriers and DAS providers work collaboratively – a unified force rather than dividing one another before the community. What behaviors do DAS providers need to exhibit as DAS moves into communities in order to not give a black eye to this segment of the wireless industry? How do we influence codes so that they don’t obstruct carriers from building towers along with DAS sites? Rights of way are likely opportunities as revenue sources for jurisdictions – how do carriers and DAS providers maximize their use while keeping time to market reasonable? How are the rights of way managed with respect to using existing infrastructure and supporting the need to use utility poles and street lights for 4G sites? Examples demonstrate what happens as communities reach out to DAS providers in areas where carriers have trouble improving their networks using traditional means. Participate with utility, municipal planners, DAS providers and carriers in this timely discussion – moving towards collaboration. Moderator: Laura Altschul, VP Strategic Partnerships & Network Policy, ExteNet Systems Steve Caplan, Senior Leader, National External Affairs, T-Mobile Dave Schneider, Director, Municipal Relations, ExteNet Systems Ron Bilodeau, Joint Use Supervisor, NV Energy