We have advised national and regional telecommunications providers for nearly two decades on the wide range of legal issues affecting the industry. We regularly represent competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), interexchange carriers (IXCs), commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) carriers, Internet service providers (ISPs) and metro and long haul transport providers.

Experience Highlights

State and Federal Regulatory – We regularly represent clients before state public service commissions (PSCs) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). We appear before PSCs throughout the Southeast in the full range of proceedings that arise from the states' role in implementing the Telecom Act of 1996. We have prosecuted interconnection arbitrations and complaint cases. Our attorneys have also represented numerous CLECs in PSC proceedings to set rates for unbundled network elements. We assist CLECs and IXCs in obtaining state certifications and PSC approval of mergers and intracorporate reorganizations. We have appeared before the FCC in enforcement proceedings and in rule-making proceedings. Our attorneys have also litigated telecommunications cases in state and federal courts.

Contracts – We negotiate and draft contracts to support the business of our telecommunications clients. These contracts include interconnection agreements with incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), collocation agreements, fiber optic capacity agreements, indefeasible right of use agreements, fiber optic cable license and swap agreements, ground space leases and acquisitions, communication and broadcast tower lease and license agreements, municipal franchise/right-of-way agreements, marketing agreements and Internet wholesale access and service agreements.

Lobbying – We regularly lobby state legislative and executive branch members on behalf of our telecommunications clients. We work with our clients to formulate strategies to advance their legislative agendas and to defend against initiatives by ILECs to thwart competition.

Land Use/Zoning/Real Estate – Our attorneys have extensive experience in land use, zoning and environmental matters related to communications and broadcast infrastructure. We have represented CMRS carriers before boards of adjustment, planning commissions, city councils and county commissions. Our attorneys have successfully litigated local land use decisions in support of our CMRS clients. We have provided legal support for numerous large scale infrastructure deployment projects. We have experience in all real estate-related aspects of the telecommunications industry, including the acquisitions and leasing of property for tower sites and obtaining related easements.

Experience

• Obtained permitting for more than 75 cell sites throughout the Carolinas for a national wireless carrier
• Represented a coalition of CLECs in a landmark PSC proceeding that resulted in a collocation tariff with rates, terms and conditions favorable to competitive carriers
• Represented group of CLEC jointly in an interconnection arbitration that resulted in favorable interconnection terms
• Successfully mediated a tariff dispute before the Enforcement Bureau of the FCC for the telecommunications of a major energy company
• Acquired parcels throughout the Carolinas on behalf of a wireless infrastructure company for placement of wireless tower facilities
• Negotiated indefeasible rights of use for fiber optic networks and related equipment throughout the Southeast to expand and diversify telecommunication networks

News

• 61 Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® for 2011
  August 18, 2010
• Henry Campen Named General Counsel for Carolinas Wireless Association
  August 22, 2005
• Evicting Commercial Tenants
  January 15, 2001