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Re: Not ready for prime time -
Author: Short Line Guy
Date: 10-14-2015 - 21:17
One factor causing delays in PTC implementation is the fact that the federal government has been unable to get its own act together. The Federal Communications Commission held up approval of some 20,000 radio towers that are necessary to transmit and receive PTC data. The FCC requires a permit for each antenna -- but the Commission admits it's unable to process such a stack of applications. (Catch 22,anybody!) Effectively, one federal regulatory agency has thrown up a big roadblock that frustrates the mandate of another federal regulatory agency. The railroads are in the middle.
What is equally troublesome is an FCC requirement that railroads first get a sign-off from every Native American Tribes that has had a presence in the area where a proposed communications tower is installed. Of course, that requirement gives the tribes an open invitation to extract permit fees.
What is equally troublesome is an FCC requirement that railroads first get a sign-off from every Native American Tribes that has had a presence in the area where a proposed communications tower is installed. Of course, that requirement gives the tribes an open invitation to extract permit fees.
