Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC FINES ALASKAN COMPANY OVER $600,000 FOR CELL TOWER 
VIOLATIONS
Company’s Communications Towers Were Not Properly Registered or Lit
WASHINGTON, October 20, 2015 – The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau 
today announced a $620,500 settlement with General Communication, Inc. (GCI), parent company of The 
Alaska Wireless Network, for failing to register numerous communications towers through the agency’s 
Antenna Structure Registration system.  Prior to constructing or upon acquiring these towers, the Alaska-
based company did not register 118 cellular communications facilities and failed to properly light three of 
them to comply with flight safety rules.
“Unregistered and unlit towers pose unacceptable risks to air and public safety,” said Travis LeBlanc, 
Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. “It is essential that communications towers are properly 
registered prior to construction, as well as properly lighted, to ensure that air traffic is aware of tower
locations.”
The FCC’s Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) system operates in concert with Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) regulations to ensure that communications towers do not present hazards to air 
navigation.  The registration rules generally require owners of communications towers to register with the 
FCC any tower that is taller than 200 feet or that may interfere with the flight path of a nearby airport.  
The tower owner must obtain lighting specifications from the FAA and include those specifications in its 
registration prior to construction.  Through the ASR system, the FCC fulfills its statutory responsibility to 
require the lighting of communications towers that may pose a hazard to air navigation.
In early 2014, the company self-reported to the FCC that it had discovered numerous apparent violations 
of the tower registration requirements, including for many towers which they had recently acquired.  The 
Enforcement Bureau’s subsequent investigation revealed that approximately 118 GCI-owned 
communications towers had not been registered in the ASR system prior to construction or upon 
acquiring them.  The investigation also found that three towers were not properly lighted.  The FCC 
worked with the company to settle the investigation and secure a plan to ensure towers are appropriately 
registered and lit. 
As a condition of the settlement, GCI agrees to pay the aforementioned $620,500 and commits to review 
its tower inventory to ensure that all of its towers are compliant with tower registration and lighting rules.  
In addition, GCI commits to ensure that all of its towers are compliant with the Commission’s 
environmental and historic review requirements.   
The GCI Consent Decree is available at: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-15-
1179A1.pdf
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Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
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www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official 
action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).