WIA Hosts FCC Commissioner Trusty and West Virginia Leaders for Cell Tower Tour Highlighting the Infrastructure Behind Connectivity

KANAWHA COUNTY, WV – The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) hosted FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty and West Virginia Delegate Walter Hall (District 58) for an educational briefing and tour of a wireless communications tower site in Kanawha County, West Virginia, providing a firsthand look at the infrastructure that connects communities and supports America’s growing digital economy.

The visit, held at an SBA Communications tower site last week, brought together wireless infrastructure experts to demonstrate how cell towers enable the mobile connectivity that residents, businesses, public safety agencies, and critical services rely on every day. During the tour, Commissioner Trusty and Delegate Hall learned about tower operations, network deployment, infrastructure investment, and the technologies that support wireless coverage across urban and rural communities.

“It’s one thing to talk about connectivity and another to see the infrastructure that makes it possible,” said FCC Commissioner Trusty. “This tower visit highlighted the critical role wireless infrastructure plays in keeping West Virginians connected to work, education, healthcare, public safety, and one another.”

“Connectivity is critical to supporting economic development and opportunities in Kanawha County and it was great to see the infrastructure that makes it all possible,” said Delegate Hall. “I thank FCC Commissioner Trusty for taking the time to visit Kanawha County to better understand our needs for modern high-speed connectivity.”

The tour is part of WIA’s ongoing efforts to educate policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders about the wireless infrastructure ecosystem and the investments required to ensure connectivity reaches communities across the country. West Virginia is leading the way to ensure connectivity for residents while bringing more infrastructure jobs to the state. Last year, WV HB 3144 was enacted to ensure a predictable, proportionate, and transparent permitting process for both industry and local communities to support the buildout of wireless infrastructure.

“We were pleased to welcome Commissioner Trusty and Delegate Hall to this site to provide a firsthand look at the infrastructure that serves communities across West Virginia,” said Josh Koenig, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel, SBA Communications. “As demand for wireless services continues to grow, collaboration among industry, policymakers, and local stakeholders remains critical to ensuring Americans have access to reliable, resilient communications networks that can meet future connectivity needs.”

“Wireless infrastructure is the foundation of modern connectivity,” said Michael Saperstein, SVP of Government Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer, WIA. “We were honored to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the facilities and investments that help keep Americans connected. As demand for wireless services continues to grow, policies that support infrastructure deployment – as the State of West Virginia has implemented – will remain essential to expanding connectivity, fostering innovation, and strengthening America’s digital future.”

To learn more, visit WIA.org.

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About WIA

The Wireless Infrastructure Association represents the businesses that build, develop, own, and operate the nation’s wireless infrastructure. WIA advocates for the widespread, responsible deployment of wireless infrastructure to enable connectivity, innovation, economic growth, and opportunity across the United States.

Media Contact: april.ward@wia.org