Mr. Tilles is Chairman of the Firm’s Telecommunications Department and the Firm’s Entertainment Practice Group. He is counsel to numerous entities in the private radio, internet and entertainment industries. His breadth of work includes representing PCIA, a major telecommunications trade association. On behalf of PCIA and other clients, Mr. Tilles has participated in every FCC proceeding involving the private land mobile radio industry since 1984. In addition, he represents hundreds of public safety agencies (States, Counties and Cities), transit systems, Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) operators, private system users (including major airlines and utilities), tower owners and radio manufacturers.  

Mr. Tilles has represented entities in regulatory proceedings, licensing, leasing and telephone interconnection disputes, as well as business transactions. In that capacity, Mr. Tilles has represented the seller in transactions with Nextel Communications valued at over $500 million. Presently, Mr. Tilles is representing over 200 public safety licensees in the 800 MHz “rebanding” negotiations with Nextel, and he was part of the committee that drafted the so-called “Consensus Plan,” the template for the FCC’s decision in the matter. Mr. Tilles is actively involved in the FCC’s “narrowbanding” rulemaking proceeding, having authored the concepts for a variety of narrowbanding rules and touring the country on behalf of the National Transit Institute to provide all day narrowbanding seminars. 

Mr. Tilles has been involved in the radio industry since the age of 16, and majored in Radio, Television & Film at the University of Maryland. After graduating from Catholic University's Columbus School of Law in 1982, Mr. Tilles began representing radio broadcasters with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Hayes & White. He joined Meyer, Faller, Weisman & Rosenberg, P.C. in 1984, and began utilizing his background in radio to help advance the interests of land mobile radio clients, internet service providers and technology companies by bringing technical understanding to legal issues. The Firm merged with Shulman Rogers in 1998.

Mr. Tilles is Chairman of the Narrowbanding and 800 MHz Rebanding Committees for the Joint Council on Transit Wireless. On behalf of the Joint Council and commuter railroads, Mr. Tilles is the leading advocate of efforts to allocate spectrum for commuter railroads to implement Positive Train Control (“PTC”).

Mr. Tilles utilizes his background as a former musician in his representation of a variety of entertainers. In this capacity, Mr. Tilles has negotiated recording and representation agreements and consulted with clients on copyright and trademark issues. As a result, Mr. Tilles has received appreciative mentions in a number of albums by several musicians.

Mr. Tilles is a frequent speaker at trade shows for both the land mobile and internet industries, and has served as a column writer and regulatory consultant for a variety of trade publications, including Urgent Magazine (formerly Mobile Radio Technology Magazine). A former college adjunct professor, he is on the Board Of Trustees of Capitol College (an engineering college in Maryland), is co-counsel for the Radio Club of America, and serves on the APCO Spectrum Management Committee.

News

• Shulman Rogers Telecom Partner Alan Tilles files DFW Airport plan to install 700 MHz Public-Safety Broadband Network
• Alan Tilles, chair of the Telecommunications practice at Shulman Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker has been named co-counsel of the Radio Club of America.
• Don't Believe Narrowbanding Delay Rumor
• Selections from LTE Broadband Session
• FCC BUREAU CHIEF: DON’T COUNT ON NARROWBANDING WAIVERS
• FCC ADVOCATES NARROWBANDING COMPLIANCE
• NPSTC SEEKS LMR EXCEPTION TO REVISED INTRINSICALLY SAFE STANDARD
• Shulman Rogers Welcomes Two New Sponsors of Narrowbanding Informational Web Site for Police and Fire Agencies
• Narrowband Mandate: A Coming Challenge
• Shulman Rogers to Assist Passenger Railroads with Federal Technology Grant Applications
• The Broadband Debate
• Shulman Rogers to Assist Transition to New FCC Regulations
• Alert! FCC Issues Advisory Regarding Customer Propriety Network Information (CPNI) Filings
• FCC Issues Declaratory Ruling Establishing Timeframes For State & Localities To Process Wireless Tower Applications
• Researchers Develop Paint That Blocks Radio Signals
• Shulman Rogers Selected By Miami/Dade County, Florida For Telecommunications Assistance
• A Nearly Impossible Job
• Telecom tycoon has plans for wireless public safety start-up
• Shulman Rogers to Assist Transition to New FCC Regulations
• Shulman Rogers to Assist Transition to New FCC Regulations

Events

• Shared Solutions Seminar Part 90 VHF/UHF Narrowbanding
  February 9, 2012
• Public Safety Broadband Education
  July 26, 2011
• Narrowbanding Are You Prepared? Course Offering
  December 6, 2010
• Narrowbanding Are You Prepared? Webinar
  November 14, 2010
• FCC Narrowbanding: Are You Prepared?
  November 8, 2010
• Narrowbanding Are You Prepared? Course Offering
  November 8, 2010
• Michigan Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, Inc.
  October 28, 2010
• Narrowbanding Are You Prepared? Webinar
  October 19, 2010
• Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, Inc.
  May 17, 2010
• Eastern Region Meeting of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, Inc.
  April 25, 2010
• New Jersey Chapter of the National Emergency Numbering Association
  April 20, 2010
• Alabama Chapter of the Associaton of Public Safety Communications Officials, Inc.
  March 28, 2010
• Indiana Chapter of the National Emergency Numbering Association
  March 22, 2010
• Narrowbanding: Meet the Mythbusters
  March 12, 2010

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• Mr. Tilles has been a featured speaker for many years at the annual International Wireless Communications Expo.
• Mr. Tilles conceived and was the lead presenter for the Penton Media "800 MHz Rebanding Seminars", which took place across the country.
• Mr. Tilles is a featured speaker at numerous APCO and other land mobile trade shows.
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Professional & Community Affiliations

• IWCE Advisory Committee, Member
• Radio Club of America, Member
• Federal Communications Bar Association, Member
• Spectrum Committee - APCO International, Member
• Entertainment and Sports Law Committee - Maryland Bar Association, Member