The Telecommunications Department at Shulman Rogers has significant experience representing various aspects of the transportation industry. Shulman Rogers has served as outside counsel to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), as well as municipal transportation agencies such as the State of Washington Department of Transportation. From spectrum acquisition to assisting with system design issues, the Firm has a sterling history of assisting transportation entities in solving their communications issues. Examples of this history include:
Railroads
The Firm has been intimately involved with a number of the country’s largest commuter railroads on their implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC). Shulman Rogers has provided significant education to railroads on PTC spectrum issues, negotiated spectrum acquisition agreements for PTC, and met with radio manufacturers and engineers on spectrum issues. The Firm’s Tower Group, which represents entities on radio tower issues, has interfaced with railroads and the FCC on the particular issues associated with the huge number of wayside poles that PTC will require.
Airlines
Shulman Rogers has served as counsel to several airlines for many years. Work product for these airlines has included acquiring spectrum on a nationwide basis for the implementation of new technologies, filing waiver requests and documents regarding compliance with Federal Communications Commission initiatives, and assisting with assignments and transfers of assets of airlines in connection with airline bankruptcies and mergers. For example, the Firm obtained an experimental license to permit the client to be one of the first in the industry to operate electronic devices during takeoff and landing.
Airports
Shulman Rogers serves as counsel to several major airports across the country. In addition to wireless licensing issues, the Firm has successfully negotiated 800 MHz rebanding agreements, assisted with radio system designs and addressed Wi-Fi access issues.
Bus Companies
The Firm represents a number of municipal and private bus companies, working on a variety of licensing issues. In addition, the Firm has made presentations at numerous American Public Transportation Association (APTA) meetings on wireless issues.
Telecommunications Department Chairman Alan Tilles serves as Chairman of the 800 MHz Rebanding and Narrowbanding Committees of the Joint Council on Transit Wireless. In addition, Mr. Tilles was retained in 2012 by the Transportation Research Board to provide education on a nationwide basis to local transportation agencies on the “narrowbanding” initiative of the Federal Communications Commission.
