Site selection is directed by the wireless facility developer’s real estate point of contact to whom the site acquisition consultant reports. The input for site selection is the search area report, including any necessary updates and clarification from the site acquisition consultant. Site selection is determined primarily based on the preferences expressed by the RF engineer and the construction manager under the guidance of the client’s real estate point of contact.

Wireless developers and their procedures for any given project may vary. It is the site acquisition consultant’s responsibility to prepare research in line with the client’s stated criteria for site selection. For instance, the research and due diligence typically required for projects involving the construction of new structures is more than that for temporary site installations. Likewise, collocations usually require less original research and due diligence than the construction of a new structure.

Not all members of the project team need to be included in the site selection decision, and while not all project team members receive the search area report, the input of any team member could be appropriate for any given situation. Some conditions may call for input from the project attorney, the carrier operations team, or the project environmental consultant during site selection. The A&E firm may be called upon to perform analysis or calculations helpful to the construction manager during site selection. The title insurance company may be asked to obtain an abridged form of title report known as an ownership and encumbrance (O&E) report to quickly determine the status of burdens levied against a property before site selection is confirmed. The site acquisition consultant may be asked to coordinate any or all of this further research and reporting during site selection.