Installation of new cellular communications equipment on the roof of the Marine View Building drew the attention of downtown neighbors as a helicopter hovered above the building at Ferry Way and Marine Way at noon on Wednesday.
Ruther Echiverri, owner and CEO of Linkup Alaska, is the telecommunications contractor hired by AT&T Inc. to install the equipment. His Juneau-based firm, started in 2018, builds wireless and cellular towers.
“Coastal Helicopters hoisted 13 loads,” Echiverri said of the unusual aerial work in the heart of downtown.
Aurelie Alexander, with her young son Robin in his stroller, photographs a helicopter hoisting cellular equipment onto the roof of the Marine View building at midday Wednesday. As a resident of the apartment/office building, she and others were notified to leave the building during the helicopter operation.(Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
The installation is the most recent in a series of upgrades to telecommunications services downtown, due in part to complaints about disruptions in phone and Wi-Fi service during the cruise ship season. GCI and Starlink Services LLC have installed or upgraded equipment, and the City and Borough of Juneau is in the process of establishing free public Wi-Fi downtown funded by $1 million in marine passenger fees.
Marine View Building resident Aurelie Alexander and her son, Robin, watched from Marine Park as the yellow helicopter hoisted sling loads of communications equipment from the top level of the building’s parking garage up several stories to the roof.
“The landlord came around yesterday morning and told us an FAA requirement means everyone on the top three floors must vacate the building starting at 9:30 a.m. today,” Alexander said about the restriction designed for safety while the equipment was being transported. Residents would be notified by phone when it was safe to return. She and her young son in his stroller toured downtown as they waited for the helicopter to arrive.
Workers in safety gear direct road traffic and the slinging of ATT telecommunications equipment via helicopter from a staging area to the rooftop of the Marine View building. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
Alexander, a photographer specializing in nature, family portraits and senior photos, raised her camera to capture the close-to-home activity. Her family’s eighth-floor apartment has a view of the channel. She and her partner moved into the building two years ago. He works in tourism so the location is perfect for them, she said.
“We love living downtown,” Alexander said.
Despite the loud noise from the helicopter, little Robin watched the action quietly as he and his mother observed from a safe distance.
• Contact Laurie Craig at laurie.craig@juneauempire.com.
