In an unprecedented rescue operation, firefighters in Gastonia, North Carolina, demonstrated incredible bravery and skill as they saved an impaired, naked woman who had climbed 175 feet up a 200-foot monopole cell tower owned by TowerCom. The incident unfolded off of Love Street on Sunday evening, leaving both the rescuers and the woman herself in awe of the outcome. Authorities received …
Sabotage for copper: Vandals bring down a 500-foot tower in Oklahoma, costing $500,000 in damages
Update: January 18, 2024 – Within two days after a 500-foot broadcast tower was sabotaged in Hugo, Oklahoma in order to strip the felled sections of coaxial lines for their copper, two Choctaw County residents have been arrested in connection to the incident, according to Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park. Park said that the arrests were through the joint efforts …
Injured tower tech rescued after falling from a “rat’s nest” tower site outside of Chicago
A tower tech is in stable condition after falling approximately 15 feet off a 65-foot monopole yesterday that sits atop the 125-foot tall Frankfort Grainery tower in Frankfort, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. At approximately 2:00 p.m., the Frankfort Fire Protection District received a 9-1-1 call that a tower tech had fallen and had a broken arm. After arriving at …
Former Marine turned tower tech is sentenced to 25 years to life for murdering his pregnant, estranged wife
Nassau County, NY District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced today that a St. James man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the brutal murder of his estranged wife in January 2020. Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Robert McDonald handed down the sentence. “The place you are going is a cold, dark place, but not as cold …
AT&T and Duke Energy bury the hatchet and settle their FCC pole rate row before the Fourth Circuit
With oral arguments before a three-judge appeals court for the Fourth Circuit set to begin on January 24, 2024, Duke Energy and AT&T have agreed to settle their disagreements against the FCC over a pole rate decision that both were concerned about for different reasons. On November 18, 2022, in a unanimous vote, the FCC stood by its 2021 decision …
NTIA awards DISH with a $50 million grant for an Open RAN center in Cheyenne, Wyoming
DISH Wireless, a subsidiary of EchoStar, has been awarded a historic $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish the Open RAN Center for Integration & Deployment (ORCID). ORCID will allow participants to test and validate their hardware and software solutions (RU, DU and CU) against a complete commercial-grade Open RAN network deployed …
“Rip and Replace” remains in limbo as only five unidentified telecom companies replace Chinese equipment
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a report for Congress, underscoring that only five telecommunications companies have concluded the removal of technology equipment provided by firms closely associated with the Chinese Communist government. Based on the latest status reports and final certifications, the Bureau estimates that approximately 10% of recipients have completed the permanent removal, replacement, and disposal of all …
American Tower starts packing its bags with $2.5 billion for an India exit, leaving 78,000 towers behind
After a 16-year run in India, American Tower Corporation (“American Tower”) is exiting the country in a deal with Data Infrastructure Trust (“DIT”), an Infrastructure Investment Trust sponsored by an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management (“Brookfield”), under which DIT will acquire 100% of the equity interests in American Tower’s operations in India. The deal would potentially represent up to approximately …
Starlink sets in orbit six satellites as America’s towers remain a fixed stable for communications
SpaceX marked the beginning of 2024 with a groundbreaking mission, launching on Tuesday the first six Starlink satellites equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities. Collaborating with T-Mobile, SpaceX aims to eliminate cellular dead zones in the most remote areas in the U.S. These six satellites will initially undergo testing in the U.S., and the service will initially offer text messaging. Subsequently, voice …
QualTek agrees to a $40K unfair labor practices settlement to be split between eight former union technicians
Eight tower technicians represented by the Tower Climbers Union/CWA, who established the first Tower Climbers Union at QualTek Wireless, have settled after they charged QualTek with unfair labor practices while technicians in their Henderson, Nevada, office were organizing. The CWA, represented by two law firms, brought charges before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against QualTek on September 9, 2022, alleging …
T-Mobile’s holiday contractors’ bonus: Up to a 50% cut in pricing because they paid too much in the past
In mid-November, T-Mobile began contacting construction contractors nationwide to submit their pricing for a proposal in 63 markets to agree with catalog pricing, ranging from a sector frame installation in Arkansas at $692 to $1,196 in California, according to documents viewed by Wireless Estimator. The variables in pricing make sense based on states or locations with higher pricing due to …
Serial FCC violator again flouts Commission’s rules and receives a $1.2 million fine
Sound Around, Inc. of Brooklyn, NY, is again in hot water with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, as it faces a proposed penalty of $1,202,454 for alleged violations of FCC rules. The violations primarily revolve around the company’s marketing of non-compliant radio frequency devices and its repeated failure to comply with Commission orders. The FCC’s investigation revealed that Sound Around marketed …
NATE’s registration opens for PPE for Telecom Workers: Hazard ID, Selection, and Use Training Courses
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that the registration process is officially open for the PPE for Telecom Workers: Hazard ID, Selection, and Use Training Courses that will be facilitated by the Association in 2024. Overall, twelve training courses will be available nationwide to industry employers and their employees through NATE and a Susan Harwood Training Grant (SH-000003-SH3) …
Towerco’s ‘synthetic’ leases surface in a 3,100 tower site deal that could be near $2 billion
Under the exploratory teaser name of Project Lighthouse, a U.S.-based towerco is looking to sell a portfolio of 3,100 real estate interests consisting of perpetual easements that might be sold at 25 times the $80 million base rent paid to the buyer, in the potential $2 billion deal, according to two Wireless Estimator sources familiar with the offering. For the …
North Carolina catches up to India’s ongoing homeowner lease scams
Ashe County, N.C. Sheriff B. Phil Howell is reaching out to residents, urging their support and collaboration in addressing a recent potential cell tower scam that has reportedly fleeced money from “many potential victims.” The Asche County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) believes some homeowners may have fallen for this scheme, which may involve sending money for a deed search, cell tower …
TowerCo and Everest acquire 546 towers from Charter, which once had 1,200, lightly eclipsing CTI 525-tower deal
Everest Infrastructure Partners, Inc. (“Everest”) and TowerCo (“TowerCo”) have jointly revealed the acquisition of 546 wireless towers for an undisclosed amount from Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter”) to be completed over multiple closings starting this month. The wireless tower assets included in this transaction are located in 37 states throughout the U.S. and collectively represent one of the more significant portfolio …
Louisiana is first state to get full BEAD plan approval and can now get access to funds
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Louisiana’s Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Louisiana is the first state to reach this important milestone, which will enable the state to move from the planning phase to the implementation phase for the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide …
Crown Castle’s surprising about-face on Canonsburg relocation sparks employee confusion
Crown Castle Inc., in a dramatic turnaround, has left its employees in Canonsburg, PA, scratching their heads after abruptly canceling plans to relocate them to the corporate headquarters in Houston, TX. The decision comes following activist investor Elliott Investment Management’s call for changes within the company as CEO Jay Brown prepares to step down in January. Interim CEO Anthony Melone, …
President Biden expected to sign 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act into law
UPDATE: December 19, 2023 – President Joe Biden signed off today on the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, as expected. The measure, which the House passed last week, gives the FCC authority for 90 days to issue T-Mobile and other winning bidders the licenses they bought in the 2.5 GHz band auction last year. President Biden is expected to sign the 5G …
In a crowded field of candidates, Banner, Hightower, Paulette and Scott elected to NATE’s Board
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association unveiled the official results of the 2024 Board of Directors election today. The Association announced that Randy Scott, CEO/Owner of Texoma Contracting, Inc. in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Aaron Paulette, President of Elevated Services, LLC in Carrollton, Ohio, were re-elected and will retain their respective seats on the NATE Board of Directors. NATE also reported …
