A tower tech was rescued in Washington D.C. off a 760-foot self-supporting tower by D.C. Fire personnel today after he contacted emergency services at 1:50 p.m., stating that he was hypothermic and couldn’t climb down from the 120’ level, which according to rescue videos was where a cell site sector was located. It took approximately three hours to rescue the …
T-Mobile accusations rebutted as city leaders’ group joins anti-merger movement
T-Mobile has informed the FCC that the Rural Wireless Association (RWA) has been falsely accusing the carrier of falsifying its 4G coverage maps and is not following the procedures the FCC adopted for challenging areas ineligible for Mobility Fund Phase ll funding. In correspondence to the FCC, T-Mobile said that the RWA “did not follow the rules for submitting a challenge …
Rescue crews still searching for victims following 23 tornado deaths
Rescue crews are still searching this morning for victims underneath smashed homes, trees and other debris caused by a tornado that ripped through Alabama Sunday afternoon, overwhelming the Lee County coroner’s office. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones says crews with dogs and drones have combed over the hardest-hit areas, but there are many other areas that they still have not …
Blue sky wireless workforce shortage projections aren’t grounded with reliable data
No stranger to manlifts, climbing cell sites, and even ascending a 2,000-foot tower, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr joined a Vinculums crew on Wednesday to troubleshoot a cell site along a highway outside of San Jose, Calif. According to Carr, the problem turned out to be a bad connector on a sector’s transmission line. The Vinculums team, with Carr’s assistance, had it …
Windstream’s distress funding, reorganization keeps Uniti from closing its doors
UPDATE: February 28, 2019 – Uniti Group Inc. was expected to release its fourth quarter and year end 2018 results after the close of trading today, but announced that it is postponing them to no later than March 18, 2019 so that it can continue to assess the impact of the bankruptcy petition by Windstream Holdings, Inc. February 27, 2019 …
Rime ice and 100-plus mph winds topple Franklin County Maine tower
Winds in excess of 100 mph collapsed a 120-foot self-supporting tower on the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain in Franklin County, Maine Monday afternoon. Although the structure has survived similar or greater wind speeds on the 4,237-foot summit in the past, rime ice and possibly considerably higher winds toppled the structure. Although an anemometer identified that winds did peak at 100 …
NATE to host inaugural member Congressional Fly-In event in the nation’s Capital
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today announced the key details associated with the inaugural NATE Member Congressional Fly-In Event in Washington, D.C. on May 14-15, 2019. The NATE Member Congressional Fly-In will be a time for representatives from NATE member companies across the country to converge in the Nation’s Capital. to conduct meetings with the congressional delegations and …
FAA obstruction lighting letter sheds light on requirement for sole source replacement parts
UPDATE February 25, 2019 — An ambiguous July 27, 2018 FAA letter from Khalil E. Kodsi, Manager, Airport Engineering Division, that could be construed to imply that tower obstruction lighting systems could only use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement parts created confusion and industry-wide concern as reported by Wireless Estimator, below. Addressing the matter seven months later, in a letter …
Sprint’s 5G service to launch in May starting in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City
Today at MWC Barcelona, Sprint announced that standards-based 5G is now on-air, with commercial service expected to launch starting in May. Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City are expected to be among the first cities to offer commercial 5G service; with Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington D.C. also slated to launch in the first half of 2019. At launch, Sprint said its customers can expect mobile 5G coverage ranging …
3,511 broadcast stations added in the past decade as AM continues its decline
According to the FCC’s most current broadcast stations statistics, the nation saw an addition of 3,511 broadcast stations added to its ranks during the past 10 years, with the total number of commercially licensed UHF stations seeing a gain of 210 as VHF commercial stations saw a loss of 215. In addition, there are 167 fewer AM radio stations, but FM stations …
Two deals add 1,100 towers to Phoenix Tower International’s portfolio
Boca Raton, Fla.-based Phoenix Tower International (PTI) announced that it has reached an agreement with Uniti Group to acquire the ownership rights relating to over 500 wireless communication tower sites located across Mexico, Colombia and Nicaragua. Terms of the transaction remain confidential between the parties. The amount of the sale was approximately $100 million. Speaking about the transaction, PTI CEO, …
Women of NATE leaders featured in the latest FCC podcast
With the broadcast repack in full swing and the race to 5G heating up, tower work is essential to getting those efforts across the finish line. Demand for tower crews is sky high—whether it’s working a 50-foot cell tower or a 2,000-foot broadcast tower. And it’s easy to take for granted when our cell phones and televisions work, but it’s …
Some DBI-SALA self-rescue devices have issues, 3M is requesting visual inspection
3M Fall Protection has identified a manufacturing issue within a limited number of 3M™ DBISALA® Self-Rescue devices manufactured prior to December 2018. There have been no reports of injuries or accidents associated with this issue. The fall-arrest performance of the Self Rescue is not affected by this issue but it may impact the self-rescue function of the unit. The manufacturing …
Former broadband advisory head and Quintillion CEO, pleads guilty to bilking investors of $250 million
Elizabeth Ann Pierce, the former CEO of telecommunications company Quintillion based in Anchorage, Alaska, and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s pick to head the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, pled guilty Monday in Manhattan federal court to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to use forged guaranteed revenue contracts fraudulently to induce investors to pony up more …
As the nation’s robo cops, the FCC moves forward with plans to end spoofed calls
The FCC today released an extensive report on the robocall problem in America, a key concern of consumers. “No consumer wants to be bombarded by spoofed robocalls—they’re a waste of time at best and a scam at worst,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “As this report makes clear, we’re steadfastly focused on addressing this serious problem. “There’s no easy or single answer, …
Three industry leaders appointed to Tower Family Foundation positions to assist continued growth
The Tower Family Foundation announced today three appointments to the non-profit organization’s leadership structure, individuals who are committed to ensuring that the Foundation continues to expand its ability to serve wireless workers and their families when there is a work site injury or fatality. A recent Climber Connection video highlights how an injured tower technician and his wife were overwhelmed by the Foundation’s assistance. …
American Broadband Initiative report identifies 24 million without access, 80% in rural communities
Expanding America’s broadband connectivity is critical to the nation’s economy, and a top priority for President Trump and the Department of Commerce. Yesterday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) joined with their partners in government to announce the publication of the American Broadband Initiative (ABI), a comprehensive effort to stimulate increased private sector investment in broadband. “NTIA is proud to share …
ExteNet sues Crown and NY DOT over shot clock violation, wants Crown’s contract revoked
In a be careful what you wish for reality incident, a subsidiary of Crown Castle is being sued for violating an FCC’s shot clock deadline as set forth by Congress in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, an action that carriers, Crown Castle and other vertical realtors petitioned the FCC to adopt. ExteNet Systems, Inc. filed its complaint on Monday against …
All-time record attendance at NATE UNITE 2019 announced as Association ramps up for Raleigh
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that last week’s NATE UNITE 2019 Conference in Grapevine, Tex. reached record-setting heights. The Association announced that 2,059 individuals registered to attend the conference. This total eclipses the organization’s all-time conference registered attendee total in its 24-year history, exceeding the previous attendance record of 1,856 from NATE UNITE 2018 in Nashville, …
Payment terms and the development of large contractors were hot NATE UNITE 2019 topics
Two of the hottest topics at NATE UNITE 2019 in Grapevine, Tex. last week were contractor payment terms and the possibility that an upsurge in the establishment of large contractors could be injurious to the industry mainstay of smaller companies. Wireless Estimator’s recently published results of an extensive contractor survey, was frequently discussed amongst NATE’s members and the Association’s directors …
