A new analysis by researchers at New York Law School suggests a significant shift in the federal government’s $42.45 billion broadband deployment program, which could substantially benefit companies that build and maintain communications towers. As the number of BEAD-eligible locations declines and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) shifts to a cost-first grant model, states are expected to increasingly …
T-Mobile to launch T-Satellite: First U.S. satellite-to-phone service with SpaceX’s Starlink
T-Mobile will officially launch its T-Satellite service on July 23, marking a significant shift in how mobile carriers deliver connectivity to remote areas that were previously unreachable by terrestrial towers. Built in partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, the new system will allow users to send and receive messages from more than 500,000 square miles of U.S. territory that previously …
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr selects VIKOR headquarters in Sioux Falls to kick off “Build America” campaign
VIKOR, a national leader in wireless and broadband infrastructure services, is proud to announce that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr will launch his nationwide “Build America” infrastructure campaign live at VIKOR’s Headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Wednesday, July 2, at 11:30 a.m. CT. This event marks the kickoff of the FCC’s renewed focus on accelerating deployment of critical communications infrastructure across the country, …
Trusty’s FCC confirmation signals pro-deployment shift for wireless infrastructure contractors
UPDATE – The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty for a full five-year term as commissioner of the FCC this afternoon in a 53–45 vote. The tally matched the Senate’s vote the night before, which approved Trusty to serve the remaining days of former Chair Jessica Rosenworcel’s term, ending June 30. Trusty was nominated for both the short-term appointment and the full term by …
NWSA catches cheaters using impostors for coveted TTT-1 tower technician certification exams
Several small but damaging black market schemes that exploit language barriers and circumvent certification requirements in the wireless infrastructure industry have been exposed. These schemes include producing fake safety training certificates and involve imposter test-takers attempting to take NWSA exams as proxies for undeserving candidates, according to the National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA). One such promoter, Eliza Akhmedova of Boca …
Tech-neutral in name only? Fiber retains structural edge under NTIA’s new BEAD policy
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) June 6, 2025, BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice reframes the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program with a stated goal of “technology neutrality.” But a close read reveals that while the language has changed, the outcome is likely to remain fiber-centric. The notice formally eliminates the Biden-era “fiber preference” and other regulatory requirements …
Commissioner Simington pulls the plug, FCC is left without power
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Nathan Simington announced today that he will resign on Friday, concluding a tenure that began with his appointment by President Donald Trump in December 2020. Simington’s departure comes amid a period of significant transition within the FCC, as Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks also plans to step down this Friday. In a statement, Simington expressed gratitude for …
Charlie Ergen’s high-stakes bluff: EchoStar’s $326 Million poker game with the FCC
EchoStar’s latest turmoil has all the markings of a high-stakes poker game – and Charlie Ergen is betting big. The satellite mogul’s company stunned markets by skipping a $326 million interest payment due on May 30, 2025, citing “uncertainty” caused by an aggressive FCC review of its 5G spectrum licenses, casting a dark shadow over wireless contractor workflows. This rare move …
Top tower broker Tom Engel leaves behind decades of deals—and deep respect from a grateful industry
Well-known and highly respected communications tower broker Tom Engel, 80, of Puyallup, WA, passed away on May 28, 2025, leaving behind his loving wife Shana, and their son, Derrick, and years of fond memories from his co-founder partner Jody McCoy of Strategic Tower Advisors, tower owners and others who worked with him since 1972 in the media business. According to …
EchoStar’s missed $326 million payment casts a dark shadow over wireless contractor workflows
EchoStar Corporation’s recent decision to skip a $326 million interest payment on its 10.75% senior spectrum-secured notes due 2029 has introduced significant uncertainty into its 5G cell tower buildout program. This move, triggered by an ongoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation into EchoStar’s compliance with 5G deployment obligations in the 2 GHz spectrum band, could have several implications for the …
Network builder Tilson Technology hits Delaware court for Chapter 11 bankruptcy shield after revenue collapse
Tilson Technology Management, Inc. and its affiliates — Tilson Middle Street Holdings, LLC and Boundless Broadband, LLC — have voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The move comes on the heels of a sudden contract cancellation by the company’s largest client, Gigapower, which has left Tilson scrambling to restructure …
A huge win for contractors is seen in AT&T acquiring Lumen’s mass markets fiber business for $5.75 billion
When AT&T’s $5.75 billion deal to buy Lumen’s Mass Markets fiber business, announced yesterday, closes in the first half of 2026, it won’t just turbocharge AT&T’s network footprint—it will also give tower crews a powerful new lever. Because the FCC must sign off on the assignment of Lumen’s interstate service authorizations, AT&T is almost sure to face the same kind …
Inside WIA’s 2024 numbers: $63 Billion and 368,750 jobs are powering 5G
For the third year, the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s (WIA) Wireless Infrastructure by the Numbers Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. wireless infrastructure sector, covering purpose-built cellular towers, indoor and outdoor small cells, macrocell sites, annual infrastructure investments, and the American workforce sustaining this essential industry. Wireless infrastructure consists of various components, including towers, cell sites, antennas, radios, fiber networks, and …
NATE showcases TIRAP career pathways supported by WIA in a new video on National Apprenticeship Day
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released a video highlighting the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) as part of National Apprenticeship Day, being celebrated today. The video features an informative conversation between host Sean Gilhooley, Deb Bennett from WIA: The Wireless Infrastructure Association, and Joel Hightower, CEO of Hightower Communications of Kinston, NC, discussing the value of apprenticeships in the communications …
Wireless Estimator’s matrix pricing exposé shatters LinkedIn norms—Hits top 0.1% with 164K Impressions
This month, coverage of carrier matrix pricing, which has proven unsustainable for contractors, has achieved tens of thousands of views on Wireless Estimator and has exploded on LinkedIn, driven by three back-to-back industry articles that have garnered attention at every level, from C-suite executives to tower technicians, with one article alone having over 164,000 impressions. A viral article with these …
No Profit at $60 an hour: Telecom contractors exit as plumbers earn nearly double
In recent weeks, three mid-sized wireless infrastructure contractors have informed Wireless Estimator of their decision to exit the industry, citing an inability to turn a profit over the past two years. These closures underscore a growing crisis within the sector, where contractors are facing mounting financial pressures due to declining or non-existent profit margins and rising operational costs. Another contractor …
Senator Kennedy says wireless giants are running a ‘Goat Rodeo of Greed’ at contractors’ expense; investigations by DOJ and FCC urged
WASHINGTON — At a tense hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship yesterday, CEOs of the nation’s top wireless carriers faced sharp criticism over alleged collusion and the use of fixed matrix pricing—practices that lawmakers say are driving contractors, suppliers, and key players in the telecom supply chain into financial ruin, with many forced to shut …
Industry and labor coalition warns T-Mobile–UScellular merger could trigger rural tower shutdowns
A broad coalition of industry groups, public interest organizations, and a national labor union is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take a hard look at the proposed multibillion-dollar acquisition of UScellular by T-Mobile, warning that the deal could harm rural connectivity, suppress competition, and undermine decades of federally subsidized infrastructure development. In a detailed filing submitted to the …
Crown Castle ousts CEO Steven Moskowitz amid strategic overhaul and $8.4 billion fiber and DAS asset sale
Crown Castle Inc. shares slipped almost 4% yesterday following the abrupt termination of CEO Steven Moskowitz earlier this week. He held the top job for less than a year. The decision surprised the industry as the wireless infrastructure giant underwent a major strategic shift, including the $8.5 billion divestiture of its small cells and fiber solutions businesses. The company did …
FCC Chair Carr threatens to block media mergers over DEI policies, raising industry alarm
The Federal Communications Commission is prepared to block mergers and acquisitions involving media and telecommunications companies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies deemed “invidious,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced Friday in an interview with Bloomberg News. Carr’s remarks sent shockwaves through the communications sector, as he directly referenced high-profile deals now under threat, including Paramount Global’s proposed merger …
