The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced how it has allocated funding to all 50 states (VIEW ALLOCATIONS BELOW), the District of Columbia, and five territories to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service to everyone in America. This “Internet for All” initiative is a key component of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda. States, D.C., …
Dish meets its 70% buildout deadline with assistance of three major towerco partners
Dish Wireless announced yesterday that as of June 14, the carrier is offering 5G broadband service to over 70 percent of the U.S. population, giving more than 240 million Americans access to its technology. This marks a significant milestone for Dish and the U.S. telecom industry, as Dish designed, built, and deployed a first-of-its-kind 5G network in three years. Dish …
NATE’s work zone protection safety video is a must view for ground level projects
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today the official release of a video on Work Zone Protection. The video, the second to debut in Volume 6 of the Association’s popular #ClimberConnection series. The video shines a spotlight on the safety best practices associated with Work Zone Protection, specifically relating to the appropriate use of temporary traffic control devices, proper …
FCC’s report shows Guam’s cell site outage at 20%, three weeks after Typhoon Mawar crippled the island’s power
After Typhoon Mawar tore through Guam, the second largest U.S. territory, on May 24, the FCC identified that 60% of its 327 cell sites were down. Two days later, it increased to 70%. However, in today’s report, that number has considerably improved, with the agency showing that only 19.9% are out of service. Seven were due to damage, ten due …
While burning contractors and suppliers, Nexius’s facade exposed a possible terrorist cell site security hole
As Nexius used ‘every trick’ to keep contractors working, although the company knew they would never pay them, the wireless infrastructure developer reportedly continued scamming T-Mobile by using a Nexius-aligned company in Lebanon that was prohibited from accessing T-Moble’s network – possibly exposing a network security threat to the nation’s second-largest mobile operator, according to sources familiar with the ruse. When …
FCC updates national broadband map to fix nationwide accuracy challenges
The FCC took another step forward in its effort to develop the best and most accurate broadband maps ever built in the United States. In a note, to understand why requires a bit of history, said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “For decades, the Commission produced broadband maps based on census blocks. In practice, this meant that if there was high-speed internet …
QualTek Services files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with hopes that its debt can be cut almost in half
Wireless infrastructure developer QualTek Services warned earlier this month that it would need to obtain alternative sources of capital or otherwise meet its liquidity needs and/or restructure its existing indebtedness through the protections available under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania company filed for bankruptcy today in the Southern District of Texas, identifying that it had …
Towerco execs hint at a future slowdown, but for many wireless contractors the future is now
Last week at WIA’s View From the Top panel session at Connectivity Expo 2023, the top towerco executives hinted that they are aware of a dip in carrier capex and a turn towards fiber, possibly cutting into site builds. Still, they championed the industry and said 5G would be a constant and maybe a ten-year driver, although it would be …
NATE members Capitol Hill Fly-In event strengthened support by legislators for key industry priorities
Ninety representatives from NATE member companies converged in Washington, D.C., this week to participate in the Association’s 2023 Congressional Fly-In event on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, May 17, NATE members demonstrated their grassroots prowess by participating in approximately 120 individual meetings with Members of Congress and their respective policy staff. During the meetings, NATE members advocated for the industry’s priorities, …
A taste of 5G spectrum offerings is more easily explained using its constituent flavors
By John Paleski Mobile broadband businesses were eager to shell out over $120 billion during FCC auctions to acquire spectrum blocks to roll out 5G. That’s understandable since they needed it to lay the groundwork for fifth-generation wireless services. However, understanding what 5G is and the spectrums used to offer transformational speeds and capabilities that can open the door to …
RWA alerts the FCC to a rip-and-replace carrier that is $5 million over budget and only 15% completed
The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) filed a May 9 New York Times article with the FCC yesterday on the plight of small carriers such as Alabama-based Pine Belt Communications as they wait for Congress to fully fund the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. RWA asked that the article, ‘Rip and Replace’: The Tech Cold War is Upending Wireless Carriers, …
FCC issues new broadband funding map with corrected data issues
The Office of Economics and Analytics, in conjunction with the Wireline Competition Bureau, has released the Broadband Funding Map. The map and its underlying data can be found here. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) requires the Commission “to establish an online mapping tool to provide a locations overview of the overall geographic footprint of each broadband infrastructure deployment project …
Verizon and Vertical Bridge agreement creates new profit share model while speeding deployment
Verizon and Vertical Bridge have agreed to build cell towers nationwide to expand Verizon’s 4G and 5G Ultra Wideband services. Vertical Bridge has agreed to construct these towers to-suit with Verizon as the anchor tenant. The towers will be held in an LLC formed by Vertical Bridge in which Verizon has a profits interest. The new towers will add to the …
CWA’s questionable climber injury and death rate data from their survey get a fact checking F from experts
The Communications Workers of America’s (CWA) Tower Climbers Union published the results of a survey designed by tower technicians Thursday with critical findings showing that their members’ safety is being compromised. The press release announcing the study said more than 65% of technicians have been on a job site where someone has been injured and 4% where someone has been killed, a horrific life-shattering …
Vertical Bridge appoints Ronald Bizick as President and CEO, Alex Gellman becomes Executive Chairman
Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced the appointment of Ronald G. Bizick, II as President and Chief Executive Officer effective May 2, 2023. Bizick has served as President and Chief Operating Officer since joining the Company in March 2022. Current CEO and Co-Founder Alex Gellman will become …
Over 5,200 infrastructure jobs are on the line as QualTek Services teeters on the edge of bankruptcy
UPDATE: May 3, 2023 – A spokesperson for QualTek said that the company’s employees’ jobs were not at risk, and the turnkey infrastructure provider will “continue to be a workplace of choice.” They issued the following statement: “QualTek is continuing to actively negotiate with our creditors and is progressing towards a resolution that will position us for the future with a stronger …
Eleven Senators say no to the NOFO prioritizing criminal hires for $42.5B BEAD infrastructure funds
In a joint letter to Alan Davidson, who heads the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a partisan group of 11 U.S. Senators were emphatic that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) overstepped its bounds when it wrote the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that addresses how $42.45 billion will …
TIA’s BEAD summit will thread the way for contractors and suppliers to take advantage of $42 billion in funding
Recent trade shows have explored opportunities that will become available through the Broadband Access and Employment Program’s (BEAD) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), providing States approximately $42 billion to deploy broadband in America where it is not located. However, they were typically 45-minute sessions that often scratched the surface, leaving many unanswered questions. Fortunately, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is …
Savior of the City of Troy pleads guilty to vandalizing cell towers to ‘stop the aliens’
Christopher A Daniels, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, pleaded guilty to seven felony counts on April 12, 2023, of causing extensive damage to multiple communications towers in Troy and the surrounding area. Daniels allegedly vandalized at least five towers. According to initial information released by authorities, two were AT&T towers, and one was a Verizon site. The other two structures were …
Until there’s a consensus standard, industry experts provide initial hoisting grip guidance following fatality
When a 32-year-old tower technician passed away on December 15, 2022, in Weatherford, TX, while engaged in an installation project for Verizon, Wireless Estimator identified shortly after that that a secured cable grip failure might have caused the death. Huber+Suhner provided the hybrid cable and factory-installed hoisting grip, which was later identified as a FIOMA grip. OSHA investigated the accident and has not …
