Thomas Dorsher, the CEO of Fargo, ND DigiGames, a manufacturer and software developer of TV games for professionals and event planners that oftentimes used phones to play live trivia games at events, was most likely concerned about scathing reviews from Trustpilot and Yelp that castigated his products and services. However, he didn’t appear to be troubled about possible FCC action …
Majority interest in 40K of Deutsche Telekom’s towers acquired by DigitalBridge and Brookfield
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. announced this morning that together with Brookfield Infrastructure and its institutional partners the companies have reached an agreement to acquire a 51% ownership stake in Deutsche Telekom-owned GD Towers. The transaction values GD $17.5 billion, including the assumption of net debt. GD Towers is Germany’s largest tower company, owning and operating over 33,000 towers and communication sites in …
It’s official: Dish Network meets the FCC’s 20% U.S. coverage deadline as it turns on 5G in 128 cities
Yesterday morning, some media reports suggested that Dish Network might not be able to meet its FCC-mandated June 14 deadline to cover 20 percent of the US population with its 5G network. One report said that the nation’s newest carrier was “poised” to fail and could possibly see its spectrum licenses being revoked and feasibly have to pay fines of up to …
Senators Blackburn and Hagerty champion technologies other than fiber in NTIA’s $42 billion in funding
During a February hearing on broadband expansion and internet access, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Alan Davidson informed representatives that “sunlight is the best disinfectant” and transparency will be a “huge” part of his agency’s administration in doling out over $42 billion in broadband funding. On May 26, he again emphasized the importance of transparency during the Mountain …
FCC Commissioner Carr slams Commerce Department for putting its thumb on the scale for fiber
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said that the U. S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) was being myopic with fiberoptic when it released its new rules that will govern the expenditure of $42.5 billion in grants authorized by Congress in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Carr is concerned that the NTIA’s guidelines are not focused on …
Industry engineers are now able to identify best practices for tower mount analysis, courtesy of TIF
The Telecommunications Industry Foundation (“TIF”) announced the publication of a new White Paper on tower mounts that involved the efforts of many individuals from across the industry. As mounts continue to support existing equipment and the deployment of new technology including 5G hardware, the quantity, size, and weight of equipment on towers and mounts continues to increase. These loading increases combined with …
Broadband industry questions NTIA fiber czar’s $42 billion dollar priority that might be illegal
At a hearing on February 16, 2022, Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, informed House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology members that “…we need a technology-neutral approach to funding broadband projects and the focus on fiber will only get us so far.” Explaining how NTIA would ensure that States would take …
DigitalBridge and IFM shell out $11 billion for data center company Switch
DigitalBridge Group Inc. and IFM Investors have announced they have agreed to buy data center operator Switch Inc. for $11 billion, including debt, marking the latest deal in the digital asset sector. Last November, American Tower announced the acquisition of CoreSite for $10.1 billion, in which the company paid $170 per share for 25 data centers, 21 cloud on ramps and …
Mobilitie mobilizes into U.S. military bases with the acquisition of Signal Point Systems
Mobilitie, a BAI Communications company and a leading wireless infrastructure provider in the United States, has closed on an agreement to acquire Signal Point Systems, Inc. (“Signal Point”), a well-established telecommunications infrastructure provider focused on U.S. military bases. The acquisition unites both telecommunication industry leaders under a common ownership structure with a shared mission to accelerate world-class 5G and broadband connectivity for …
Telecommunications Industry Foundation announces new leadership appointments
The Telecommunications Industry Foundation (TIF), announced today their board appointments for the new 2022-2023 term. Scott Vance, PE, current Chair of TIF, will assume the position of Chair-Emeritus. Michelle Kang, PE, Geographic Discipline Leader of Telecommunications with Colliers Engineering & Design, will assume Chair. Scott Stekr, PE, VP of US Engineering with PerfectVision, was elected to Vice-Chair and Joshua Huff, …
They do every day, but especially tomorrow tower techs should walk and climb proudly
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association unveiled a commemoration declaring Wednesday, May 4, 2022 as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. For the sixth consecutive year, a day has been set aside by NATE and the industry to pay tribute to the important work that communications infrastructure technicians conduct daily to enable a connected world. NATE encourages member companies and industry stakeholders …
Valmont and Ericsson acquire ConcealFab to accelerate growth and innovation in global telecom
Valmont Industries, Inc., a global leader that provides vital infrastructure and advances agricultural productivity while driving innovation through technology, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Colorado-based ConcealFab, an industry leader in 5G infrastructure and passive intermodulation (PIM) mitigation solutions. Ericsson, a global leader in 5G technology, will reinvest their ConcealFab equity …
Board of Health issues Verizon a cease-and-desist order for ‘unfit’ tower but now needs $84k to defend it
Tomorrow, Pittsfield, Massachusetts Board of Health (BoH) officials will ask the City Council to back up their cease-and-desist order against Verizon Wireless to discontinue their use of a cell tower at 877 South Street, requesting $84,000 in legal fees for two outside attorneys, although some members believe their attempt will be futile. The BoH issued an emergency order on April …
Biden’s ‘USA only’ steel mandate seen by tower and mount manufacturers as surmountable
On Monday, the Biden Administration issued guidance relating to the “Buy America” sourcing requirements under the “Build America, Buy America” portion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will provide $65 billion in funding to build out America’s broadband. The requirements in the Buy America Preference guidance, in part, states: “All iron and steel used in the project are …
QualTek tower climbers file for CWA union representation as the industry closely monitors the outcome
QualTek tower technicians in the company’s Nevada office have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a union election for admittance to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. The news was announced on CWA’s Facebook page on Friday, stating: “Breaking! Tower climbers at QualTek in Las Vegas just filed for their election to join CWA! …
FCC sets out the nation’s new guidelines for obtaining accurate broadband map data
The need for accurate data pinpointing where broadband service is available and where it is lacking, has never been more important, the FCC said on Thursday when it provided details to state, local and tribal entities with guidance on submitting broadband coverage data as the agency goes full-throttle to develop new maps of high-speed service across the nation. The FCC …
Raising the Barr for above and beyond customer service, especially when lives are at stake, is ASK’s mission
To gain and keep loyal customers, successful companies go above and beyond with customer service and support. Pat Barr, who humbly entitles himself as Albuquerque, NM-based ASK Tower Supply’s technical specialist, takes that to a higher level, and in the process, is most likely saving lives of emergency services personnel and those individuals who they safely return to their loved …
Ontivity bolsters executive leadership with Gindea and Sander enriching their team
Ontivity, formerly Enertech Holdings, a leading national provider of wireless infrastructure services, announced Monday that Scott Gindea has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. A finance veteran with over 20 years of experience, Gindea is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of all companies under the Ontivity umbrella, including Enertech Resources, ET Tower, Legacy Telecommunications, CMS Wireless, and Mountain Wireless. He will report …
To Russia with no love, Ericsson suspends all business with the country over unprovoked Ukraine war
Swedish network equipment maker Ericsson is suspending its business in Russia indefinitely and has put employees on paid leave. This comes six weeks after the Swedish telecom equipment maker started a review of the impact of Western sanctions on its operations in Russia and suspended all deliveries to customers in Russia. The company said today it would record a $95 …
Subcontractor’s ‘shoddy concrete’ work proves to be costly for Crown Castle in Baltimore
The Baltimore, MD City Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced last Wednesday that the City’s Department of Transportation (DoT) has fined Crown Castle [NG Atlantic] Fiber LLC (Crown Castle) $447,000 after the OIG found that 450 small cell sites Crown built were not constructed in accordance with asphalt and concrete code requirements. The OIG’s office began investigating last year …
