It is now expected that Hurricane Florence will hit the East Coast Thursday as a powerhouse Category 4 storm, and possibly a Category 5, and the damage could be extensive – and long-lasting, especially for cell towers. A Category 4 hurricane has winds of 130 to 156 mph on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of Hurricane Intensity Initial winds of up to …
Contractor cash flow could be the real culprit in the US’s inability to quickly roll out 5G
It’s the delayed payments, stupid! Commentary – Although we’re treated to almost a daily dose of news about how macro and small cell siting issue delays could adversely impact a successful 5G buildout in America, initial data from Wireless Estimator’s industry-supported Terms of Payment Survey indicates that carrier-generated cash flow problems of contractors could be 5G’s Achilles heel. To draw …
Two key organizations release an alternative to the FCC-directed small cell model code
In 2017, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai established the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) to draft a model code for municipalities that would provide guidance and assist local communities in authorizing wireless and wireline broadband deployment in the public rights of way. The 41-page draft – still a work in progress – was introduced July 19, 2018, while the National League …
FCC’s newly minted plan will clear the way for cheaper and faster 5G deployments
The FCC will vote in three weeks on a plan to accelerate next-generation 5G wireless networks around the U.S. by overriding some local rules that they believe will hold up deployment. FCC Commissioner Brendar Carr announced at a press conference today in Indianapolis that the plan is targeting deployment of small cell transmitters that are oftentimes subject to local delay …
Plane crash toppling Louisiana tower leads Fast-Forward Friday articles
Fast-Forward Friday is Wireless Estimator’s latest news offering that provides an overview of relevant industry news stories presented during the week by other media that were not covered by our staff, along with a link to the article to go upstream and read it in its entirety. After all, the articles’ authors did all the heavy lifting, and capsuling their content and …
FCC divvies out $1.5 billion in CAF ll funds in auction to deploy rural America services
Over 700,000 rural homes and small businesses will gain access to high-speed Internet service for the first time through the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund Phase II auction. (See awarded bidders below) The auction results released today show more than half of those 713,176 locations will have service available with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second. …
Hurricane Lane provides record rain as cell sites remain almost 100% operational
Fortunately for the Hawaiian Islands, the storm that began as Hurricane Lane and ended as a tropical depression, had next to no impact on communications, according the final report of the FCC yesterday that showed that only eight cell sites were out of a total of 1,297, representing only a 0.6% outage. Cable systems and wireline outages were 3,991, down …
CTIA’s tower tech shout out leads dozens of Fast-Forward Friday articles
Fast-Forward Friday is Wireless Estimator’s latest news offering that provides an overview of relevant industry news stories presented during the week by other media that were not covered by our staff, along with a link to the article to go upstream and read it in its entirety. After all, the articles’ authors did all the heavy lifting, and capsuling their content and …
FCC chief takes off his tie to be tied off to appreciate the disciplines and exhausting work of a tower tech
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai today experienced climbing a communications tower during a site visit near De Beque, Colo. The tour was facilitated by representatives from the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), SBA Communications and EasTex Tower, LLC. The visit was a part of Chairman Pai’s road trip across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado to highlight how …
Nation takes a deep dive into contractor obstacles threatening 5G with industry supported survey
Wireless contractors have recently raised the distinct possibility that due to what they identify as ‘onerous’ payment terms and other issues created by carriers and tower owners, the industry could see a shakeout, and all of the recent successful legislative moves to speed up the implementation of 5G in America could be stymied as cash flow problems keep contractors from …
One-touch policy will benefit broadband providers and non-union workers
The FCC voted unanimously today, with one partial dissent, to adopt a one-touch, make-ready (OTMR) policy for new broadband attachments on utility poles in order to speed up broadband deployment and competition. The policy “makes clear” that states and local governments are not to impose moratoria on broadband development. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel agreed with accelerating pole attachments, but dissented in …
AT&T and Verizon believe wireless is competitive, others strongly disagree
AT&T, in replying to the FCC’s request for comments as to the state of mobile wireless competition, informed the FCC in a filing that the answer is a slam dunk for the agency since the Commission “has the easiest call it has ever had to make…the wireless marketplace is, quite obviously, ‘effectively competitive’.” The carrier also said, “Competition has never …
Pai promises to put his boots on and get on the steel after hearing ribbing
At an FCC House oversight hearing yesterday, tower climbers took center stage when Congressman Pete Olson threw a ‘curveball’ at FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, when he jokingly suggested that Pai should climb a tower as Commissioner Brendan Carr had done recently in South Dakota, as can be viewed in the above video. That forced Pai to take advantage of Olson’s levity …
T-Mobile’s A-Team seeking assurances Sprint deal won’t block spectrum bidding
T-Mobile is petitioning the FCC for confirmation that its proposed merger with Sprint won’t prevent the carrier from bidding in wireless spectrum auctions under FCC rules prohibiting joint-bidding arrangements between companies, according to an ex parte filing this week. Kathleen Ham, Senior VP, Government Affairs for T-Mobile and Steve Sharkey, the carrier’s Government Affairs, Technology and Engineering Policy chief, and …
Sinclair/Tribune deal given life support after court nixes ownership rule petition
In a two-page decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has refused to overturn the FCC’s restoration of the UHF discount on the grounds that the parties challenging it did not have standing to bring the petition. However, its impact may not be beneficial to the Sinclair/Tribune acquisition which might already be doomed. The UHF discount means …
Coalition calls out Sprint’s conflicting claims about munis threatening 5G
The Smart Communities and Special Districts Coalition, originally formed to participate in the FCC’s Mobilitie Petition, is taking Sprint to task for making conflicting claims about communities impeding the rollout of broadband throughout the nation. In a filing to the FCC, the coalition, comprised of individual localities, special districsts and local government associations that collectively represent over 31 million residents …
Transparency bill ushered in to order early release of FCC’s draft documents
Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger has introduced H.R. 6422, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Transparency Act, which would require the FCC to publish on their website the documents to be considered by the Commission at least 21 days ahead of a vote, a pilot plan introduced by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai last year. Upon introduction of H.R. 6422, Kinzinger released this statement: “As a member of the …
Indian Tribes team up to halt 5G ‘desecration’ expected from FCC’s exemptions
American Indian tribes are pressing the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to halt a March 22, 2018 order from the FCC exempting small-cell 5G network structures from certain regulatory reviews, arguing that the order would allow for the “desecration of historic sites just because it cannot supervise effectively.” In consolidated complaints, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, …
Blackburn says feds should complement private broadband investment, not compete
The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, held a hearing yesterday to discuss the latest efforts to support broadband deployment and bridge the digital divide. Subcommittie members received an update from the panel of expert witnesses about progress made by the private sector and the federal government. The full hearing video is available below. “Almost six months ago, I chaired …
T-Mobile and CBS-owned WLNY-TV complete early NYC spectrum repack
T-Mobile and CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation, completed the accelerated repack of WLNY-TV’s 600 MHz spectrum on portions of Long Island and the surrounding area that extends into Brooklyn and Queens. WLNY moved to its new spectrum frequency earlier this month, more than a year sooner than the August 2019 FCC deadline. This agreement enables T-Mobile to …
