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The total solar eclipse on Mon., Aug. 21, 2017 will be visible along a narrow strip of approximately 70 miles wide, spanning from Oregon to South Carolina. The first industry company where employees can walk outside their office and take in the first total solar eclipse to sweep the U.S. coast-to-coast in 99 years is Slatercom of Salem, Ore. beginning …
Court tosses Tall Tower’s lawsuit filed after Vertical Bridge acquired Clear Channel’s towers
A lower court should have dismissed Tall Tower Capital, LLC’s lawsuit accusing Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, LP of breaching an agreement in a deal to buy Clear Channel’s 472 broadcast tower assets, a Florida appeals court ruled Friday, finding that the firm had not established personal jurisdiction in Florida. A three-judge panel for the Florida Second District Court of Appeals unanimously …
AT&T heralds ‘one climb’ to get three units of spectrum in service
At last week’s Oppenheimer’s 20th Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference, AT&T CFO John Stephens said that he expects the carrier’s overall capex to increase as a result its FirstNet build over the next three to four years with work beginning this year with the states that have opted in. “What we expect is that it will be one of …
FCC is back at full strength with Rosenworcel and Carr’s confirmation
UPDATE: August 3, 2017 -The U.S. Senate voted today to confirm the nominations of Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr to the Federal Communications, returning the FCC to full strength with five members. Rosenworcel, a former Commissioner and Capitol Hill staffer previously joined the FCC in 2011. Her new five-year term is retroactive to July 2015 and runs through 2020. She …
Circuit court confirms that the FCC set fair utility pole attachment rates
The Eighth Circuit denied a petition from the nation’s power and electric companies for review of a 2015 Federal Communications Commission order governing the rates utilities may charge telecommunication providers for attaching their networks to utility-owned poles. The court found the pricing decision to be just and reasonable, holding that the term “cost” in Pole Attachments Act, 47, U.S.C. 224, …
Mobilitie thumbs its nose at Houston’s pedestrians as it plants poles in the middle of sidewalks
After the City of Houston, Tex. Public Works and Engineering Department recently became aware that numerous DAS nodes had been installed on sidewalks, a City engineer promptly red-tagged at least one monopole that was erected by MasTec North America, Inc. for Mobilitie, LLC. It also prompted the department to issue FAQs on network nodes, below, that were released today. Council …
Sales execs Lien and Cooper to push B+T Group’s continued growth
B+T Group Inc. announced this week that Patrick Lien has joined the company as vice president of sales and business development, and Grant Cooper will be the Tulsa Okla.-based company’s National Account Director. The company is continuing its push to grow nationally, providing services to major telecommunications carriers, tower owners and asset managers with a wide variety of engineering, construction …
CTI Towers secures $20 million debt facility from CIT Group
CTI Towers, a fast-growing wireless tower company, recently procured a $20 million debt facility with CIT Group Inc. The facility allows CTI Towers to continue its growth through building and acquiring wireless tower assets. The facility also provides CTI Towers with the potential to tap into an additional $20M once the initial $20M is drawn. CTI Towers presently owns 208 towers …
NAB attacks Microsoft’s slick rebooting of failed white spaces rural broadband plan
Before the salad forks were lifted at yesterday’s media luncheon in Washington where Microsoft President Brad Smith was readying his Rural Airband Initiative that would use white space spectrum, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) attacked Microsoft’s proposal as “the height of arrogance.” In a press statement, NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton said, “It’s the height of …
Centerline Solutions’ new CEO is ably positioned to lead the company’s growth
Centerline Solutions, a leading provider of wireless infrastructure services to the telecommunications industry headquartered in Golden, Colo., has named Tom Prestwood as the company’s new CEO. Prestwood brings over 30 years of experience in the wireless and broadband telecom industry, including a successful track record of scaling growing businesses and orchestrating collaborations among carriers, tower operators and infrastructure providers. He …
Tower painters forced to take a two hour break after their man lift malfunctions
Two painters were rescued from a cell tower near the old Belleville Police Station today in Belleville, Ill. The men were painting the tower and were using a rented lift. Officials said their bucket was more than 120 feet high when it got stuck. Emergency crews were called in and two firefighters used a separate lift for the rescue. The …
Dumb RF engineer who shut down smart meter base stations is sentenced to jail
In 2014, a radio frequency engineer upset after being fired from his job which required him to set up base stations that employed omni directional antennas on communications towers to monitor water meters, took revenge upon his unnamed employer and hacked into base stations to shut them down. He also changed the radio frequency for communications. and altered the code for …
NATE’s all-time high membership count is attributed to benefits
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that it had established a new all-time record of 828 member companies, a continuing increase in membership that the Association has seen for a number of years. NATE’s 828th member is Construction & Telecommunication Services, Inc. of Danvers, Mass. “NATE member companies encompass all layers of the wireless infrastructure chain and …
Carrier CEOs chew on Trump’s ear to clear the path and speed up small cell installations
President Donald Trump offered backing for emerging technologies such as next-generation wireless and unmanned aerial vehicles in a meeting yesterday with the heads of telecom giants AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile, and drone companies such as Trumbull Unmanned as well as venture capitalists and health care providers. Wireless makes some strange bedfellows During the meetings in the East Wing, Trump …
WIA endorses Trump administration apprenticeship reforms, TIRAP welcomes 12 contractors
The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced today that 12 companies have signed agreements to be Participating Employers in the nation’s only telecommunications apprenticeship program. This pledge from private businesses will accelerate the fulfillment of TIRAP’s goal to address the skills gap in the telecommunications industry by adopting an apprenticeship model, which is …
NATE, WIA – everyone else – welcomes Rosenworcel’s return engagement to the FCC
President Donald Trump said he would nominate Jessica Rosenworcel to fill a Democratic seat on the FCC. The expected nomination was applauded throughout the nation. Rosenworcel served as a commissioner until the end of 2016 when lawmakers failed to take up her renomination under former President Barack Obama, handing Republicans a 2-1 majority on the five-seat commission which has allowed …
Orange is the new knack – for selling tower siting sizzle and not the steak
After a 10-year effort to improve public safety communications in Douglas County and Highlands Ranch, Colo., erection of a 150-foot public safety radio tower began yesterday morning after sales and use tax funding became available and a private developer said it would assist in providing a location for an artistic structure – a monopole with two side-mounted omni antennas gingerly …
Steven Marshall elected Chairman of Wireless Infrastructure Association
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today announced that Steven Marshall, Executive Vice President and President of the U.S. Tower Division at American Tower Corp., was elected to serve as Chairman of the WIA’s Board of Directors. Marshall has served on the WIA Board of Directors since 2010 and brings a depth of industry experience and business leadership to WIA. He …
Crown sues Hempstead, N.Y. over consultant’s delay tactics and high fees for DAS nodes
National DAS-provider and tower owner Crown Castle has brought suit against the Town of Hempstead, N.Y., alleging that the Town unlawfully delegated its review authority to a third-party consultant for 14 initial applications for authorization to install, operate and maintain DAS facilities in the Town’s public rights of way. Crown, in its complaint, said that the consultant, Center for Municipal …
Calculating the job risk online, cell tower technicians are ‘doomed’ – but it’s unlikely
A study that has been kicking around since it was published by researchers at Oxford University in 2013, has gained a second life in the last few months after two online entrepreneurs made it easy to find out how susceptible 702 occupations were to being replaced by machines. The university report by Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne was created …
Sioux Falls Tower’s corporate office groundbreaking assists with its continued growth
Employees and associates gathered to celebrate the ground breaking for the new corporate office for Sioux Falls Tower and Communications on Tuesday in Sioux Falls, S.D. President & CEO, Craig Snyder, kicked off the ceremony by talking about their humble beginnings and Sioux Falls Tower’s successes within the past 30 plus years. “Faith and perseverance have been common themes that …
CCA slams AT&T again, this time asking FCC to reject FiberTower spectrum buy
The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) believes that AT&T will not allow their carrier members to remain competitive if the FCC allows AT&T to acquire bankrupt FiberTower’s 650 terminated licenses. In a filing with the FCC Wednesday, CCA said that instead of the planned acquisition, the FCC should recover and re-auction the unconstructed spectrum in the 39 GHz band, and potentially …
WIA launches new industry education and training programs
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today announced the creation of the Telecommunications Education Center (TEC), a new program and online portal that aims to provide the wireless telecommunications industry with a series of education and training courses with the goal of building a stronger and more diverse workforce. TEC (www.tec-online.org) aims to improve safety and quality, reduce costs of wireless …
USA Telecom Insurance Services takes active role in supporting TIRAP
USA Telecom Insurance Services (USATIS) has become the National Marketing Partner for Apprenticeship Outreach for the Telecommunication Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP). USATIS will be joining the National Sponsor, the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), in the role of expanding this widely-beneficial credentialed apprenticeship program across the wireless industry. TIRAP is a joint venture of telecommunications companies, industry associations, and the …
Single structure towerco wins siting suit in Oklahoma Supreme Court
The owner of a successful Oklahoma tower and lighting maintenance company saw an opportunity to provide homeowners in a severely underserved area east of Muskogee with cell service – in some homes non-existent – and constructed a 250-foot self-supporting tower that a major carrier was interested in co-locating on in 2010. But as soon as it was built, homeowner Ken …
Mobilitie allowed everyone to be always streaming as Always Dreaming wins
Spectators and visitors at the highest-attended sporting event in the U.S. generated the most voice and data traffic in the history of Churchill Downs this past weekend, and the record-setting volume was transmitted without a hitch due to Mobilitie’s beefed-up wireless voice and data system at the venue. More than 263,000 spectators at the Kentucky Derby, where Always Dreaming came …
FCC vote kicks off battle over regulation of the nation’s internet
In a 2-1 vote, the FCC today moved forward with a process that could lift Title II broadband classification, the legal footing for the commission’s 2015 net neutrality rules. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stressed that Thursday’s vote is just “the beginning of the process.” In prepared remarks, he stated that the commission would “follow the facts and law where they …
FCC chief chides AT&T for 911 outage that could have been prevented
Ajit Pai said today that AT&T’s 911 outage in March could have been prevented if the carrier had implemented network reliability best practices. On March 8, 12,539 Americans who were AT&T customers tried to call 911. But they couldn’t reach emergency services because of a nationwide outage of AT&T’s VoLTE 911 network. When they placed that call, they heard fast …
Verizon wins with its superior $3.1 billion offer for Straight Path
Update: May 11, 2017 -Straight Path Communications Inc. announced this morning that it will sign today a definitive merger agreement under which Verizon Communications Inc. will acquire Straight Path for $184.00 per share, reflecting an enterprise value of approximately $3.1 billion, in an all-stock transaction. Concurrently therewith, Verizon will pay on behalf of Straight Path a termination fee of $38 …
Comcast and Charter jointly explore a speedy entry into wireless market
Comcast and Charter, both regional cable operators, have announced an agreement to explore potential opportunities for operational cooperation in their respective wireless businesses to accelerate and enhance each company’s ability to participate in the national wireless marketplace.The agreement also forbids each company from making wireless mergers and acquisitions without the other’s consent for one year. The companies, which have each separately …
Lendlease, a global developer, acquires Parallel Infrastructure and its tower portfolio
Lendlease, one of the world’s largest development, property, infrastructure, and construction firms, has announce that it has acquired the Parallel Infrastructure portfolio of telecommunications towers and development positions across the United States, from Florida East Coast Industries. Going forward Lendlease will utilize its integrated business model to further create development opportunities focused on telecommunication infrastructure across the region. Denis Hickey, …
Portal to check cell tower RF exposure in India is a poor PR patchwork
In early April, a ruling from India’s Supreme Court shut down a BSNL cell tower after Harish Chand Tiwari, who works in Gwalior, complained that for the past 14 years he was exposed to radiation from a the tower illegally installed on a neighbor’s rooftop that was 165-feet from his employer’s home. And under pressure from the major tower owners …
CCA and NATE partner to offer key industry tracks at their conferences
The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) and the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today announced a partnership, designed to bring new, exciting content to attendees of both CCA’s 2017 Annual Convention, taking place October 25-27 in Fort Worth, and NATE UNITE 2018, February 19-22 in Nashville. NATE will develop and sponsor a conference track at CCA’s event highlighting infrastructure innovators and opportunities, …
One tower installation error adds up to a half million dollar add on
For 13 years Wireless Estimator has been covering the wireless siting community and is always in search of the man bites dog story rather than a mundane municipal siting protest. Today, we found one in Rowlett, Tex. where a city tower was built on their neighbor’s adjoining property. But instead of moving the tower, equipment shelter and generator to the …
Wireless West 2017 Conference leaps way past the wow factor
Last year’s inaugural Wireless West Conference was often described as taking the wow factor to the next level. Yesterday’s opening day in their second conference will surely be labeled as astonishing as to how five wireless associations – California Wireless, Arizona Wireless, Nevada Wireless, Colorado Wireless and the Northwest Wireless associations – put together a conference that rivals major trade …
Attempts being made to quell ‘panic’ over cell tower radiation in India
India’s Telecom Minister, Manoj Sinha, said yesterday that all relative radiation studies have not revealed any health hazards from cell towers, emphasizing that the limits in the country are more stringent than other nations. Sinha’s comments came in the wake of last week’s Supreme Court ruling that shut down a tower on the grounds that a 42-year-old domestic worker was …
Landa’s mobile towers play a key role in the nation’s missile defense
During the past week when you heard the words “missile defense,” it’s likely your first thoughts dwelled upon the widening concern by the U.S. over the development of a bevy of new missiles by the erratic North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un and the need for America and other countries to protect themselves from incoming missiles. But there’s another …
SBA honors Tilson’s Joshua Broder with veteran small business award
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that Joshua Broder, CEO of Tilson Technology Management, Inc. has been selected to receive the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2017 Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year Award for Maine and New England. “Mr. Broder’s leadership at Tilson perfectly demonstrates the transition of skills learned in the military to use in civilian life,” …
Profitable range of reimbursable repacking costs offered contractors, engineers, suppliers
Full power and Class A Broadcasters that have been reassigned to new channels must submit their reimbursement estimates for their repacking costs by July 12 using a form released Thursday by the FCC. The stations must include engineering, legal, equipment, installation, and other costs reasonably incurred to complete a required channel change. And for those participants in the repacking efforts, …
Straight Path finds its 5G suitor as AT&T picks it up for $1.25 Billion
AT&T has announced plans to acquire Straight Path Communications which holds a nationwide portfolio of millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum, including 39 GHz and 28 GHz licenses. This acquisition complements AT&T’s January acquisition of FiberTower and augments the company’s holdings of mmWave spectrum. The acquisition will support AT&T’s leadership in 5G, which will accelerate the delivery of new experiences for consumers …
Alaska’s largest telecom company, GCI, is acquired for $1.12 billion
General Communication Inc. (GCI), Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, will be acquired by Liberty Ventures Group, a subsidiary of Colorado-based media conglomerate Liberty Interactive Corp., the company announced in a statement. The $1.12 billion buyout allows GCI to expand its already leading position in Alaska and expand to markets outside the state so the company will continue to have staying power …
Court agrees, awarding FirstNet contract to Rivada was just too ‘risky’
According to documents released by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, FirstNet’s Source Selection Authority (SSA) said one of the reasons that Rivada Mercury did not make the competitive range for bidding for the nationwide public safety network that was awarded to AT&T on Thursday was because “Rivada’s proposed strategy was risky because it utilized aggressive business assumptions.” The SSA …
Over 70 communities have filed suit over Ohio siting bill enforcement
Maumee, Ohio is the latest community to take action against Ohio’s “Petland Bill” that became effective March 21, that snuck in and set standards for tower siting in the state’s 938 municipalities’ rights of way. Maumee City Council members voted unanimously last night to file a formal complaint and request an injunction against the section of the bill relating to …
Ivanka puts in a hostile bid for 3M, wants crown jewel DBI-Sala
April 1, 2017 – Traders were turned topsy-turvy yesterday afternoon after The Wall Street Journal reporter Ryan Knutson, in an exclusive interview with Ivanka Trump, said she had made a hostile bid for Maplewood, Minn. industrial giant 3M, offering a 46% premium for the company’s stock which closed Friday at $191.33. “Thulin [Inge G., 3M Chairman and CEO] will be hard-pressed …
FirstNet and AT&T contract is inked creating 10,000 new jobs, $40 billion in spending by the carrier
At an award and signing ceremony this morning at the Department of Commerce, AT&T, although unofficially acknowledged as the winning FirstNet bidder, was officially announced as the winner of the private/public safety network contract by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Today is a landmark day for public safety across the Nation and shows the incredible progress we can make …
NATE spreads its wings with new technology membership category
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced that it is offering a new Technology membership category. The Association made the announcement at the 2017 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, Nev. this week. The NATE Technology membership category is classified for any company whose primary source of revenue is derived from the manufacturing, sales, design and use …
STAC’s second Canadian conference expands in attendance and offerings
Approximately 300 industry professionals attended the 2nd annual conference of the Structure, Tower & Antenna Council (STAC) yesterday in Toronto, Can., considerably exceeding last year’s event that saw 200 industry participants, including wireless carriers, broadcasters, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, landowners, safety equipment suppliers and safety trainers, according to STAC Program Manager Nicholas Kyonka. The conference also featured 29 exhibitors. STAC serves members …
Telecom proponent Jeb Bush teams up with Boca Raton’s Vertical Bridge
Vertical Bridge, the largest private owner and manager of communication towers and locations in the U.S., announced today the appointment of former presidential hopeful and Florida Governor Jeb Bush to its Board of Directors. Governor Bush will serve as an independent director. “Governor Bush understands and appreciates the need for greater wireless telecommunications infrastructure,” said Marc Ganzi, Executive Chairman of Vertical Bridge and co-founder …
WIA chair believes 50-foot small cells are reasonable, urges congress to remove barriers
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), Thomas A. “Tam” Murray, today urged members of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to continue its work toward streamlining the widespread deployment of wireless broadband in communities throughout the United States. He also informed the subcommittee that WIA was “tremendously in favor of long lease …
Public broadcasting stations take a huge hit in Trump’s budget lite
President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget cuts, released late last week, left the wireless industry basically unscathed except for some cuts to rural broadband efforts that are said to be duplicated elsewhere. But the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) took a huge hit on President Trump’s wish list, losing $445 million, which could result in a number of rural stations …
Wireless Infrastructure Association named national sponsor for TIRAP
The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) announced today that the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) was selected to serve as National Sponsor for the program, and that TIRAP had secured approval for four additional credentialed occupations. TIRAP is a joint venture of telecommunications companies, industry associations and the U.S. Department of Labor that develops DOL-credentialed apprenticeship programs available to qualified …
Tower tech in Kansas is injured after falling approximately 25 feet
Update: March 20, 2017 – The tower tech that was injured on March 15, 2017 while dismantling a tower in Salina, Kan. is still in the hospital, but recovering, according to an individual knowledgeable of the accident. Randy Smith was employed by his own tower company operating under the business name of Randy Smith Tower Services of Rolla, Kan. March …
Utility commissioners tell the FCC to ‘tread carefully’ with municipal streamlining petition
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) recently applauded the FCC and Chairman Ajit Pai for initiating the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, but came down hard on what it sees as the FCC’s desire to preempt the traditional authority of State and local authorities by replacing intrastate regulation of rights-of-way, pole attachments, and other telecommunications facilities or services of …
NYC says ‘we’re done waiting,’ and sues Verizon over fiber rollout
In correspondence sent to New York City on Friday, Verizon said they were looking forward to “constructive dialog” to resolve the City’s Fios build-out concerns. New York wasn’t as accommodating when it slapped Verizon with a lawsuit on Monday. In a complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court, New York City contends that Verizon is in breach of a …
Tower Program Insurance purchases workers comp tower business from All Risks
All Risks, Ltd. has announced that it has sold its tower program business to Tower Program Insurance Services, Inc. (TPIS) of Austin, Tex. Scott Hermesmeyer and Patrick Shea will return to Tower Program Insurance Services, Inc and continue to manage this book of business. Hermesmeyer and Shea have been managing the nation’s largest and most successful program dedicated to the …
Wireless infrastructure movers and shakers to converge in Fort Worth
NATE UNITE 2017, the National Association of Tower Erectors’ annual conference, to be held Feb. 27 through March 2 in Fort Worth, Tex., is expected to rival a record-setting number of visitors to the event that is clearly regarded as the largest and most comprehensive show in the U.S. for the wireless infrastructure industry. The exhibition is already breaking last …
Mobilitie’s DAS marketing illustrations are labeled as ‘quite deceptive’
Distributed antenna systems provider Mobilitie, whose national focus is to provide Sprint with sites in community rights of way to assist in densifying their network, recently made a presentation to local government telecom officials in Southern California at the States of California and Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunications and Advisors (SCAN NATOA). Mobilitie, in its presentation, provided …
CITCA, DTS team up to co-market industry training opportunities
The Communication Industry Training and Certification Academy (CITCA) and Dover Telecommunication Services (DTS) have formed an alliance that will allow both companies to market each other’s training at discounted rates. CITCA offers a complete line of college-based tower erection and safety training programs and services directly related to the communications and wind turbine industries, with training provided at the client …
Pence’s $260 million tower deal legacy for Indiana is terminated
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced today that the Indiana Finance Authority has terminated contract discussions with Agile Networks which struck a tentative deal last September with the state to lease its communications towers while Vice President Mike Pence was Governor. As reported at that time by Wireless Estimator, Agile and Pence said that negotiations had been finalized for an agreement …
Straight Path secures $17.5 million to help pay off FCC fines
Straight Path Communications Inc. announced it has secured $17.5 million in new debt financing, expanding the company’s options as it continues to explore strategic alternatives for the company. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau announced a settlement valued in excess of $100 million with the company to resolve an investigation of Straight Path’s failure to deploy wireless services …
WIA presses for small cells on pole facilities with its detailed primer
Attaching small wireless antennas and associated equipment – such as distributed antenna system (DAS) remote units, remote radio units and self-contained small cells – on existing poles or structures significantly improves the coverage and capacity of mobile networks, according to a new white paper titled “Small Cells on Pole Facilities: A Primer on How Utility Poles, Street Lights and Traffic …
FCC Commissioner Clyburn trashes newest Chairman’s actions in news dump
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, the remaining Democrat on the Commission, went head to head on the keyboard with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Friday, clashing over whether his actions were legal when he reversed a decision made late in the Obama administration to let consumers apply their telecommunications subsidies to broadband services. Clyburn, who served as the acting Chairman in 2013 …
Radio equipment thief arrested who put Tennessee county’s public at risk
The Perry County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) arrested Frank Thomas Aldridge, 48, of Lobelville on Thursday for stealing radio equipment that disrupted local, state and emergency communications. According to a police report, on or about Dec. 12, 2016, Aldridge made forced entry into a communications tower compound off of Crooked Creek Rd. in Lobelville. The tower site is owned by …
FCC Commissioner contends more broadband subsidies may not be the best route
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been open to the idea of spending $20 billion in broadband funding as part of a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal, as recently reported by Wireless Estimator, but one Republican Federal Communications Commissioner is arguing that the approach has “serious potential drawbacks.” “For the sake of efficiency and soundness, if new government money has to be …
FCC chief takes first step to increase transparency of rulemakings by releasing documents
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai today announced a pilot program designed to dramatically increase the transparency of Commission rulemakings. For the first time, the Chairman is releasing to the public the full text of documents he circulated to his fellow Commissioners for a vote at the FCC’s next Open Meeting on Feb. 23. Traditionally, these documents, and the draft proposals contained …
AT&T sneakily buys FiberTower, a company they once inadvertently helped to cripple
Technology makes strange bedfellows and opportunities, as is the case when AT&T announced on Tuesday that it “entered into an agreement to acquire FiberTower Corporation, and its mmWave spectrum rights.” The one-sentence sale statement was tucked in at the end of an announcement that AT&T was in advanced discussions with power companies to trial Project AirGig, a patented broadband-over-power lines …
Pennsylvania mayor arrested for burying graves during cell site construction
Update: Feb. 19, 2017 – Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz dismissed the case against the Mayor of Shamokin, Pa. yesterday of allegedly desecrating graves, citing a lack of evidence. In a statement, Mayor William Milbrand said, “I knew that I did nothing wrong, but I also knew that some members of the Shamokin Police Department were angry at me and they …
Chairman Pai forms broadband deployment committee to close digital divide
At Ajit Pai’s first open meeting as the Federal Communications Commission’s Chairman, he emphasized the need to close the digital divide, and he believes the creation of a broadband deployment advisory committee that will be active for two years will assist in that effort. However, he didn’t discuss how he would proceed on key rules that he opposed under the …
Up to 50 gazillion terabytes of data could be used at Super Bowl 51
The Patriots and Falcons will match up in Houston Sunday at NRG Stadium, and the nation’s wireless carriers are kicking off their public relations campaigns this week to show how they’ll be capable of handling whatever their subscribers throw their way. But unlike today’s odds where New England is installed as a three-point favorite over the Falcons, the odds of …
GCI mourns death of company co-founder and communications pioneer Bob Walp
General Communication Inc. (GCI) has announced the passing of Bob Walp, one of the company’s co-founders and its first president. He was 89 years old. A steadfast advocate of competition in the Alaska telecommunications industry, Walp, along with Ron Duncan, founded GCI in 1979. Initially they operated the company from Bob’s small apartment in Anchorage. After battling regulatory and business obstacles, …
AT&T: Viva Mexico, President Trump, and FirstNet selecting them
Although the almost daily political question in America is Who will pay for the Mexican border wall?, AT&T knows who is paying to assist with its bottom line, Mexico. And it has been a “remarkable success story,” according to AT&T CFO John Stephens. In its quarterly conference call last week, Stephens accented the company’s strong growth in Mexico, stating, “In …
U.S. broadband infrastructure spending consensus is at $20 billion
With President Donald Trump’s “America’s Infrastructure First” policy calling for $1 trillion in new investment to improve the nation’s infrastructure, broadband will play a critical role in connecting the country’s citizens, communities and businesses, and according to an all-star panel brought together by USTelecom that spoke before the National Press Club in Washington yesterday, that need will most likely require …
Goodman Networks expects to file prepackaged bankruptcy next month
Financially troubled Goodman Networks Incorporated of Frisco, Tex. said that it expects to file its prepackaged Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in February in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. Prepackaging its bankruptcy plan allows Goodman to shorten and simplify the bankruptcy process in order to save the company money in legal and accounting fees, as well as …
Landmark study of the huge impact of 5G is released
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. commissioned and released a landmark study, The 5G Economy, examining the potential economic and social impact of 5G around the world. The study was conducted jointly by research firms IHS Markit, PSB and leading economist Professor Dr. David Teece, director of the Tusher Center at the Haas School …
FCC fines Straight Path $100 million for failing to deploy wireless service
The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau today announced a settlement valued in excess of $100 million with Straight Path Communications to resolve an investigation of Straight Path’s failure to deploy wireless services as required under its FCC spectrum licenses. The Enforcement Bureau investigated allegations that Straight Path violated the Commission’s buildout and discontinuance rules in connection with approximately 1,000 licenses …
Grand Opening of Primus West in Phoenix, Arizona
Primus, one of the nation’s largest and leading wireless distributors, announced today the grand opening of Primus West, a second fulfillment center in Phoenix, Ariz., in the Freeport Industrial Center near Interstate 10/Papago Freeway and the 51st Avenue interchange. The new location boasts 100,000 square feet of warehouse space – more than doubling their current distribution capacity – which allows …
New inspection requirements added in Revision H of ANSI/TIA-222
The new ANSI/TIA‐222-H Standard, the “Structural Standard for Antenna Supporting Structures and Antennas and Small Wind Turbine Structures,” the latest revision of the TIA-222 Standard that builds on the changes introduced in the Revision G and enhances and expands them, is expected to be published in the third quarter of 2017. Revision H has loading and design strength provisions revised …
Carriers and towercos plan for enforcement of new tower technician certifications
Nationwide NWSA certifications mark historic milestone for the communication tower workforce The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced the official launch of two industry-wide certification programs, Telecommunications Tower Technician 1 (TTT-1) and Telecommunications Tower Technician 2 (TTT-2), and carriers and tower companies have informed Wireless Estimator that they are assessing when they will require full certification compliance of all technicians …
Coax reel takes off down a highway in the direction of a tower
A number of Wireless Estimator viewers directed us to a YouTube video of a freewheeling reel of what they believe is coaxial cable rolling down Route 40, heading east into Uniontown yesterday morning in Fayette County, Pa. You can view it in real-time, 10 times the speed and slow motion. A cell phone video captures the alarming wrong-way travels of …
AT&T to roll out giant eyeballs and drum sets to support inauguration
The nation’s wireless carriers are ready for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 in Washington D. C. with increased network capacity with AT&T providing what might be the best coverage in the District – or at least it appears that way as the nation’s second largest carrier promotes its innovative and largest temporary network it has ever provided. Two …
Point-to-point super flyway broadband network may not have enough planes
California-based Airborne Wireless Network (AWN) believes, like Facebook envisions, that it has the answer for being able to assist in providing broadband throughout the world by using aircraft. Whereas Facebook is attempting to use unmanned drones, with its first attempt ending in a return-trip crash, AWN want to use the world’s existing commercial aircraft to create a meshed carrier network. The company …
Wind gusts found Aquila’s Achilles heel in “cell site” solar plane crash
On June 28, 2016, Facebook Connectivity Lab launched its solar powered Aquila aircraft to set the company’s ability to provide broadband coverage to a 60-mile-wide area on the ground in underconnected regions. Three weeks later, Facebook acknowledged that the operation was successful, but the patient died – or was severely injured — when their airplane had a structural wing failure …
FPS says oui to American Tower’s $726 million offer for 2,400 towers
American Tower Corporation and Dutch pension fund manager PGGM today announced their entry into a definitive agreement to acquire FPS Towers, which owns and operates approximately 2,400 wireless tower sites across France, through their previously announced joint venture, ATC Europe. The price was set at approximately $726 million. FPS, founded in 2012 when it acquired the towers of Bouygues Telecom, …
NATE: Commercial vehicles are now exempt from hours of service/log book requirements
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) gave an early industry-wide Christmas present to the nation’s contractors this morning with its announcement that its discussions with federal transportation officials has resulted in an important clarification of existing regulations that will provide critical relief related to companies’ commercial vehicles operations. NATE recently worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier …
A deep dive into enhancing property values with in-building wireless
By Vince Varga Property managers, owners, and builders are missing an opportunity to increase profits through attracting modern, mobility-favoring tenants. The easiest way for a property to miss out on revenue is to lose tenants to turnover, or worse, not to get them in the first place. To get them in the door, your property must be well-maintained in your …
Eco-Site appoints former American Tower exec to lead site development/operations
Eco-Site, Inc. (www.eco-site.com), a North Carolina-based wireless tower and densification solutions company, announced the appointment of Scott Lewis to the position of senior vice president, site development and operations. Lewis brings more than 15 years of wireless infrastructure experience in his new role, most recently leading network engineering and deployment for American Tower. Lewis is responsible for creating a single, …
Limitless Mobile’s bankruptcy hits contractors, towercos and suppliers
At the end of November, Limitless Mobile’s subscribers in central Pennsylvania knew something was amiss when their cell service was cut off, and if they went to the Susquehanna Valley Mall in Selinsgrove this past weekend they would have been greeted with an empty store with a note on the security gate that said the store had been closed and …
AT&T believes it’s a shoo-in for the multi-billion dollar FirstNet award
AT&T stretched the use of an 8K Securities and Exchange Commission filing as they shook their hips in the FirstNet win zone Friday, stating that it appears that they were the only compliant bidder – to their knowledge. According to AT&T, bidders pdvWireless Inc. and Rivada Mercury, LLC have both been eliminated from the RFP review. AT&T said that it …
As Goodman Networks collapses, key execs bolt out the door
Frisco, Tex.-based Goodman Networks’ Chairman and CEO Ron Hill gave notice on Nov. 21, 2016 that he would be resigning and his last day on the job would be Dec. 21, 2016, stating that he had “good reason” to quit as defined in his employment agreement that had been frequently updated since he served as the company’s Vice President of Professional …
Judge puts overtime pay hike on hold for many wireless workers
Coal in the stocking for some employees, a New Year’s present for their employers Many wireless industry workers in office management and construction-related positions earning more than $455 per week who were exempt from overtime pay, were assured of an increase in their paycheck beginning Dec. 1, 2016 when a new federal regulation kicked in. But two days before Thanksgiving, …
Civil workers unearth a skull and other bones at S.C. cell site
A crew performing civil work at a Greenville, S.C. monopole site unearthed human remains that, according to a news release from the Greenville Police Dept., had been in the ground for an extended length of time. While excavating Monday morning with a small backhoe, the workers unearthed a skull, a portion of a mandible and what appears to be a …
Officials feel Mobilitie is disingenuous as moratoriums mount throughout the nation
Cities and counties are continuing to slap moratoriums on the installation of towers and mini-macro sites in public rights-of-way. The most recent city registering concern is Boynton Beach, Fla. whose officials this month issued a moratorium on installing them until June so that they can examine the current regulations to determine if changes need to be made. The action came …
Trump’s election might have kayoed OSHA’s new tower industry regs
The election of Donald Trump as the nation’s 45th president may provide ancillary benefits to contractors and stop – or at least delay – new OSHA regulations directed at the wireless construction industry that were expected to be proposed in 2017. According to John Newquist, a former OSHA assistant regional administrator from Chicago, it is likely that the new administration …
Alyssa Runner joins Wireless Estimator in key advertising and marketing role
Wireless Estimator is pleased to announce the appointment of Alyssa Runner to the position of Marketing/Advertising Consultant. Alyssa has been crusading the digital marketing arena for more than seven years, specializing in copywriting, lead generation, data-driven strategies and conversion rate optimization. With a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master’s in Public Administration, she focuses her time …
AT&T’s utility pole claims are rebutted by the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission issued a statement Monday related to a lawsuit filed by AT&T (Bell South) against Louisville, Ky., stating that the city’s One Touch Make Ready (OTMR) policy, a pole attachment ordinance, does not conflict with federal regulations. Kentucky is one of 20 states that have certified that they regulate their own pole attachment terms and conditions that …
Centerline Solutions continues expansion with acquisition of Boulder Technology
Centerline Solutions, a leading provider of wireless infrastructure services to the telecommunications industry, has acquired Boulder Technology, LLC., an expert software design and development firm based in Boulder, Colo. This acquisition bolsters Centerline Solutions’ leadership position within the wireless industry by securing an in-house technical team to meet the evolving software needs for complex wireless projects. Centerline Solutions and Boulder …
American Tower registers its unease about ‘complicated’ towers, U.S. and Canadian crews
American Tower Corporation (ATC) informed the FCC on Monday that their phased approach to transition TV stations to new channels, with an ambitious completion deadline of 39 months, should take into consideration same phase tower assignments, complicated sites, the availability of tower crews, and the assumption that Canadian crews may not be available to assist in the repacking efforts following the spectrum …
Tower arsonist thought radio wave head problems would be solved following bombing
After an arsonist attempted to knock out more than a dozen broadcast towers on Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, N.M on Oct. 2, 2016 with gallon-sized Molotov cocktails, a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson informed Wireless Estimator that they had identified a suspect, but would not release his name. On Oct. 18, 2016 they arrested 53-year-old Brian Dorais of Madrid for …
Tallest, shortest, oldest and longest employed tower techs to be featured
Wireless Estimator is seeking out ‘tall tower workers’ – not the folks with boots on high steel, but tower technicians who are truly ‘tall’ in height – to publish a feature article about the tallest one in the U.S. or Canada. In addition to The tallest tower climber, Wireless Estimator is also in quest of locating: The shortest tower climber …
Horizontal lifeline energy absorber recall announced by 3M
Wireless Estimator has been notified by 3M Fall Protection (formerly Capital Safety) that there was a production issue with a number of its Zorbit Energy Absorbers that could create a risk of serious injury or death for the user in the event of a fall from height. The Zorbit is used with horizontal lifeline systems. 3M said that although there …
New ANSI/SSE A10.48 standard now available for purchase from NATE
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A10.48-2016 Standard is now available for purchase on the Association’s website. The A10.48 Standard – Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and Maintenance of Communications Structures is a game changer for the industry as it has …
Reports of Russia using its cell towers to stretch its defense system might be a stretch
In his rallies and presidential debates, Donald Trump said that he has a way of defeating ISIS and putting Russian President Vladimir Putin in his place. But the real estate mogul says he’s not releasing any further information because he wants to unleash his measures secretly. However, it appears that Russia, which normally keeps its defense system initiatives and actions close …
Carriers and their contractor teams carry on proudly following Hurricane Matthew
Although damages from Hurricane Matthew along the east coast are still being assessed, the report on how carriers managed wireless communications with hardened sites and cell site service by the nation’s wireless contractors is in – and they are getting high marks. While there were a sporadic reports of outages on downdetector.com, service has been generally excellent in the effected …
New pivoting and swivel RRU mounts provide ease of radio head installs and maintenance
Connect-It Wireless Components, a leading manufacturer and supplier of thousands of site hardware and component products, has introduced its newest industry offerings, pivoting and swivel RRU mounts to keep remote radio heads close to the antennas and allow for easy maintenance and simplified installations with the included mounting arms that swivel the radio heads to a single face. The mount, …
AT&T plans to give towers and fiber competition with plastic antennas using the power grid
Towers and fiber may have a serious competitor if AT&T’s Project AirGig is successful in spreading internet service wirelessly through the country’s power grid, with the company believing, “where there are power lines, there can be broadband”. AT&T said its transformative technology from AT&T labs allows for affordable antenna units to be able to redistribute wireless and wireless signals around …
Pittsburg communications confab focused upon industry safety issues
Safety officials from carriers, tower owners, regulators and training companies converged in Pittsburg, Pa. last week at the 2016 Environmental, Health & Safety Communications Panel (EHSCP) symposium hosted this year by Crown Castle. A wide variety of topics related directly to the communications industry were presenting during the well-attended sessions. A panel discussion on the upcoming Washington State Standard, was …
Wireless has curtailed real conversations about real subjects
By Andrew Seybold With today’s wireless networks, services, and devices we have instant access to all of our voice, text, data, and video information almost no matter where we are. Does that mean every call, text, or email we receive must be answered right then and there? I was one of the first to learn a lesson when it came …
Goodman’s wireless CMs will receive $2 million to settle overtime lawsuit
Wireless turfing contractor Goodman Networks Inc. has agreed to pay $2 million to former construction managers who claimed the company stiffed them on overtime pay after misclassifying them as exempt employees, according to a settlement statement obtained by Wireless Estimator that was filed in Texas federal court on Sept. 6. The matter was litigated for two years, required numerous depositions …
Sprint’s small cell delays may be worse than the industry thinks
By Ken Schmidt Sprint and Mobilitie’s innovative plan to build mini-macros Back in June of this year, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) ran a story about Sprint’s use of “sidewalk utility poles” as a core element of their efforts to improve the Sprint network while reducing ongoing network operating expenditures. The article suggested that Sprint may have been delaying network …
Military strikes target ISIL communications towers in Iraq
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Fighter aircraft and rocket artillery conducted eight strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government. Near Baghdad, a strike destroyed an ISIL repeater tower. Near Qayyarah, …
Amended colocation agreement lessens historic preservation reviews and speeds up 5G
The Federal Communications Commission took another significant step to facilitate the deployment of infrastructure critical to ensuring American leadership on next-generation wireless service, or 5G. Building on previous infrastructure reforms, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau signed an agreement to eliminate historic preservation review for small facility deployments across the U.S. that do not adversely impact historic sites and locations. The agreement …
Trump took a special interest in a contractor’s rooftop telecom mounting frame lift
When Donald Trump’s older daughter, Ivanka, introduced him at the Republican National Convention last night, she highlighted that his success in developing properties partly came from his deep-seated desire to receive worker feedback. “Billionaire executives don’t usually ask the people doing the work for their opinions of the work,” said Ivanka. “And typically money moguls don’t take an interest in …
FCC’s new sweeping Spectrum Frontier rules will open up 11 GHz of spectrum
The FCC today adopted new rules for wireless broadband operations in frequencies above 24 GHz, making the United States the first country in the world to make this spectrum available for next generation wireless services. Building on the successful, flexible approach to spectrum policy that enabled the explosion of 4G (LTE), these rules set a strong foundation for the rapid …
Lease buyout firm Unison cuts back its staff while selling off some assets
Cell site lease buyout firm Unison Site Management has sold 760 leases to competitor Melody Wireless Infrastructure for an undisclosed amount, according to a press release from Melody. Omar Jaffrey, Managing Partner at Melody Capital Partners, and CEO of Melody Wireless Infrastructure stated: “This latest acquisition will solidify Melody’s presence within the wireless infrastructure ecosystem and directly aligns with our …
New Navy guidelines will streamline the wireless siting process on federal bases
The United States Department of the Navy (DON) has formally released new guidelines designed to improve the speed at which wireless infrastructure facilities are deployed on properties owned by the U.S. Government and operated by the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. The memorandum — titled “Streamlined Process for Commercial Broadband Deployment” — was signed by the Deputy Under Secretary …
Top U.S. towercos eyeing Deutsche Telekom’s towers in Germany
As America gets ready to celebrate Independence Day on Monday, considered by some to be the original Brexit, Deutsche Telekom is prepping the sale of thousands of its German towers in a potential $5.5 billion deal. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanly are organizing the sale of the structures. SBA Communications, American Tower and Crown Castle are on the invite list, according to …
By cutting crew climbs, Anritsu lowers the cost of testing remote radio heads on towers
Anritsu Company has introduced CPRI RF measurement capability in its market-leading E series of Site Master™, Spectrum Master™, and Cell Master™ handheld field analyzers that dramatically simplifies and lowers the cost of testing Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) installed atop 4G towers. Solidifying Anritsu’s position as the industry leader in field test solutions, the new option reduces network OpEx by allowing wireless …
Tower crews tackle restoring communications in West Virginia
Tower crews have been working under challenging conditions to restore cell and wireline services to three carriers in West Virginia after massive floods left tens of thousands of customers without communications services. Frontier Communications, alone, said more than 10,000 of its customers have lost services. The company said in a news release that the number of outages may fluctuate and …
Thousands of dropped calls couldn’t compete with 1976’s GOP fiasco
All of the major carriers are boosting their networks ahead of the Republican national convention to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21, and the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Pa. July 25-28 with increased DAS systems, better backhaul, additional Cells on Wheels and other measures to ensure coverage for the events. But no matter how spotty the coverage is in …
No injuries after Indiana tower topples due to 100 mph gusts
An internet service provider’s 180-foot guyed tower collapsed this morning in Russiaville, Ind. after gusts reported to be at 100 mph hit the area. The tower, located at Union and Stewart Streets, is owned by Start of the Art Communications. Local ambulance services and the Howard County Dispatch Center also have equipment on the tower. It also was part of …
FCC chief wants to quit studying 5G and roll it out now with spectrum trifecta
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced today his proposal for the FCC to free up a huge swath of airwaves for a new generation of faster wireless systems that could support remote surgery, guide cars, and control electricity grids. “And that’s damn important,” said Wheeler in his speech before the National Press Club which is available below, “because it …
Communications Sales & Leasing to acquire Tower Cloud
Communications Sales & Leasing, Inc. (CS&L) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Tower Cloud, Inc. for $230 million in cash and stock. Tower Cloud is a leading provider of data transport services, with a particular focus on providing infrastructure solutions to the wireless and enterprise sectors, including fiber-to-the-tower backhaul, small cell networks, and …
Texas techs and others network at NATE’s regional confab
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) has reported that the second NATE Regional Meeting held on Tues., June 7 at the Texas Star Golf Course Conference Center in Euless, Tex. was a tremendous success. The meeting focused on key industry safety and health initiatives and offered excellent networking and professional development opportunities for meeting attendees. “This was such a successful …
Veteran tower climber, helping ham radio operators, succumbs after a fall in Arizona
Update: June 12, 2016 – Andrew Milton ‘Milt’ Jensen, 73, who died when he fell from a tower located on Mount Lemmon in Pima County, Ariz. on Thursday while volunteering his services to an amateur radio club, had been climbing professionally for a number of years and had safety training, according to a family member who announced services today that …
FCC shuffle puts Suzanne Tetreault in the deputy bureau chief’s seat
FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Jon Wilkins has announced his intention to appoint Suzanne Tetreault as deputy bureau chief. Tetreault will move from her current position as deputy general counsel in the Office of General Counsel. Tetreault will replace current Deputy Bureau Chief Jean Kiddoo who is joining the FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force as Deputy Chair for Transition. “Suzanne’s …
Georgia tech’s death underscores the fragility of life on the road
The known dangers to the nation’s road-warrior technicians are numerous, especially when they’re swelled by working aloft, but the recent death of a Conley, Ga. man underscores the fragility of life on the road and has his fellow crew members, family and friends shaking their heads in disbelief. Derreset “Dezzy” Brown, 51, had been working for TowerComm of Raleigh, N.C. …
TowerCo eyes new acquisitions and build-to-suits after its $244 million tower sale to Grain
Company officials at TowerCo have announced the sale of 253 towers and 95 other assets to Grain Infrastructure II, L.P., a private equity firm in Sarasota, Fla., for $244 million. The sale marks the third portfolio of towers and assets sold by TowerCo since 2008 when the company sold 430 towers to SBA Communications for $193.5 million. The sale elevates …
Connect-it Wireless’ grand opening in Florida helps to benefit the Hubble Foundation
When Jim and Faith Schultz co-founded wireless manufacturer and distributor Connect-it Wireless Components in 2003, their storage bay working area was less than 100 square feet. Growth required a move to a 500 sq. ft. building and then to a facility that would allow for future expansion for years to come – a 10,000 sq. ft. building in Jupiter, Fla. …
Alpha Networks acquires Xcell, putting Moskowitz at the helm
Alpha Networks LLC has announced the acquisition of Xcell Inc., a leading tower construction and service business headquartered in Dallas, Tex. and providing services throughout the Southern region of the U.S. for more than a decade. The business will continue to operate under the Xcell name and brand. Alpha Networks has brought in new management, led by industry veteran Michael Moskowitz into the …
Sprint’s anticipated spending for 2016 takes a 40% haircut
Sprint’s announcement that it is going to invest $3 billion in network expansion during fiscal 2016, which started for the carrier on April 1, 2016, is a sharp decline from fiscal 2015’s $5.4 billion which was already down $0.7 billion from 2014. Last year, Sprint indicated it would spend $15 billion over three years on network build-outs, financing some of …
Alliance’s bankruptcy filing leaves contractors and suppliers with no recourse
Cell site project management and construction company Alliance Management Services of Louisville, Ky. posted on their Facebook page last year that “2013 was practice, 2014 was the warm up and 2015 is game time”. But the company’s game plan proved to result in a failed opportunity and Alliance filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization with U.S. Bankruptcy Court or the …
Eyes are on Sprint as T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon provide favorable capex reports
Although subscriber growth is a good indicator of a carrier’s favorable outlook by analysts, capex is the tailwind of wireless infrastructure providers, and this week’s news deflated the sails of a number of analysts who have speculated that carriers would cut their capex in early 2016. In his typical over the top presentation with a 360-degree camera, T-Mobile CEO John …
Carriers agree upon network resiliency framework for disasters and emergencies
Carriers today said they’re in agreement on how to facilitate information-sharing in an effort to improve network resiliency before, during and after natural disasters and emergencies. House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone and CTIA the Wireless Association released the “Wireless Network Resiliency Cooperative Framework” with the backing of AT&T Inc., Sprint Corp., T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon …
A Pope and carrier exec quote highlight cell phones and mobile/spiritual networks
The rote quote of the week comes from a British carrier executive who finds that cell site permitting is too tough in the UK, while the Pope quote of the week told teens that life without Jesus is like a smartphone without bars. British carrier Arqiva’s director of M2M, Nicolas Ott, said in an interview, that “In rural areas we …
Acceptance of drones in wireless work could begin with early broadcast ‘repacking’ efforts
In 2013, when Amazon unveiled its daring drone plan to have unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) provide commercial deliveries, Black & Veatch had already been investigating how drones could assist in reducing the number of times climbers would have to ascend a tower. At an FCC-OSHA workshop in 2014, John Johnson, Black & Veatch Vice President, ESH&S, said, “I know that …
Vermont’s legislators asking the Feds to audit $116 million telecom project
Vermont’s lawmakers are asking federal regulators to conduct an audit of a $116 million grant and loan provided to VTel Wireless, stating that the company has passed by many communities with the broadband service it was paid to provide in Vermont. With similar resolutions, the House on Thursday passed H.R.19, and the Senate’s version was referred to the Finance Committee. …
Contractors could benefit from Facebook’s Terragraph replacing fiber with low-cost, fast Wi-Fi
If Facebook’s pilot program in San Jose, Calif. that’s slated to go live later this year successfully offers inexpensive IPv6-only nodes with WiGig chips on lamp posts, utility poles, and other street furniture and structures that will broadcast Internet using unlicensed 60GHz spectrum, it could prove to be a boon for many wireless industry contractors when carriers and internet service …
NATE highlights its successful conference with the release of hundreds of photographs
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) has provided over a half million descriptions of the tremendously successful conference and exhibition in New Orleans, La. last February with its release today of over 550 event photographs. Although NATE’s receptions and other networking events show a great amount of comradeship, the meetings, educational sessions …
Four-tower $75-million deal still on hold as developer grapples with NIMBY group
Residents impacted by the proposed sale of a 75-acre Bethesda, Md. tract that is the home to Cumulus Media’s WMAL-AM Washington DC talk radio station, weren’t enamored with a presentation by developer Toll Brothers on Saturday to transform the area into a 328-home neighborhood. Additional traffic was the chief concern of many residents. In an article last year in Wireless …
Canada’s Structure, Tower & Antenna Council’s inaugural event is a huge success
The inaugural Structure, Tower and Antenna Council (STAC) 2016 Conference & Exposition in Toronto, Ontario kicked off yesterday at the International Plaza Hotel with a keynote address by Bernard Lord, President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, and according to attendees and exhibitors at the two-day event, it is proving to be a tremendous success. STAC is the only …
Crown Castle emerges as number one in the U.S. with their TDC 336 tower deal
Crown Castle International Corp.has announced that it acquired Tower Development Corporation (“TDC”) for approximately $461 million in cash. TDC, a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners, owns and operates 336 towers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with an average tenancy of approximately two tenants per tower. The deal puts Crown Castle as the largest tower owner in the U.S., although …
Wireless industry is now larger than the car manufacturing, hotel, movie and music industries
CTIA released a report today it commissioned by Recon Analytics that found the U.S. wireless industry serves as an integral driver of America’s economy by annually generating more than $194.8 billion of domestic economic value and more than $282.1 billion in U.S. GDP. “The Wireless Industry: Revisiting Spectrum, The Essential Engine of US Economic Growth” report looks at how the industry …
FAA to consider report on drones typically used by carriers and contractors
The final Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Aviation Rule-Making Committee (ARC) report was released to the public yesterday and will assist the telecommunications industry if the group’s recommendations on drones are accepted by the FAA. The Senate is seeking to create regulations for larger drones that could do commercial deliveries. The FAA Administrator, DOT Secretary, White House and Congress staffers have been briefed on the …
Infrastructure’s role stressed to Illinois State Wireless Association members
Jonathan Adelstein, CEO and President of PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association, delivered a keynote address at the Illinois State Wireless Association’s annual Education Luncheon today in suburban Chicago, stressing the important role wireless infrastructure plays in improving mobility for health care, education, public safety, agriculture, smart cities, and a host of other consumer and business products and services. PCIA is …
For ATC India it’s 56,000 towers and corporate responsibility projects
American Tower Corporation received approval from the Indian government yesterday to buy a 51% interest in Viom Networks, an independent mobile tower company in India, for $880 million. Establishing its presence in India in 2007, ATC India has approximately 14,000 towers in the country, but with the Viom deal it will take control of an additional 42,000 towers, putting its …
Co-worker assists in tower tech’s rescue in Maryland
Update: April 7, 2016 – “The employee in distress informed the other crew members that he was in need of assistance and the other crew members immediately began the process to assist him off of the facility,” Steven Weber of Network Building + Consulting (NB+C) said in a statement to The Enterprise. The worker was taken to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, …
Verizon cell site opponent is convicted and opts for 18 months in jail
City council meetings regarding cell tower siting approvals can be rather contentious, but an Astoria, Ore. hearing on a request by Verizon Wireless last June to move an aging communications tower ended up with a man attempting to make a citizen’s arrest of the mayor, and then he was arrested, and yesterday was convicted for refusing to leave City Hall. …
FCC chief says spectrum auction could extend into fiscal year 2017
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler informed a Senate appropriations subcommittee yesterday morning that the incentive auction of 600 MHz spectrum may extend into 2017 if it doesn’t raise enough to pay broadcasters for the airwaves. The possibility of an extended timeframe is one reason why the FCC is requesting an additional $11 million in federal funds, Wheeler said during the hearing. …
Structure, Tower and Antenna Council readies its first conference
Over 200 industry personnel are expected to be in attendance at the International Plaza Hotel in Toronto, Canada at the Structure, Tower and Antenna Council’s (STAC) inaugural conference on April 11-12. As the only national forum in Canada dedicated to discussing safety issues and best practices in the tower and antenna industry, the STAC 2016 Conference and Exhibition will bring …
Top sections of a tower make an unscheduled attorney visit in Indiana
No injuries were reported when high winds on Saturday afternoon toppled a communications tower that was located next to the old Vigo County jail in Terre Haute, Ind. The area reported wind gusts of up to 53 mph, however, it appears that the jail’s roof flew off and might have caused the structure to collapse due to the additional flat …
Guyed tower collapses on White House lawn hurling lighting debris into President’s office
Washington’s federal buildings are still on lock down after a communications tower collapsed on the south lawn of the White House at about 8:12 a.m., according to Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason who witnessed the guyed tower “teeter for about a minute, buckle and then twist like a drunken dreidel before it smashed to the ground.” Capitol Police and Secret …
New TIA TR-14 industry standard’s forward has a fitting tribute to Ernest “Ernie” Jones
The record-setting number of industry experts attending the Telecommunications Industry Association TR-14 meeting in Las Vegas, Nev. on March 29, 2016 couldn’t help but notice an empty chair that would have been filled by their long-time, leader, associate and good friend, Ernest “Ernie” Jones who passed away on Oct. 21, 2015 in a tragic incident while on a tower as he …
PCIA joins forces with leading companies to host supplier diversity summit
PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association has partnered with major wireless voice and data carriers and other industry leaders to host a Supplier Diversity Summit at the Wireless Infrastructure Show in Dallas May 23-26. The Summit will take place on May 25. The show is the leading industry conference focused on the companies, equipment and technologies that enable next-generation wireless …
Legacy announces its expansion with new Rocky Mountain location
Legacy Telecommunications, Inc., a leading provider of wireless infrastructure construction and technical services, today announced the addition of a Montana location to accommodate the firm’s growth and expansion plans. The new 7800 square foot facility is located on a three-acre industrial parcel in Three Forks, MT. This will provide increased capacity for existing customer logistical support and services throughout the …
Centerline Solution’s UCI acquisition raises its professional headcount to 420
Colorado-based Centerline Solutions has added Florida’s UCI Construction Services into its operation — an acquisition that makes Centerline one of the leading wireless infrastructure services providers in the U.S. The strategic partnership not only expands the company’s turnkey wireless services to a new geographic region of the United States, but also enhances Centerline’s construction capabilities through the addition of UCI’s …
Training, rigging and respect emphasized in NATE’s cathead video
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) has released a Capstan Hoist & Rigging Safety Video as part of the Association’s Climber Connection campaign. NATE unveiled the video at the 2016 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, Nev. The video highlights practical safety tips for selecting and utilizing capstan hoists. Additionally, the video footage includes a testimonial from …
New site projections see a modest increase in 2016 for the tower industry
In RBC Capital Markets’ latest network and site leasing update, analysts Jonathan Atkin, Bryan Hyun and Bora Lee are projecting a modest improvement in leasing in the second half of 2016 from 2015 with Verizon and T-Mobile remaining the most active carriers. Their report said that AT&T’s site additions should remain below the 1,000 mark at approximately 600. They expect …
Employee sets up shell companies to defraud his company with fictitious Georgia cell tower builds
Execs’ eyes were glued to $700 million in contracts A 57-year-old Anderson, S.C. man stole upwards of $450,000 from his cell site developer employer as well as the hearts and money of women throughout the country through the use of elaborate schemes using fictitious front companies, resumes and statements that he was a former high-ranking military veteran. The District of …
Tower tech training program assists ex-offenders in putting their lives back together
Last month’s inaugural class of eight graduates of the Wireless Field Engineer Training Program, a collaboration between the Safer Foundation, a Chicago, Ill. non-profit organization helping criminals with records to become employed, and a Chicago cell site development contractor, MTM Technologies, are fully charged for their new career, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune. Although MTM’s managing director, …
Digital Bridge seen as top contender in $2 billion Saudi Arabia Mobily deal
During a panel discussion last week during NATE UNITE 2016 in New Orleans, La., Robert Paige, Senior Vice President of M&A for Vertical Bridge, the cell tower leasing arm of Digital Bridge LLC, said that more than adequate capital is available for the industry to expand, stating that the amount was seen as “mind boggling”. And if a Bloomberg Business …
Big numbers released for NATE UNITE 2016’s Big Easy conference and exposition
Record-breaking numbers of 1,614 attendees and 137 exhibitors in New Orleans last week during the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) annual conference gave credence to the impact NATE has upon providing excellent educational sessions – from safety to business development – and the show’s ability to network the industry with member companies and their suppliers. A number of event …
NATE panel on 5G ponders future of tower climbers
The ‘5G and Other Emerging Technologies’ session at last week’s NATE UNITE 2016 Conference discussed the next generation of wireless, what it will be used for and how it will impact companies employing tower technicians. The session featured John Celentano, wireless infrastructure consultant with Skyline Marketing Group, and J. Sharpe Smith, editor with the AGL Media Group. Celentano described the …
A bright future predicted for wireless work by leading industry experts at NATE UNITE 2016
As three leading industry experts gazed into their crystal balls Tuesday during their NATE UNITE 2016 presentation, “The Future of the Wireless Industry,” their consensus indicated a robust build program that could last for more than a decade. However, Clayton Funk of Media Venture Partners, Christopher Fisher, Cuddy & Feder LLP; and Robert Paige, Vertical Bridge, cautioned National Association of …
Techs rescue an eaglet hung up in a hanger kit on a Florida cell tower
Two tower techs belted up Monday night to rescue eaglets in distress after a neighbor contacted wildlife authorities stating that one of them appeared to be injured. Ricky Blanco and Steve Barefoot, employees of USA Structural, formerly Goff Communications, said they welcomed the opportunity to assist in the rescue. One eaglet was hanging upside down from the tower off of …
Crew and subcontracting requirements could change with proposed OSHA/FCC best practices
If the best practices (BPs) being developed by the Federal Communications Commission and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration are implemented nation-wide, it is likely that the industry will see a marked improvement in fatality and injury counts. It will also assist in reducing the number of companies in the industry that provide lower bids because they’re not burdened by …
Crown Castle’s chief, Ben Moreland, to hand the reins over to CFO Jay Brown
The CEO of Crown Castle International Corp. will retire effective June 1, 2016, the Houston, Tex.-based wireless communications infrastructure provider announced yesterday during its analysts conference call. Ben Moreland will leave as the company’s president and CEO, but remain executive vice chairman of the board of directors. Jay Brown, the organization’s CFO will become president and CEO. Brown, a certified …
New ‘junk’ RF science reports in media help pit communities against tower developers
Parents nationwide are questioning the safety of cell towers on or near school campuses, and Wi-Fi within schools, and believe they are strengthening their position by embracing the recent publication of a study by Sultan Ayoub Meo of King Saud University that his research “has for the first time proved that the radiation from towers also causes diabetes mellitus,” according to …
Cortel and TowerCom Technologies picked up by newly-formed J5 Infrastructure Partners
Under the direction of a new CEO, two well-established wireless services companies will expand their deployment services in the Western U.S. with an infusion of cash from two equity investors. Ridgemont Equity Partners and SR Capital Advisors announced Friday that their newly formed company, J5 Infrastructure Partners, includes the talent and assets of Cortel, Inc. of San Diego, Calif., and …
2015’s 50 most popular news stories according to views
A news article that doesn’t have as many views as another story doesn’t mean that it wasn’t important to industry readers. It just meant that it appealed to a more select group of viewers. The below articles had the most views on Wireless Estimator from the more than 694,00 unique viewers that visited the site in 2015. Articles are in calendar order from January …
Appeals court rules FCC didn’t abuse its discretion with its wireless siting order
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled today that the Federal Communications Commission was within its rights to interpret legal terms in its Wireless Siting Order which adopts new environmental exemptions for DAS and small cells and gives a detailed interpretation of Section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act that includes a new 60-day shot clock designed to …
Wi-Fi discreet street furniture finds a new home underground
Antenna manufacturer Kathrein, in collaboration with Switzerland’s Swisscom, introduced its manhole antenna solution in a PR blitz last week to emphasize that additional street furniture isn’t always necessary to provide increased city coverage. Virgin Media, however, has already struck gold underground in the UK and is installing its ‘Smart Pavements’ free public Wi-Fi in manholes in Chesham, England through wireless …
Kathrein offers ‘Street Connect’ for wireless densification in high traffic locations
LTE antenna provider Kathrein has introduced an innovative solution for wireless densification in cities. In collaboration with Swisscom, Switzerland’s leading telecom provider, Kathrein developed “Kathrein Street Connect”, an in-ground antenna system that enhances mobile capacity at hotspots with high data traffic. Following a trial period in Bern, Switzerland, the antenna will be deployed in selected cities in early 2016. According to Swisscom, …
New FAA tower lighting standard will cut costs and cut down on avian deaths
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published its newest Obstruction Marking and Lighting advisory circular that became effective Friday. It includes significant changes to the telecom industry’s lighting requirements since the last time the agency revised Advisory Circular 70/7460K in 2007. A key change in the new document — that has been proposed by the industry for a number of years …
Harbinger’s LightSquared loses appeal after $1.9 billion lawsuit is tossed
The Second Circuit in New York on Monday upheld a decision by the Manhattan federal court in February dismissing Harbinger Capital Partners LLC’s $1.9 billion suit claiming three GPS makers hid market information and drove its startup LightSquared Inc. into bankruptcy. The court said it found a lack of a relationship between the companies, Garmin, Trimble and Deere and the …
Industry expert is banking upon AT&T ramping up spending for its U.S. wireless network
AT&T CapEx – No more guessing! By John Celentano AT&T’s capital expenditures (capex) have been in the tank for the past year, and tower owners and installation contractors along with the original equipment manufacturers that support AT&T’s network all continue to feel the pain of the company’s significant capex cutbacks since mid-2104. Many marketers across the supply chain still are trying …
NATE members elect four incumbents and one new director to its board
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released the results of the 2016 Board of Directors election. The Association announced that candidates John Paul Jones, President of Tower & Turbine Technologies LLC in Cedar Park, Tex.; Bryan Lee, President of Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc. in Springtown, Pa.; Jimmy Miller, President of MillerCo, Inc. in Gulfport, Miss. and Don …
GME Supply’s new Atlanta location showcases its multi-million-dollar expansion
GME Supply Co has announced the opening of its newest facility in a strategic location in Atlanta, Ga. With this multi-million dollar expansion, the company has added an additional 30,000 square feet of stocked warehouse space, all with the aim to better serve its wireless infrastructure customers in the Southeast. The Atlanta facility features the company’s unique “Safety Experience Zone,” where …
Mt. Wilson’s iconic Poole complex acquired by InSite Towers
A deal to buy the multi-tower Poole Tower complex on Mount Wilson in California that was expected to be close to being inked in April, according to a report in Wireless Estimator, took another seven months, but finally closed last week, according to Media Services Group’s Bob Heymann, Jr. who served as the broker for Poole Properties, in announcing the …
New York subway system’s DAS expansion welcomed in troubling times
With New York City going to high alert in response to the release of a new ISIS video that sets Times Square in the terror group’s bombing or chemical-warfare sight, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s announcement last Thursday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Transit Wireless have launched the Phase 4 expansion of wireless, public safety and Wi-Fi services …
Digital Bridge and Stonepeak complete ExteNet Systems’ $1.4 billion recapitalization
ExteNet Systems, Inc., a leading independent provider of distributed networks enabling outdoor and indoor wireless connectivity, announced the successful completion of its recapitalization efforts, initially announced in July. The acquisition is led by Digital Bridge Holdings (Digital Bridge) and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners (Stonepeak), which together head the consortium that invested or arranged over $1.4 billion capital, inclusive of equity and …
Phoenix Tower International closes its 600 T-Mobile tower buy
Phoenix Tower International (PTI) announces that it has closed its transaction with T-Mobile to acquire the ownership or management rights relating to over 600 wireless communication tower sites including the exclusive right to manage and operate the sites from T-Mobile. Terms of the transaction remain confidential between the parties. TD Securities LLC served as M&A Advisor to PTI and provided …
AT&T offers $7,500 reward to catch those who felled a Texas guyed tower
AT&T is offering a reward of up to $7,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the destruction of the carrier’s tower located at 1901 W. Crawford in Denison, Tex. on Nov. 12, 2015, according to the Denison Police Department. According to authorities, the destruction of this tower affected cell service for AT&T, Sprint, and …
Mobilitie and Digital Bridge vie for ‘largest’ infrastructure bragging rights
Mobilitie LLC, announced it has closed a $325 million debt investment. Led by CIT Bank, N.A., and TD Securities (USA), LLC, the investment will continue to fuel the exponential growth of the company’s distributed antenna systems, small cell, communication tower and Wi-Fi business investments. The Newport Beach, California-based company took the opportunity in its press release last week to state …
Consider saving your new carrier drooling for another opportunity
Get ready for two Un-carrier cursing contests Commentary – The industry salivated a stream of anticipated earnings in 2010 when LightSquared announced its ambitious plans to develop a wholesale national broadband network. Two years later it dried up when the company filed for bankruptcy after the FCC kayoed their plans due to what they believed would be significant GPS interference …
Worldwide LTE subscriptions hit 1 billion in less than six years
According to CCS Insight, statistics obtained from market metrics firm The Mobile World, worldwide LTE subscriptions have surpassed 1 billion this month. It took fewer than six years for LTE to reach this milestone, having taken 3G more than eight years and 2G services more than a dozen. Mobile World said first generation analog-based wireless services never surpassed 100 million …
Permitting process comes under fire in broadband deployment hearing
The House Energy & Commerce communications subcommittee discussed barriers to broadband deployment today. The panel’s bipartisan leaders discussed bills to require broadband conduit to be built along with federally funded roads and other proposals to make it easier to provide access to utility poles and determine how federal land could be better used to support broadband infrastructure. Permitting impediments was …
The taxman cometh armed with a Stingray on steroids spy gear
UPDATE: Oct. 28, 2015 – The head of the Internal Revenue Service told a Senate committee on Tuesday that its stingrays are only used in criminal investigations. “It is only used in criminal investigations,” Commissioner John Koskinen testified before Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and the rest of the Senate Finance Committee. “It can only be used with a court order. It can …
American Tower’s Viom deal puts their India tower count ahead of the U.S.
American Tower Corporation is paying $1.16 billion to buy a controlling stake in the Indian tower operator, Viom Networks. The deal, which was widely expected will see American Tower taking a 51 percent stake in the Indian firm, which currently owns and operates approximately 42,200 towers and 200 indoor distributed antenna systems across India. American Tower’s existing Indian portfolio of …
FCC Commissioner’s new tower builds is based on a hazy crystal ball
Commentary — Making subsidies more flexible and removing legal hurdles are two of several changes the Federal Communications Commission should make to advance wireless infrastructure development, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly said Wednesday at the Competitive Carriers Association conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Another adjustment they should consider is providing their Commissioners with research that they’ve unearthed to provide direction rather than …
Google study: 30% of 911 calls in San Francisco are butt-dials
Accidental dialing, commonly called “butt-dials” are a growing concern for emergency services dispatchers, a newly released Google report states, and the company is helping San Francisco to get to the bottom of the increasing trend. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM) found a dramatic spike of 28% in 2014 of 911 calls and Google worked with the city …
Huawei completes world’s first large-scale 5G field trial with NTT DoCoMo
Huawei announced today the world’s first successful large-scale field trial of 5G new radio access technologies. The field trial was conducted jointly with NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Japan’s largest mobile service provider. Experts from both companies participated the field trial in an outdoor test site in Chengdu, China. As an on-going field trial, Huawei was able to stream live video of …
Central States Towers picks up $75m in new debt and equity financing
CIT Group Inc. announced that CIT Communications & Technology Finance served as sole lead arranger and administrative agent in a senior secured credit facility to Central States Tower (CST), a leading middle market operator and developer of wireless communications towers and a portfolio company of Sweetwater Capital, LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “We have maintained a strong …
Prophetic wireless kick start statement was made by AT&T 100 years ago today
A transcontinental radio telephone demonstration transmitted from the U.S. naval radio station in Arlington, Va. to the naval radio station 2,500 miles away in San Francisco, Calif. and then relayed to Honolulu, for a total of 4,900 miles was sent today a century go. Its impact was revolutionary since the First World War was in progress in Europe and it would be …
AGC’s survey identifies that wireless construction’s employment ills are similar
If wireless construction contractors believe that because cell site construction and other craft needs within the telecommunications industry are unique, and it’s the primary reason why it’s difficult to hire qualified workers, they’ll see that a 2015 Workforce Survey by the Associated General Contractors of America released earlier this month mirrors similar difficulties nationally with other professions, with 86 percent …
A conversation with TIRAP’s chief on human dignity and following industry standards
Although Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program Chairman Scott Kisting embraces every opportunity available that will assist wireless technicians in working safer, he believes that there are two key components that ride above all others: human dignity of all within the workforce and the proper awareness, planning, education and application of existing standards. While there are many people at work trying …
White House: Like water, broadband is a core utility required in homes
Similar to water, electricity and sewer in terms of importance to homeowners, the White House has declared that broadband Internet is also a “core utility,” in a 40-page report published by the Broadband Opportunity Council, which was created by President Barack Obama. “Broadband has steadily shifted from an optional amenity to a core utility for households, businesses and community institutions,” …
Small cells to be given extreme test during high Pope visit traffic
Crown Castle International’s devout Catholics might be praying to St. Vincent Ferrer, patron saint of builders, that their small cell network will support the data tsunami expected on Sept. 26-27, 2015 along the historic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, stretching from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Logan Square, during Pope Francis’s inaugural visit where more than one million people are expected …
New content rich Daily News Briefs now available from Wireless Estimator
Known for its original feature news content, Wireless Estimator has expanded its editorial offerings with its Daily News Briefs, industry stories that are too important to miss, and oftentimes are not covered by industry media. The new section, separate from Wireless Estimator’s featured articles, is light on NIMBY news which is important for readers of local newspapers and other suburban …
FBI investigating a string of fiber cuts; AT&T posts $250,000 reward
AT&T said yesterday that the company is offering up to $250,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for fiber vandalism across Alameda County in California. AT&T spokesman Jim Greer said vandals cut fiber in two different manholes about 10:30 p.m. Monday at Altamont Pass and Carroll Road in Livermore, causing Internet service to go out. …
Many wireless contractors will be required to provide a week of paid sick leave in 2017
Based upon an executive order signed by President Obama last week, wireless contractors with contracts from the federal government, as well as their subcontractors, will be required to provide up to seven days of paid sick leave a year starting January 1, 2017. It is likely to affect the cost of FirstNet’s deployment of the $7 billion 700 MHz nationwide …
India High Court: Use your landline if you don’t want cell towers installed
In a rather unorthodox response to a petition by residents alleging that a cell tower was being constructed in their neighborhood in violation of a local recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee, India’s Delhi High Court dismissed their plea and basically said that residents of Vasant Kunj should stop using their cell phones and revert back to using landlines, and then, …
Indiana looking for firm to manage its 300 cell towers on park land
Indiana is working on plans to design and build Indiana’s first new inn at a state park in more than seven decades, and Gov. Mike Pence has said the lodge will be paid for solely by the leasing of untapped capacity of more than 300 cell towers on DNR land. None of that cell capacity has been leased yet, state …
Path aligning microwave dishes now takes minutes with new Sunsight Instruments tool
At every CTIA show there are a number of great product introductions that attendees surgically dissect, especially contractors, who want to see if evolving technology will help them to cut down on their installation expenses. Equally as important, however, they want to ensure that it will allow them to avoid return trips. For companies doing microwave path alignment, Sunsight Instruments …
CommScope’s new antenna delivers three beams from a single antenna unit
Wireless network operators have a new, unique antenna option from CommScope to relieve overloaded cell sites and support high concentrations of subscribers in special venues. CommScope expects the Tri-Beam to find major acceptance as a capacity enhancement solution to overloaded macro networks and high-capacity locations.” The innovative Tri-Beam Antenna uses new lens technology to deliver three beams from a single …
Time Warner’s fiber-optic backhaul supports close to 20,000 of the country’s cell towers
Charter Communications’ bid for Timer Warner Cable appears to have little opposition, and the $55 billion deal might be approved by the FCC by the end of the year. Included in the sale are two important industry assets, towers and backhaul. Although Time Warner’s total of 653 structures hasn’t grown considerably over the years, but will be complemented by Charter’s …
New top 100 U.S. tower owners unveiled with some first-time players and loss of a key owner
Wireless Estimator released today its top 100 tower companies in the U.S. that identifies the same three top consolidators as in previous years, American Tower Corp., Crown Castle International and SBA Communications taking the lead. Although first place American Tower is slightly ahead of Crown in the Top 100 U.S. Tower Companies list by less than 200 towers, it is an …
Boca Raton, Florida is fast becoming the corporate hub of choice for tower owners
Thanks to early siting entrepreneurs Jeffrey Stoops and Marc Ganzi, Boca Raton, Fla. is fast becoming the hub for tower owners’ corporate offices as witnessed by numerous key players’ offices in a two mile stretch along and off of Congress Ave. SBA Communications CEO Stoops used to run his company from its corporate office off of Broken Sound Pkwy., almost within shouting …
Fish fry investigated by U.S. Cellular and the culprit isn’t a cell tower
Commentary Community newspapers suck dry every opportunity they get to write about cell tower rejections, protests and lawsuits because their audience is local, but most wireless industry media refrain from triggering their readers’ boredom thresholds with aggregated NIMBY comatose clutter. However, out of dozens of daily Google alerts Wireless Estimator receives with gag reflex headlines – Harlem says hell no…, …
Shentel to acquire Ntelos in a $640M regional deal that doesn’t include towers
Mid-Atlantic regional wireless carrier Shentel announced that it will be acquiring another carrier, Ntelos, in a deal set at $640 million, including net debt. The transaction will double Shentel’s subscriber base, but not its 151 tower count since Ntelos’ 103 towers were sold to Grain Management earlier this year for $41 million. Sprint is heavily involved in the transaction and …
Vertical Bridge picks up 43 Townsquare towers and the ability to share in marketing 250 more
Townsquare Media is the latest broadcaster that sees the benefits of selling their broadcast towers that they see as a valuable, but unnecessary asset. The company has announced a deal to sell 43 towers to Vertical Bridge, a company owned by Digital Bridge Holdings for $22.8 million. However, Townsquare will still keep 250 towers, which Vertical Bridge will market to …
Routers, fiber line cut blamed for massive cell phone outage in the Southeast
Cell phone service was restored Tuesday at about 8:00 p.m. after a major outage in the southeastern United States that began approximately five hours earlier in the day. In a statement issued by AT&T at 10 p.m., the carrier said: “Wireless and wireline service has been restored for all customers in parts of the Southeast affected by a hardware-related network …
In a surprise move, SBA walks out with cash and away from its investment in DAS
Five year DAS ride for SBA unexpectedly ends In a deal that took many industry observers by surprise, DAS developer ExteNet Systems, Inc. announced that Digital Bridge Holdings and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners will recapitalize the company with more than $1 billion dollars, and Digital Bridge’s CEO Marc Ganzi will assume the position of Chairman of the Board. Key members of …
Crown Castle’s tenants per tower take a slight dip as revenues show a marked increase
Although Crown Castle’s site rental revenues for the second quarter were up $26.3 million over its 2014 quarter, the tower owner’s average tenants per tower for sites operated for 10 years or longer fell off slightly in all BTAs. The tenant per tower average in the top 100 BTAs for sites operated 10 years or more was 2.9 compared to …
Rubio’s bill will expedite deployment of wireless infrastructure on Federal properties and free up spectrum
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, joined with subcommittee chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and fellow members Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) to introduce the “Wireless Innovation Act of 2015” yesterday, a bill to reallocate spectrum used …
NWSA delivers a detailed overview of their tower worker certification program to OSHA
In response to OSHA’s request for information regarding communication tower safety due by Monday, the National Wireless Safety Alliance provided an emphatic ‘yes’ to the agency regarding its question: Is there a need for a standardized, industry-wide training or certification program? Provided by NWSA consultant Chuck Slagle, a former Sprint EH&S executive, the safety alliance said, “The NWSA will standardize …
CTIA & PCIA deployment lawsuit charge: 3000% small cell size structure increase is an ‘imagined horrible’
CTIA – The Wireless Association and PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association, have joined together to urge the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to reject a lawsuit filed April 24, 2015 by Cumberland County, Maryland and cities in California, Washington and Texas that is asking that the court vacate the FCC’s 2014 Infrastructure Order adopted last fall to …
Leading safety expert steps forward as the tower industry’s response to OSHA tanks
Whereas an embarrassing majority of industry safety professionals and tower climbers, as high as 99% or more, have ignored an opportunity to assist OSHA in assessing current practices and ways that will result in lowering fatalities and injuries in tower construction and maintenance, an Illinois State University professor, Dr. Thomas P. Fuller, while traveling in France, took the time today to …
Expensive earthquake tower design law passes following industry indifference during hearings
PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association came out against the City of Los Angeles’ newly passed ordinance requiring all new telecommunication towers to be designed as a Class lll Structure subject to an importance factor of 1.50 of the TIA-222 standard, a requirement that PCIA says could increase the cost of a tower between 30 to 200% and could stymie …
LA’s earthquake-proof tower ordinance is heavily based on an incorrect news article
The Los Angeles City Council on Friday moved to require future cell phone towers to be designed and built with a 1.5 importance factor over the current design code, EIA/TIA-222-G, so that if there ever was a severe earthquake in the city, cell towers would “still be functional.” However, their concern about the current code not being adequate was heavily …
PCIA’s ‘view from the top’ shows a little bottoming out; tall tower crew shortage possible
A common thread throughout yesterday’s PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association’s Hollywood, Fla. conference was that AT&T has pulled back on their builds, Sprint is almost in a holding pattern and T-Mobile is providing a number of opportunities. Verizon, however, is seen as a steady engine that is assisting a slower than expected build in the second quarter. “Verizon continues …
New unraveled electromagnetism theory will not unhinge the tower industry
As PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association kicks off its conference with an infrastructure developers meeting this afternoon in Hollywood, Fla., it’s unlikely that the demise of cell towers will be a hot topic, but media pundits frequently disagree, citing new technology that will replace them with palm size transceivers. One industry editor recently said, the traditional cell tower infrastructure …
Subcarrier’s Houston expansion bolsters its ever increasing tower and rooftop count
An industry pioneer in high performance wireless infrastructure services, with a portfolio of some of the country’s best towers in high demand locations, New Jersey-based Subcarrier Communications, announced its Southwest market expansion and the hiring of key executives Dudley Norman and Greg Weger to lead market operations from their new Houston, Tex. office. As demands for wireless connectivity prove to …
With low visual impact, RFS has antennas hiding in plain sight
Radio Frequency Systems, a global wireless and broadcast infrastructure specialist, has announced its new AllClear transparent antenna product line. It is necessary to limit the visual impact of antennas as much as possible to reduce the difficulty of acquiring new sites and renew existing leases. The AllClear product line was specifically developed to meet this need for RFS customers worldwide …
Climbing higher for techs will not be possible in Google’s grand plan
Although Google is currently developing wireless service plans that will prohibit tower technicians from climbing to maintain the transceivers – because they’ll be at an elevation between 23,000 and 65,000 feet in the stratosphere – this week’s announcement that the company intends to offer MVNO wireless connectivity to customers in the U.S. will also exclude techs from working on Google-owned …
Report: 5G growth won’t be introduced as quickly as 4G networks
If you’re looking to cash in on increased contractor opportunities that will become available as America moves towards a still undefined 5G network, seen as the mobile interface on which the network of the 2020’s and 2030’s will be based, you might have to reevaluate your business plan, according to a new market data forecast released by ABI Research. Research …
