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Recent News
CWA gets its first Tower Climbers Union crews, but an agreement with QualTek could be stalled for 14 months
A majority of 11 wireless tower technicians at QualTek have voted for union representation with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in an election conducted this week in Henderson, NV. Their next step after National Labor Relations Board certification will...
FCC Commissioner Carr slams Commerce Department for putting its thumb on the scale for fiber
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said that the U. S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) was being myopic with fiberoptic when it released its new rules that will govern the expenditure of $42.5 billion in grants authorized...
Industry engineers are now able to identify best practices for tower mount analysis, courtesy of TIF
The Telecommunications Industry Foundation (“TIF”) announced the publication of a new White Paper on tower mounts that involved the efforts of many individuals from across the industry. As mounts continue to support existing equipment and the deployment of new technology including...
Broadband industry questions NTIA fiber czar’s $42 billion dollar priority that might be illegal
At a hearing on February 16, 2022, Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, informed House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology members that “…we need a technology-neutral approach to funding broadband...
Dish must again face lawsuit that it used two sham companies to save billions of dollars in spectrum buys
Dish Network Corp. will be required to face a whistleblower’s False Claims Act (FCA) spectrum license lawsuit for the second time following a Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruling yesterday. The carrier is alleged to have used...
Biden favoring fiber in $42 billion broadband funding could kick other technologies and contractors to the curb
The Biden administration formally started its $42.45 billion initiative on Friday to bring reliable and affordable high-speed broadband internet to everyone in the U.S. by the end of the 2020s. “In the 21st century, you simply cannot participate in...
Starlink announces it’s in 32 countries as it continues to ward off Russian hacking attempts
Starlink, the satellite internet service provider operated by Elon Musk’s aerospace company Space X, is now available in 32 countries, Musk Tweeted today. The hardware can ship “immediately” to areas where the service is available. The service offers the...
DigitalBridge and IFM shell out $11 billion for data center company Switch
DigitalBridge Group Inc. and IFM Investors have announced they have agreed to buy data center operator Switch Inc. for $11 billion, including debt, marking the latest deal in the digital asset sector. Last November, American Tower announced the acquisition of...
Mobilitie mobilizes into U.S. military bases with the acquisition of Signal Point Systems
Mobilitie, a BAI Communications company and a leading wireless infrastructure provider in the United States, has closed on an agreement to acquire Signal Point Systems, Inc. (“Signal Point”), a well-established telecommunications infrastructure provider focused on U.S. military bases. The acquisition unites...
Telecommunications Industry Foundation announces new leadership appointments
The Telecommunications Industry Foundation (TIF), announced today their board appointments for the new 2022-2023 term. Scott Vance, PE, current Chair of TIF, will assume the position of Chair-Emeritus. Michelle Kang, PE, Geographic Discipline Leader of Telecommunications with Colliers Engineering...
3M issues a product advisory on two DBI-SALA harnesses
Product advisories have been issued for two select DBI-SALA harnesses that have the potential to have performance issues. The company emphasized that their notices were not a recall. The DBI-SALA® ExoFit™ XP Arc Flash harnesses, manufactured between January 1,...
They do every day, but especially tomorrow tower techs should walk and climb proudly
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association unveiled a commemoration declaring Wednesday, May 4, 2022 as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. For the sixth consecutive year, a day has been set aside by NATE and the industry to pay tribute to...
Hundreds of tower techs told ‘squeezed’ workers could benefit from CWA Tower Climbers Union
Last month, 11 employees of QualTek’s Nevada location filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRF) for a union election for admittance to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, the first-ever company to ask for representation....
Valmont and Ericsson acquire ConcealFab to accelerate growth and innovation in global telecom
Valmont Industries, Inc., a global leader that provides vital infrastructure and advances agricultural productivity while driving innovation through technology, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Colorado-based ConcealFab, an industry leader...
Industry leaders reconnect in California at the 7th Annual Wireless West Conference
With an extra air of excitement after two years of post-pandemic uncertainty and social distancing, the 7th Annual 2022 Wireless West Conference, presented by four West Coast wireless associations, came back full force in person this week. Widely known...
Simpson, Blakeslee and Hillabrant appointed to Tower Family Foundation leadership positions
The Tower Family Foundation announced today a series of appointments to the non-profit organization’s leadership team. Mike Simpson, Chief Procurement Officer of T-Mobile USA Inc, has been seated to serve on the Tower Family Foundation Board of Directors. Additionally,...
As an exterior cleaning drone makes its debut, communication tower painters fear no threat
Drones are excellent for mapping towers and providing inspections, but they haven’t had a serious impact on tower technicians’ work on structures. However, window washing companies and pressure cleaning businesses might see a drop in income since Lucid Drone Technologies...
Board of Health issues Verizon a cease-and-desist order for ‘unfit’ tower but now needs $84k to defend it
Tomorrow, Pittsfield, Massachusetts Board of Health (BoH) officials will ask the City Council to back up their cease-and-desist order against Verizon Wireless to discontinue their use of a cell tower at 877 South Street, requesting $84,000 in legal fees...
FCC ensnares Putin ally Abramovich in Truphone’s $660,639 fine for not disclosing his investments
The FCC has proposed a fine of $660,639 for London-based Truphone, the owner of iSmart Mobile, for exceeding the statutory limits of 25% for ownership by foreign individuals or entities tied to FCC licenses without FCC approval. FCC Chairwoman...
Biden’s ‘USA only’ steel mandate seen by tower and mount manufacturers as surmountable
On Monday, the Biden Administration issued guidance relating to the “Buy America” sourcing requirements under the “Build America, Buy America” portion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will provide $65 billion in funding to build out America’s...
QualTek tower climbers file for CWA union representation as the industry closely monitors the outcome
QualTek tower technicians in the company’s Nevada office have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a union election for admittance to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. The news was announced on CWA’s...
FCC sets out the nation’s new guidelines for obtaining accurate broadband map data
The need for accurate data pinpointing where broadband service is available and where it is lacking, has never been more important, the FCC said on Thursday when it provided details to state, local and tribal entities with guidance on...
Raising the Barr for above and beyond customer service, especially when lives are at stake, is ASK’s mission
To gain and keep loyal customers, successful companies go above and beyond with customer service and support. Pat Barr, who humbly entitles himself as Albuquerque, NM-based ASK Tower Supply’s technical specialist, takes that to a higher level, and in...
SPX announces acquisition of International Tower Lighting
SPX Corporation (“SPX”) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of International Tower Lighting, LLC (“ITL”), a private company headquartered in La Vergne, Tennessee. ITL is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly-engineered Aids-to-Navigation, or “AtoN”...
To Russia with no love, Ericsson suspends all business with the country over unprovoked Ukraine war
Swedish network equipment maker Ericsson is suspending its business in Russia indefinitely and has put employees on paid leave. This comes six weeks after the Swedish telecom equipment maker started a review of the impact of Western sanctions on...
Lawsuit by deceased climber’s parents says tower wasn’t secured, but photos argue against the complaint
After a 21-year-old Sevier County, TN man fell to his death last May after climbing a tower atop Bluff Mountain, his parents have filed a lawsuit against the county, saying it didn’t do enough to keep people away from...
Subcontractor’s ‘shoddy concrete’ work proves to be costly for Crown Castle in Baltimore
The Baltimore, MD City Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced last Wednesday that the City’s Department of Transportation (DoT) has fined Crown Castle Fiber LLC (Crown Castle) $447,000 after the OIG found that 450 small cell...
Appeals court won’t revive Martha’s Vineyard AT&T cell tower lawsuit
Fears about radio frequency emissions affecting a Martha’s Vineyard man’s medical equipment and property value weren’t enough to allow a husband and wife standing to sue over the previous construction of an AT&T cell tower on the island, a...
Lynk successfully deploys world’s first commercial-ready cell tower in space with service later this year
Lynk Global, Inc., a leading satellite-direct-to-phone telecoms company based in Falls Church, Virginia, today announced the successful April 1, 2022 launch, deployment, and initial on-orbit check-out of Lynk Tower 1. The spacecraft is the company’s sixth ‘cell-tower-in-space’ satellite and...
After jury whittles $20 million request down to $525K; plaintiff wants a new trial on FCC license snafu
A Georgia broadcaster was awarded $520,000 in damages on February 16 following a trial on its claim that an outside attorney botched its federal license application for a Class A low power television station statement of eligibility. The malpractice...
Massachusetts high court rules police must get a judge’s warrant before running tower dumps
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court authorized some broad police searches of cell-phone location data Friday, but also set limits on police activity to control mass surveillance and intrusions against innocent people’s privacy. The case arose from seven tower dumps...
North Carolina ring of cell site copper thieves arrested after lengthy investigation
The Buncombe County North Carolina Sheriff’s Office has charged 12 people in a cell site transmission line copper theft ring after a lengthy investigation, authorities said on March 30. The damage was estimated to be worth $331,000. Buncombe County...
Nationwide strike of contractors averted after carriers and towercos agree to meaningful concessions
An organized work stoppage action by U.S. wireless contractors that could have exceeded the breadth of economic damage caused by the steel workers strike of 1919, that shut down the nation’s steel industry, was averted yesterday after carriers and...
U.S. towerco is bid up in down under 2,000 tower deal that went to ATN and Singtel for $2.7 billion
UPDATE – April 1, 2022: Macquarie Asset Management today announced that, alongside its coinvestors, it has entered into binding agreements with Australia Tower Network (ATN), owned by AustralianSuper and Singtel, for the sale of 100% of Axicom for $2.7...
House FCC oversight hearing focuses on broadband maps, security
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel informed members of a House Energy and Commerce Committee Oversight hearing today that the improved broadband maps needed to adequately disburse billions of federal infrastructure dollars will come this fall. However the maps will still...
Think tank researcher identifies U.S. mobile wireless speeds are among the best in the world
A constant refrain often heard in the broadband debate is that Internet speeds in the United States are generally far slower than for most other advanced countries. To test that argument, last February the Phoenix Center released a paper...
MasTec, SBA and DigitalBridge announce new leadership roles
Ava L. Parker – MasTec Ava L. Parker has become a member of MasTec’s board of directors, according to a company press release. She joined the board as a Class III director in MasTec’s staggered board structure, MasTec said. “Parker...
$600 million set aside in Biden’s proposed budget to boost rural broadband
President Joe Biden yesterday unveiled a proposed $5.8 trillion budget for 2023, that included over $600 million for additional broadband funding through the USDA’s ReConnect program, which provides grands and loans to deploy broadband to unserved areas, especially tribal...
FCC includes Russian, two China cybersecurity firms on covered blacklist
The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau added equipment and services from three entities – AO Kaspersky Lab, China Telecom (Americas) Corp, and China Mobile International USA Inc. – to its list of communications equipment and...
ATF accuses man of setting fire to American Tower cell site, trying to destroy multiple other locations
A Jackson County Mississippi man is facing federal charges from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after a special agent said the arsonist maliciously set fire to an American Tower cell tower...
Verizon Jackson Pollock-type pole is perhaps first 5G artwork cell site
When Verizon Wireless first began installing 5G light poles last March in Harrisburg, Pa., for reliable connectivity for their subscribers, some residents didn’t know that they were telecommunications structures and questioned what was the purpose of the large cylinder...
Phoenix Tower to acquire 3,226 towers From Cellnex Telecom in France
Boca Raton, FL-based Phoenix Tower International (“PTI”) announced that it has completed a definitive agreement — subject to the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) approval — with Cellnex Telecom to acquire 1,226 telecommunications sites in very dense areas in France adding SFR as...
Although workforce training is an industry priority, a national survey of CEOs says it’s low on their list
As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, a new survey of CEOs and Directors, released by the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED), found that Russia is the top policy priority...
Drone rulemaking committee recommends that the FAA establish a new beyond visual line of sight rule
The FAA’s UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) has published its final report with recommendations that will benefit contractors and towercos if they are enacted. To fly BVLOS currently, operators must seek waivers or...
Five years prison term given to tower tech who killed his brother-in-law during Iowa motel brawl
An Oklahoma tower technician has been sentenced to five years in prison for the beating death of his brother-in-law of 12 years in the parking lot of a Sioux City, Iowa motel. Jordan Kaesemeyer, 36, of Marlow, Oklahoma, was...
Free cryptocurrency replaces stock options in United Telecom Systems’ unique benefits package
It’s not cryptic for Gen Z adults and millennials; they get it. Cryptocurrency is gaining popularity throughout the world since traditional savings accounts have an embarrassingly low-interest rate that is being stripped away by the country’s highest inflation rate in the...
American Tower reportedly a contender for 41,000 Deutsche Telekom towers for $20 billion
American Tower is reportedly a key contender for a 41,000 Deutsche Telekom towers acquisition. Deutsche Telekom reportedly started the sales process for its mobile towers business as part of broader efforts to maximize the value of its infrastructure assets....
Tower tech is seriously injured after falling from an unknown height inside a Florida water tower
The condition of 26-year-old tower technician Brandon O’Neil of Orlando, FL is unknown after he fell from an unknown height inside a water tower in Palm Coast, FL, on Tuesday evening and suffered serious injuries. A Flagler County press...
NATE UNITE 2022 bucks the trend of decreased show attendance with 2,619 registrants
For the ninth consecutive year, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association saw an increase in their annual convention’s attendance at their Las Vegas, NV show last month with 2619 attendees, an increase of over 8% over 2020’s in-person Raleigh,...
SCOTUS turns down Santa Fe 5G conspiracists’ last chance to expose First Amendment abuse
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday crushed an environmental group’s final attempt to resurrect its constitutional claims alleging that the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico exposed residents to dangerous levels of radiation by installing telecom equipment in public...
Key execs believe certified tower technicians will lead the nation’s continuous build programs
Attendees at NATE UNITE 2022 were provided an executive level overview of how field personnel will be taking control of their future as the wireless workforce becomes increasingly dependent upon new skillsets that will be required of technicians. The...
WIA’s chief Jonathan Adelstein ends 10 years of service as he takes on new role at Digital Bridge Group
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced today the upcoming departure of President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adelstein. Adelstein has accepted a position as Managing Director and Head of Global Policy and Public Investment for DigitalBridge Group, beginning June...
Win $100 by guessing the number of attendees at NATE UNITE 2022’s record-breaking show
Step back Raleigh, North Carolina and make room for Las Vegas, Nevada as the host of NATE – The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association’s largest attended conference in the association’s 27-year history. The event ended Thursday. In 2020, a record was set with 2,416 registrants....
Dish courts contractors for its wireless build at NATE UNITE 2022
Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen complimented attendees at the NATE UNITE 2022 conference last week for assisting in ensuring that his company’s upcoming 5G stand-alone network will cover 20% of Americans with 5G by a federally mandated June deadline....
NATE honors key industry leaders during its 2022 NATE UNITE conference
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today honored a distinguished group of leaders for their contributions to the organization and industry. The following honorees were presented their awards at the NATE UNITE 2022 Awards Luncheon sponsored by DISH in...
A ‘better together’ philosophy has Entertech rebranding as Ontivity
At the NATE UNITE Show in Las Vegas this week, Enertech Holdings, a national-scale wireless infrastructure services provider, announced in a launch video shown at the ‘Vertical Freedom’ film premiere, its decision to rebrand as Ontivity. In what may...
NATE climbs to a new record-high number of company memberships
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that it has established a new all-time record of 1,100 member companies, eclipsing the organization’s previous mark of 1,087 members. The Association made the announcement live from the NATE UNITE 2022...
Johnny Crawford and Bob Paige elevated to key executive positions at Vertical Bridge
Vertical Bridge, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced the promotion of two of its longest serving leaders to Executive Vice President. Johnny Crawford was named Executive Vice President of Development,...
Jimmy Miller will maintain the helm at NATE assisted by Victor Drouin and Kevin Dougherty
NATE announced today that Board of Directors’ members Jimmy Miller, Victor Drouin and Kevin Dougherty were elected by their peers to serve on the Association’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year. The Association made the announcement on the first...
Lawsuit filed against Georgia city after its Council slights a Shriners’ site for T-Mobile
Municipal Communications of Atlanta, GA filed a lawsuit against Columbus, GA and its mayor and council members stating that it is violating federal law by blocking its requests to build a T-Mobile cell tower that’s necessary to improve coverage...
You’ll now be able to schedule an NWSA practical exam in minutes
The National Wireless Safety Alliance is upgrading its practical exam application process to a new online system starting on March 1, 2022. Candidates simply complete an online application via the NWSA website and pay for their exams in advance...
D.C. Court puts an end to Children’s Health Defense’s ‘wireless wild west’ OTARD charges
A three-judge panel of the D.C. Federal Appeals Court on Friday rejected a challenge to the FCC’s decision to amend its over-the-the-air reception device (OTARD) rule to remove a commercial use restriction. The justices stated in their opinion that...
It’s going to be an enjoyable maskless NATE UNITE 2022 as Caesars Forum drops mask mandate
The odds are in favor of attendees at NATE UNITE 2022 next week in Las Vegas having an even greater time now that Nevada’s casinos and convention centers no longer require indoor mask mandates. Last Thursday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced...
USTelecom releases ‘blueprint’ for $65 billion in infrastructure grants
USTelecom | The Broadband Association, a leading association of connectivity providers and technology innovators, today released a new memo to President Biden and Vice President Harris, Cabinet secretaries, NTIA, FCC, Congress, Tribal leaders and state broadband offices with concrete recommendations to...
Solar storm knocks 40 SpaceX satellites out of the sky; over 1,900 had no problems
Elon Musk’s SpaceX said it lost up to 40 Starlink satellites that it launched into orbit last week from Florida because of a geomagnetic storm. The aerospace company sent 49 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Thursday via a Falcon...
Hopefully, ‘bloated’ rip and replace funding will exhale adequate dollars for contractors
Last week, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sounded the alarm to Congress that 181 U.S. network operators have initially requested approximately $5.6 billion from the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to cover the costs of ripping and replacing...
Jessica Cobb is newest board member of W4W as the organization approaches 3,000 veteran placements
NATE: the Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and Warriors4Wireless (W4W) today announced a further extension of their longstanding partnership and collaborative efforts advancing workforce development initiatives across the industry. Since 2018, NATE has had a Board member sitting among the...
Violent Florida contractor guilty of $16 million DOD kickback and bribery conspiracy gets 15 years
A former Florida cell site contractor was sentenced on Friday to 15 years in prison for orchestrating a bribery and kickback conspiracy and committing fraud in connection with a contract for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General...
Austin Powers, the Rat Pack and Dolly Parton will highlight NATE UNITE 2022’s keynote luncheon
In true Vegas style, The NATE UNITE 2022 keynote luncheon will feature appearances from Austin Powers, the Rat Pack, and Dolly Parton impersonators on Tuesday, February 22 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. The luncheon is sponsored by SBA...
As the labor pool tightens, contractors are sweetening employment offerings with bonuses
Wireless contractors and other infrastructure companies are offering bonuses to attract new hires and are rewarding employees who refer job seekers from other companies as well as inexperienced candidates that remain with the company for a set period of months....
AT&T expects a spring or summer start of their one climb strategy that will keep contractors busy
AT&T contractors are expected to be busy in late spring or early summer as AT&T uses single tower climbs to deploy two bands of new mid-band spectrum for 5G, allowing the carrier to simultaneously expand C-band and roll out...
Thirty-year-old tower tech passes after falling from 400-foot tower in Ontario
Canada, frequently identified as one of the safest countries for tower climbers, had a fatality yesterday when a 30-year-old tower technician fell to his death in the Township of Minden Hills, Ontario. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reported that...
Bogus BLS averages put larger wireless contractors at a greater risk of being red-flagged
Avetta and other compliance vendors continue to use the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to initially assess the safety culture and performance of wireless contractors through metrics such as the Total Recordable Incident Rate...
Windy City Tower Techs resolves OSHA fatality investigation with zero citations relating to accident
Windy City Tower Techs, LLC (“Windy City”) suffered an unfortunate fatality incident on September 3, 2021 at a monopine telecommunications tower in Olympia Fields, Illinois. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) conducted a comprehensive investigation into the...
DigitalBridge surpasses its fund target by over $2.3 billion in commitments
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. has announced that DigitalBridge Investment Management, the firm’s investment management platform, has closed its second flagship fund, DigitalBridge Partners II, LP, with $8.3 billion in commitments, surpassing its original target of $6.0 billion. The Fund received...
Proposed OSHA heat stress rule should be looked at from a tower climber’s elevation: NATE
OSHA states that it is aware that 70% of heat-related deaths and serious illnesses occur within the first few days of work, and upwards of 50% occur on the first day of work for workers who have not been...
Supreme Court blocks Biden’s Covid vaccine and testing mandate for large contractors and vendors
The Supreme Court today blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a vaccine or testing mandate for large employers, allowing wireless contractors and suppliers with over 100 employees to not adhere to OSHA’s vaccine Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). Although there...
DISH Chairman Ergen and FCC’s Carr added to NATE UNITE’s stellar lineup of keynotes and presenters
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that DISH Co-Founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr will participate in a Q & A Keynote Fireside Chat at the NATE UNITE 2022 Conference in Las Vegas,...
Audax picks up controlling interest in Centerline Communications, buoying acquisitions
Audax Private Equity (“Audax”) announced today that it has acquired a controlling interest in Centerline Communications LLC (“Centerline”), a leading professional services organization focused on the design, build, and maintenance of wireless and wireline network infrastructure from Wincove Private...
Mo Katibeh, AT&T’s network infrastructure build chief, moves to RingCentral’s cloud
RingCentral, a provider of global enterprise cloud communications, video meetings, collaboration, and contact center solutions, today announced that Mo Katibeh, former Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for AT&T Business, will join the company as Chief Operating Officer...
New NATE Director Santee joins reelected Directors, Cobb, Dougherty, Lee and Miller
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association released the official results of the 2022 Board of Directors election. The Association announced that Jessica Cobb, Chief Executive Officer of MDTS in Ortonville, Michigan, Kevin Dougherty, President of MILLENNIA CONTRACTING, INC. in New...
DISH Network appoints John Swieringa as its new wireless prexy as pressures mount to launch in Las Vegas
DISH Network has named John Swieringa as President and Chief Operating Officer of DISH Wireless. In this expanded role, he will be responsible for all operational aspects of DISH’s wireless business including the deployment and management of DISH’s virtualized, O-RAN 5G broadband...
The 10 biggest wireless infrastructure news stories of 2021 can be distilled down to one
In assessing Wireless Estimator’s Top 10 News stories in 2021, there were dozens to choose from pertaining to safety, fatalities, 5G infrastructure, COVID-19, workforce shortages, and Dish’s ambitious buildout. However, there was one story that dwarfed all others in readership and...
Verizon welcomes the new year with a fireworks display
On New Year’s Eve, firefighters responded to a cell tower that was on fire at West 2nd Street, City of Gulf Shores, AL. According to city officials, the fire was immediately extinguished and emergency service communications were not affected....
Women of NATE’s education scholarship application deadline is just weeks away
Women of NATE’s (WON) deadline for student scholarships is right around the corner and WON Chairwoman Andy Page Lee of Lee Antenna & Line service is urging the industry to share this deadline with students in your family, your...
Unionization of tower training company provides CWA with a foot in the door they intend to exploit
In the past few months, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) has been quietly attempting to unionize wireless contractors and has made inroads with employees of two mid-sized companies, according to sources who have informed Wireless Estimator of the...
Only one tower was damaged during Kentucky tornados: FCC report
According to the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System’s (DIRS) report yesterday, only one cell site was out due to damage from the deadly tornadoes that devastated numerous Kentucky communities last weekend, destroying over 1,000 properties, including facilities of two...
Black & Veatch recognized among ‘Best of the Best’ in Michigan workplace safety, health
Reflecting its unwavering championing of safety protocols, Black & Veatch proudly announces it has received the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program in Construction (MVPPC) STAR Award – the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (MIOSHA) highest honor involving workplace safety....
World Tower facilities demolished by tornado as neighbor Drake Lighting is mostly spared
President Joe Biden visited Mayfield, KY today, a town that was rendered unrecognizable after tornadoes brought death and destruction to the area over the weekend. Residents affected by the tragic event called for funds for recovery. During a press...
Unless you are a tower tech, T-Mobile wants to ensure that no employee is left behind
Commentary – T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert received a round of thanks from his employees and future job applicants when he announced on Friday, “Every single employee at T-Mobile, even our newest team members just starting to build their skill...
RF signage placement row heads to NJ court after landlord refuses T-Mobile site access
After a 24-year contractual relationship with a Brunswick, NJ building owner, T-Mobile Northeast LLC says in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey that 390 George Street Associates refuses to allow the carrier to perform...
Senate confirms FCC Chair Rosenworcel to a new term, the first woman to lead the agency
The U.S. Senate yesterday confirmed Jessica Rosenworcel in a 68-31 vote as the first appointed female chairperson of the FCC. Rosenworcel had been acting chairperson since January. Tuesday’s action means the FCC narrowly avoided a Republican majority, which could...
24-year-old Nevada tower tech passes after a 140-foot fall in Washington — 2nd fatality in 3 weeks
Wireless Estimator has confirmed that a 24-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada tower technician, whose goal was to excel in his new career, has passed away after falling from a communications tower in Arlington, WA on Saturday afternoon at about 1:30...
Foolish draft petition has a carrier telling NATE to ‘Shut up!’ and the matrix pricing problems will be resolved
Commentary — One carrier’s well-thought-out solution to NATE’s concern regarding untenable contractor matrix pricing that is crippling the nation’s wireless workforce can be capsuled in two words: ‘Shut Up!’ There are no legitimate arguments that matrix or model pricing shouldn’t be...
OSHA will be inspecting a dissolved air conditioning company when investigating a Texas tower tech’s death
OSHA has identified the contractor they are investigating following the death of a Texas tower technician, Steven Rankin, 53, after falling from a tower on November 17 in Garrison, TX, as reported yesterday by Wireless Estimator. The inspection information...
A 1099 crew’s 53-year-old tower technician falls to his death from a Verizon tower in Texas
UPDATE: December 2, 2021 — OSHA has released the contractor’s name that the agency will be investigating. Wireless Estimator has been able to confirm today the death of a 53-year-old tower technician in Garrison, TX on November 17. The...
Appeals court provides a holiday present to contractors, telling OSHA to stand down on its COVID mandate
OSHA is temporarily suspending enforcement of the Biden administration’s private sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate that would have had companies with over 100 employees comply with the new vaccine mandate rule, although tower crews could be exempt. Yesterday’s announcement comes...
Actor, comedian, entertainer Rob Riggle to deliver comic relief at NATE UNITE 2022
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that famed actor/comedian/writer/producer/director Rob Riggle will deliver the keynote address at the NATE UNITE 2022 Conference in Las Vegas. NATE UNITE 2022 will take place February 21-24, 2022 at Caesars Forum....
Ohio Lt. Governor Husted announces that NATE-developed TTT-I curriculum to be offered at three schools
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association participated today in a Telecommunications Tower Technician I (TTT-I) program launch announcement event at North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio. The workforce event, hosted by Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted and the...
American Tower makes mammoth $10.1 billion deal to buy data giant CoreSite Realty
American Tower Corporation and CoreSite Realty Corporation today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement through which American Tower will acquire CoreSite for $170.00 per share in cash. The total consideration for the transaction, including the assumption...