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Recent News
Industry leaders at Connect X foresee massive growth for indoor 5G networks
The wireless industry is abuzz with anticipation for the potential of bringing 5G technology indoors. This technology promises faster and more reliable connections, lower latency, and the ability to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously. During the Wireless...
Tower tech, a healthy climber and MMA fighter, suddenly passes while on a Verizon modification project
Tower tech Shane Magee, 28, was a picture of health, physically fit from climbing towers and frequently exercising and training as a competitive mixed martial arts fighter. Sadly, he suddenly died while performing a routine installation in Pennsylvania. On...
Analyst Craig Moffett predicts Dish Network could face bankruptcy within six months
Craig Moffett, a senior managing director at MoffettNathanson, has issued a stark forecast for Dish Network, predicting potential bankruptcy within the next four to six months. This marks his first specific timeline following three years of warnings about the...
Rexel and Talley: A merger poised to accelerate wireless and datacom innovations across America
Talley Inc., established in 1983 by John R. and Elizabeth J. Talley, has grown from a small, family-operated business in Santa Fe Springs, California, into a dominant force in the U.S. wireless infrastructure industry. Talley Inc. is set to be acquired...
Forget the filters: In earnings call Viavi CEO Khaykin delivers a dose of harsh reality about infrastructure builds
In a refreshing twist from the typical earnings call script, Viavi Solutions Inc.’s President and CEO, Oleg Khaykin, left analysts and investors buzzing with straightforward commentary during Thursday’s Q3 FY24 earnings discussion. Departing from the usually reserved tone of...
Celebrating connectivity, NATE announces Tower Technician Appreciation Day
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has officially declared Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. This annual event, now in its eighth year, is dedicated to recognizing the essential role of tower technicians who maintain and enhance...
New rule in effect on independent contractor classification will have a profound impact on broadband
A new rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to classify whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor became effective March 11, 2024, and a random sampling of four smaller-sized wireless contractors found that three...
Maui Files lawsuit against Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Spectrum Mobile over failed alerts during deadly fires
Maui County has launched a lawsuit against several major wireless service providers, accusing them of failing to notify emergency management officials of network outages during the devastating wildfires on August 8, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of at...
Trey Pitts, EH&S manager at T-Mobile and Mike Young, CEO at ANCO, join NWSA’s Board of Governors
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced today that Trey Pitts, EH&S Program Manager at T-Mobile, and Mike Young, President & CEO at ANCO, have been appointed to the organization’s Board of Governors. In their new roles as a...
Legal disciplinary strategies being offered for employees who disregard safety obligations in live NATE webinar
On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 11:00 AM EDT, Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Fisher Phillips Partner will conduct a live NATE webinar titled, “Managing Safety Risk Takers: Management and Legal Disciplinary Strategies for Employees who Disregard Safety Obligations.” Without a disciplinary...
FCC targets AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for illegal data sharing, fining them $200 million
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed fines totaling nearly $200 million on leading U.S. wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for unlawfully sharing customer location data without proper consent and adequately protecting this sensitive information. The fines...
Legal battle heats up as Bloosurf sues T-Mobile over alleged spectrum interference
In a high-stakes legal battle that could set a precedent for the telecommunications industry, Bloosurf LLC has filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile USA, Inc. and its subsidiary TDI Acquisition Sub, LLC. The lawsuit, lodged in the United States District...
Industry influencers Adelstein and Borghei make strategic moves to new company leadership roles
Two seasoned leaders, Jonathan Adelstein and Bernard Borghei, have announced new positions within the digital infrastructure industry. Adelstein has joined TWN Communications as the new Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer. He was previously a managing director...
Tillman Infrastructure lands $1 billion in funding to drive its growth
Tillman Infrastructure, LLC, a leading provider of wireless communication infrastructure, announced this morning the completion of a financing package totaling $1 billion. The proceeds will refinance existing loans and provide additional growth capital to support the infrastructure needs of its...
Department of Labor’s new rule could transfer $1.5 Billion to workers in overtime pay
A new rule from the US Department of Labor unveiled on Tuesday will extend overtime eligibility to millions of salaried workers by raising the salary threshold in two phases. Starting July 1, the threshold will be set at $43,888...
Sweeping FTC rule to eliminate noncompetes could boost wireless sector employment
UPDATE: Following the announcement of the FTC’s final rule, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce swiftly filed a lawsuit challenging the prohibition of non-compete clauses. The lawsuit contends that the FTC lacks the necessary authority under the FTC Act to regulate...
Russian missile successfully kayos a Kharkiv TV tower as tower tech warriors risk their lives to restore networks
On March 6, 2022, a Russian fighter jet attacked a television station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, releasing eight 1,100-pound bombs at the station’s 790-foot tower and the adjacent building. Despite substantial damage, the broadcasting infrastructure was quickly repaired, and operations resumed. However, a...
NYC Comptroller Lander leverages pension fund clout for tower worker safety reporting, but is it necessary?
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, representing the five New York City pension funds, has successfully secured agreements with leading telecommunications infrastructure firms—SBA Communications Corporation (SBA), American Tower Corporation (American Tower), and Crown Castle—to improve their reporting on...
Crown Castle’s $325 million cabinet door opening lease lawsuit against Dish is closed by a Denver jury’s verdict
A jury last Thursday found Crown Castle USA Inc. failed to prove Dish Wireless Inc. violated the parties’ 30-year master lease agreement (MLA) by taking up three extra feet of space on cell tower sites without paying an additional...
Shelby Broadcast pleads poverty, but FCC says their undisclosed station sale will handle its $16,500 fine
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has levied a $16,500 fine against Shelby Broadcast Associates, LLC, citing unauthorized operations and failure to disclose full operational details. The fine, aimed at the broadcaster for violations at its FM translator station W252BE...
Senator Cruz leads opposition to FCC’s plan to fund Wi-Fi on school buses, citing legal overreach and safety concerns
In a significant legal challenge, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz, along with several Republican senators, has filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit, opposing the Biden administration’s move to extend the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC)...
Crown Castle snags Steven Moskowitz as its CEO, the second former American Tower executive onboarded for growth
Crown Castle Inc., a leading communications tower company, announced a significant leadership change that is effective today. Steven J. Moskowitz will take on the roles of President and Chief Executive Officer and join the company’s Board of Directors. This...
Everest’s defense in Vertical Bridge’s trade secrets theft lawsuit is they weren’t even close to trade secrets
In an April 3, 2024, Western District of Pennsylvania court filing, Everest Infrastructure Partners moved to dismiss an amended complaint filed by Vertical Bridge, arguing that the trade secrets Everest is accused of stealing and benefitting from were not...
FCC proposes opening 5GHz spectrum for drones to enhance emergency and commercial uses
The FCC is proposing to open a specific segment of the 5 GHz spectrum to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, aiming to enhance their usability in critical applications like emergency response and commercial services. This regulatory initiative seeks to...
High 90 mph gusts collapse two West Virginia AM radio station towers
High winds with gusts reaching 90 mph struck Charleston, West Virginia, on April 2, causing significant damage by bringing down two of the four broadcast towers utilized by WCHS (AM) and impacting its sister station WSWW (FM). These towers...
Believing he’s a T-Mobile tech, Florida man climbs to their sector, causing up to $500K in damage
In an event that seems to increase in frequency throughout America, on Wednesday in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, Florida, 38-year-old Richard Smith was arrested after climbing a cell tower without safety gear, causing extensive damage and a significant...
Scott Krouse who chaperoned the success of NATE’s Wireless Industry Network, passes at 69
UPDATE – April 9, 2024 – A Celebration of Life is being planned for Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Elkhart Indian Motorcycle, 3016 Brittany Ct, Elkhart, IN, where family and friends are welcome to gather in celebration of Scott Allen...
Over 3 feet, Dish and Crown Castle’s MLA marriage is on the rocks and a Denver trial will decide its fate
When Dish Wireless announced its infrastructure partnership with Crown Castle to lease space on up to 20,000 towers in 2020, it was an engagement arranged by Dish’s EVP of network development, Dave Mayo, that married the two companies to...
Alabama contractor’s tower crews to share in an expected $120 million windfall from an unexpected fine art find
All 22 employees of a four-crew wireless contracting firm in Bessemer, Alabama, are about to get a financial windfall so huge that they wake up each morning rereading a letter from Sotheby’s to ensure it’s not a dream. Each...
Following Good Friday was AT&T’s bad Saturday: The dark web could have 73 million of their customers’ information
On Saturday, while over 80% of Americans were preparing for their Easter celebration of light, almost eight million people received an unwelcome email from AT&T that their personal information may be on the dark web. AT&T has initiated an...
T-Mobile gets green light to appeal antitrust standing in Sprint class action lawsuit
This week, Illinois U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin has given T-Mobile the green light to appeal a potentially costly class-action lawsuit stemming from its $26 billion merger with Sprint, completed in 2020. The suit, brought forward by subscribers of...
Tillman Fiber will light up Florida with cutting-edge broadband internet access
Tillman FiberCo, LLC, a leader in fiber optic broadband infrastructure, announced the expansion of its 100% Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) network in Florida. Tillman Fiber’s network will serve the Tampa Bay, Panhandle, South and South West, regional areas, including the cities of St. Petersburg, Fort...
Phoenix Tower International’s growth is buoyed by Black Rock and Grain Management investments
Phoenix Tower International (“PTI”), a leading global wireless communications infrastructure provider, announced that Grain Management (“Grain”), through its flagship funds, and BlackRock, through a fund managed by its Diversified Infrastructure business (“BlackRock”) have made a strategic investment in the Company....
WTB grants exemption to Vertical Bridge and Drake Services for quarterly inspection requirements
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday granted Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, and Drake Services, Inc., an exemption from the mandatory quarterly inspections of antenna structure lighting systems stipulated under existing regulations (see...
2005 erected Rhode Island American Tower monopole collapses for no apparent reason
UPDATE: Wireless Estimator has confirmed that the monopole that collapsed on March 25, 2024, in Bristol, Rhode Island, is an Andrew structure. Initial confusion arose when a representative from one manufacturer suggested it was a Fred J. Nudd pole, while a...
DigitalBridge’s corporate move to downtown Delray Beach will provide an uptown setting for its employees
When a large corporation moves to a new headquarters, it’s often a problem for employees who have to relocate. Still, DigitalBridge’s announcement today that it is moving its entire staff north to a new mixed-use complex is being welcomed...
ISP given a $10,000 fine for lying about coverage said they didn’t take the time to read the FCC’s guidance
A broadband provider has agreed to a $10,000 settlement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after confessing to falsifying its service area information. The provider, Jefferson County Cable (JCC) based in Toronto, Ohio, admitted inaccurately claiming it provided fiber...
New Board members will help shape the future for the Tower Family Foundation’s worker support initiatives
“As an Executive Committee, we are excited to add the visionary leadership and philanthropic spirit of Ron, Eric, Jake, and Michael to the Tower Family Foundation’s Board of Directors,” said President Jim Tracy. The Tower Family Foundation announced...
‘Mentally stressed’ RF expert bails on Roswell, GA in the final days of a T-Mobile lawsuit costing $1 million-plus
This week, T-Mobile continued its 14-year battle with Roswell, Georgia, to erect a 108-foot monopine near Lake Charles Drive that was denied multiple times. The ongoing lawsuit is the costliest and most protracted siting litigation in the United States,...
Crown Castle co-founder Miller says the company deserves better and needs ‘people who live and breathe towers’
Ted B. Miller, co-founder of Crown Castle Inc. and his investment vehicle Boots Capital Management, LLC, issued an open letter yesterday to the Crown Castle Board of Directors, the company’s employees, and its shareholders. Miller said he believes Crown...
Former T-Mobile tech president Neville Ray elected to American Tower’s board of directors
American Tower Corporation announced that its Board of Directors had elected Neville R. Ray as a director. Ray most recently served as T-Mobile’s President of Technology until 2023. He joined T-Mobile (then VoiceStream) in April 2000, and from December...
New ADA lawsuit tells American Tower, T-Mobile and AT&T to relocate their tower or reconfigure their network with beamforming antennas
After American Tower, AT&T, and T-Mobile did not respond by February 1, 2024, to Duluth, Minnesota resident Marcia Haller’s request to mitigate RF levels that continued to make her ill at her home (as detailed on February 29, 2024, by...
‘Inchworm’ tower erectors’ desert demo video shows how robots can easily build lunar telecom towers
GITAI USA Inc. (GITAI), the space robotics trailblazer, unveiled a game-changing giant leap for moon construction automated tower erectors. They’ve pulled off a stellar first by showcasing their robot squad building a 16.5-foot-tall cell tower, mimicking moon-like conditions. This feat...
Deputies bust dad on his bring your son to work day at tower site; multi-site copper thief gets probation
Two North Carolina men, a father and son team, are facing criminal charges after being accused of stealing transmission lines from a cell site tower in eastern Richmond County for their copper value. According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s...
An unsafe 1,541-foot Texas TV broadcast tower is decommissioned with a picture-perfect landing
On Wednesday, Nexstar Media Group Inc. discovered that a 1,541-foot guyed tower in La Feria, Texas, was unsafe because one of its guy wires had detached. Instead of retrofitting it with a new outer anchor wire, the company decided...
Residents urged to evacuate area near Texas 1,541-foot TV tower after distressed guy wires failed
The Nexstar Media Group Inc. has raised concerns about a TV tower located south of La Feria, Texas, indicating a slight risk of collapse. Jeff Miller, Nexstar’s VP and General Manager, reported that the issue was investigated on Wednesday...
For those unaware of the Climber Rescuer Training Standard, a guided tour is available in new NATE video
Two years ago, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association released the Climber/Rescuer Training Standard (CRTS) to establish uniform fall protection and rescue training guidelines for the tower and communications infrastructure sector. Now that the standard is well-established and welcomed...
Verizon’s Fresno faux brick building cell site is a slight to the community and an eyesore, residents say
OPINION — “What the’ x&!*’ is that monstrosity?” a member of the “For the Love of Downtown Fresno” Facebook group asked. “Looks like low-quality brick wallpaper,” commented another member. “This looks like crap, and if this is the finished...
Four faux T-Mobile contractors arrested after caught in the act of ripping off ‘3G’ cables
A brazen communications cable theft at a West Boylston, Massachusetts, cell tower on Friday afternoon led to the arrest of four New York men accused of posing as subcontractors to steal the cables for their scrap value. The incident,...
Phoenix Tower International enters Ireland after acquiring Cellnex’s 1,900 towers for $1.1 Billion
Spanish telecom infrastructure company Cellnex has announced the sale of its Irish mobile tower unit to Boca Raton, Florida-based Phoenix Tower International (PTI) for about $1.1 Billion, equivalent to a multiple of around 24x EBITDA. This move comes as...
Shentel strikes a $310 million deal with Vertical Bridge to sell its tower portfolio of 226 sites
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel), a prominent provider of broadband services, including cable TV across the Mid-Atlantic region, has announced a significant transaction with Vertical Bridge Holdco, LLC, a company based in Boca Raton, Florida, led by President and CEO...
Having to sleep in a Faraday cage, Minnesota couple threatens ATC, T-Mobile and AT&T with a lawsuit
In 2008, Marcia and Jason Haller moved into their newly constructed home with an oversized free-standing garage in a peaceful setting in a rural area just north of Duluth, Minnesota. Within months, Minnesota Tower, Inc. erected a 295-foot guyed...
Long-sought testing results of 19 lanyards released by NATE Safety Equipment Manufacturer’s Committee
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association released the 2023 Safety Equipment Manufacturer’s Committee (SEMC) Fall Arrest Lanyard Testing Report today. The Fall Arrest Lanyard Testing was conducted at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) over two days, with...
Crown Castle boots Boots Capital and Ted Miller’s turnaround fiber plan to the curb
Twenty-two years after stepping down as Crown Castle’s leader, co-founder Ted Miller wanted back one of his old jobs. Still, after the company reviewed his resume as an applicant for Chairmanship and his plans to turn around the company’s...
Award recipients honored at annual NATE UNITE for their untiring dedication to the industry
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association honored a distinguished group of leaders for their contributions to the organization and industry on Wednesday. The following honorees were presented their awards at the NATE UNITE 2024 Awards Recognition Luncheon sponsored by...
Co-founder launches Crown Castle proxy fight after being rebuffed by Elliott, to reshape its ‘ridiculed’ image
Ted Miller, the co-founder of Crown Castle, stated today that the U.S. telecom infrastructure firm could sell its fiber assets for up to $15 billion if he and his partners were added to the board of directors. In a conversation...
Murphy Tower Services and FieldSync Technologies’ strategic merger ushers in a new era for telecom
After a year of collaboration and proven innovation, Murphy Tower Service, a leading provider of construction and maintenance services, and FieldSync, a next-generation tower analytics provider, announced at NATE UNITE 2024 this morning a strategic merger that heralds a significant opportunity...
Drouin, Scott and Dougherty will again serve as NATE’s executives to guide the organization’s continued success
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that Board of Directors members Victor Drouin, Randy Scott, and Kevin Dougherty were selected by their peers to continue serving on the Association’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year. The Association...
Newly minted NATE UNITE customer diversification workshops will help its members thrive in today’s uncertain telecom landscape
With severe carrier capex cuts resulting in depressed earnings for many industry companies because they are too reliant on just a few customers, diversification becomes a critical strategy for sustainability and growth. NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, aware...
Stolen Alabama AM tower sparks a broader conversation about the station’s ‘bizarre’ operational history, and video debunked claims
Other than local, state, and industry media covering a communications tower collapse, unless it involves a fatality, failure incidents seldom get national legs. However, when an AM station general manager in Jasper, Alabama, reported earlier this month that vandals...
MSA Latchways fixed ladder fall arrest units require inspection for missing locking pin
MSA is calling for an inspection notice regarding the locking pin on certain MSA Latchways® Guided Type Fall Arresters (GTFAs) that were manufactured between February 16, 2021 and January 30, 2024. Additional information is available here. In addition to...
Able to issue steep fines, the FCC says, ‘Hasta la vista, baby!’ to AI-generated voice robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken significant action to combat AI voice-cloned robocalls by declaring them illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. This decision, effective immediately, is part of the FCC’s efforts to curb AI-aided...
Unanticipated stop work order issued by concrete truck driver after he topples a 199-foot tower
While a contractor’s crew was attempting to finish a slab pour on Sunday for a foundation being installed for WNIX’s new transmitter building in Greenville, MS, a concrete truck driver backed into a guy wire, causing the station’s 199-foot tower...
Three top towerco execs, Cavanagh, Kavanagh and Noel, join Wireless Infrastructure Association’s Board
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced the following industry leaders have joined its Board of Directors: Brendan Cavanagh, President and Chief Executive Officer, SBA Communications Mike Kavanagh, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-Towers, Crown Castle Bud Noel, Executive...
If you’re a tough tower tech, you have four months to get ready for some serious competition
North Jackson, Ohio is set to host the adrenaline-pumping 2nd Annual Tough Tower Competition on June 8 and 9, promising a record turnout and an electrifying showcase of prowess and agility. This year, the competition intensifies with eight...
Stealth steal: Vandals walk off with a 200-foot AM broadcast tower
On Friday, Brett Elmore, general manager of WJLX radio, a nondirectional AM radio station, went on Facebook and announced that someone had made off with his 200-foot-tall guyed tower from a site in Jasper, Alabama, that is located at a...
Was $25K okay for tower tech foreman who claims he was terminated because of his union advocacy?
The Tower Climbers United/C.W.A. union (TCU/CWA) has recently issued a press release celebrating a significant triumph following the successful resolution of a dispute with Swartley Tower Services Communications, Inc. (S.T.S. Communications) on behalf of Roland Bachelder, a tower climber...
GRILLION ALERT: Check your rope adjuster, it might have an incorrect installation
Petzl is requesting that all workers inspect certain GRILLON products following the detection of ropes mounted incorrectly in the rope adjuster of recently produced GRILLON products. In such a case, the product does not perform its blocking function, which...
North Carolina copper theft suspect’s spree against AT&T ended in December but charges keep coming in
A 36-year-old Balsam Grove, North Carolina man facing 47 charges in Henderson County, North Carolina, also faces eight more charges in Buncombe County as investigators look into incidents of coaxial cable theft from cell towers. The Buncombe County Sheriff’s...
Tower Family Foundation expands scholarship program to assist eligible students with education expenses
The Tower Family Foundation announced today the official expansion of the non-profit organization’s scholarship program, which includes enhanced eligibility criteria and a new application form that supports more students on a merit basis. The Tower Family Foundation is opening...
Gun-toting Texas arsonist sentenced to 78 months for allegedly torching 22 cell towers
A 30-year-old San Antonio, Texas man was sentenced Wednesday in a federal court to six and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and setting fire to approximately 22 cell towers, according...
AT&T’s sudden move to oust maintenance contractors could threaten FirstNet’s resilience
For the past decade and more, AT&T has cultivated strong relationships with some of the nation’s most skilled contractors. In return, these contractors have provided AT&T with on-call maintenance crews capable of handling nearly every aspect of their network...
Goodman Network’s bankruptcy trustee is trying to claw back $10s of millions in fraudulent transactions
FedEx sues Goodman for $81 million in what trustee says was a minority business product laundering scam A FedEx subsidiary, FedEx Supply Chain Logistics & Electronics, Inc. (FSCLE), is suing executives and directors of Goodman Networks as well as...
Former American Tower CFO Bradley Singer will now guide his former arch-competitor, Crown Castle
When American Tower Corporation (ATC) CFO Bradley Singer left the Boston-based company in 2008 for his new role as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Discovery Communications, LLC, he reflected upon his eight years at the company,...
Taking editorial roads less traveled seen as the successful driver for Wireless Estimator’s 20th Anniversary
In 2004, two years before Facebook became accessible to the general public and Yahoo! Groups were getting their internet legs, there was the now-defunct Tower-Pro group. It boasted 2,200 members at its peak, and was one of the few...
Study reveals 73% of underground fiber deployment’s cost is in labor, 67% for aerial
The Fiber Broadband Association has announced the results of its 2023 Fiber Deployment Cost Study, conducted by Cartesian, which provides the industry’s benchmark to help fiber broadband service providers evaluate their cost profile and identify areas of inefficiency. FBA’s comprehensive study identifies...
Verizon shareholder’s startling discovery: Lead cable-based lawsuit features him as the star plaintiff
The same law firm that helped bring shareholder derivative class actions against AT&T and Verizon executives and board members last July for allegedly covering up their knowledge of abandoned toxic lead-laden telecom cables filed another suit in the U.S....
Naked woman falls from the 175-foot level of a monopole and is snagged to safety by two firefighters
In an unprecedented rescue operation, firefighters in Gastonia, North Carolina, demonstrated incredible bravery and skill as they saved an impaired, naked woman who had climbed 175 feet up a 200-foot monopole cell tower owned by TowerCom. The incident unfolded off...
Sabotage for copper: Vandals bring down a 500-foot tower in Oklahoma, costing $500,000 in damages
Update: January 18, 2024 – Within two days after a 500-foot broadcast tower was sabotaged in Hugo, Oklahoma in order to strip the felled sections of coaxial lines for their copper, two Choctaw County residents have been arrested in...
Injured tower tech rescued after falling from a “rat’s nest” tower site outside of Chicago
A tower tech is in stable condition after falling approximately 15 feet off a 65-foot monopole yesterday that sits atop the 125-foot tall Frankfort Grainery tower in Frankfort, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. At approximately 2:00 p.m., the Frankfort...
Former Marine turned tower tech is sentenced to 25 years to life for murdering his pregnant, estranged wife
Nassau County, NY District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced today that a St. James man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the brutal murder of his estranged wife in January 2020. Nassau County Supreme Court...
AT&T and Duke Energy bury the hatchet and settle their FCC pole rate row before the Fourth Circuit
With oral arguments before a three-judge appeals court for the Fourth Circuit set to begin on January 24, 2024, Duke Energy and AT&T have agreed to settle their disagreements against the FCC over a pole rate decision that both...
NTIA awards DISH with a $50 million grant for an Open RAN center in Cheyenne, Wyoming
DISH Wireless, a subsidiary of EchoStar, has been awarded a historic $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish the Open RAN Center for Integration & Deployment (ORCID). ORCID will allow participants...
“Rip and Replace” remains in limbo as only five unidentified telecom companies replace Chinese equipment
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a report for Congress, underscoring that only five telecommunications companies have concluded the removal of technology equipment provided by firms closely associated with the Chinese Communist government. Based on the latest status reports...
American Tower starts packing its bags with $2.5 billion for an India exit, leaving 78,000 towers behind
After a 16-year run in India, American Tower Corporation (“American Tower”) is exiting the country in a deal with Data Infrastructure Trust (“DIT”), an Infrastructure Investment Trust sponsored by an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management (“Brookfield”), under which DIT...
Starlink sets in orbit six satellites as America’s towers remain a fixed stable for communications
SpaceX marked the beginning of 2024 with a groundbreaking mission, launching on Tuesday the first six Starlink satellites equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities. Collaborating with T-Mobile, SpaceX aims to eliminate cellular dead zones in the most remote areas in the...
QualTek agrees to a $40K unfair labor practices settlement to be split between eight former union technicians
Eight tower technicians represented by the Tower Climbers Union/CWA, who established the first Tower Climbers Union at QualTek Wireless, have settled after they charged QualTek with unfair labor practices while technicians in their Henderson, Nevada, office were organizing. The...
T-Mobile’s holiday contractors’ bonus: Up to a 50% cut in pricing because they paid too much in the past
In mid-November, T-Mobile began contacting construction contractors nationwide to submit their pricing for a proposal in 63 markets to agree with catalog pricing, ranging from a sector frame installation in Arkansas at $692 to $1,196 in California, according to...
Serial FCC violator again flouts Commission’s rules and receives a $1.2 million fine
Sound Around, Inc. of Brooklyn, NY, is again in hot water with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, as it faces a proposed penalty of $1,202,454 for alleged violations of FCC rules. The violations primarily revolve around the company’s marketing of...
NATE’s registration opens for PPE for Telecom Workers: Hazard ID, Selection, and Use Training Courses
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that the registration process is officially open for the PPE for Telecom Workers: Hazard ID, Selection, and Use Training Courses that will be facilitated by the Association in 2024. Overall, twelve...
Towerco’s ‘synthetic’ leases surface in a 3,100 tower site deal that could be near $2 billion
Under the exploratory teaser name of Project Lighthouse, a U.S.-based towerco is looking to sell a portfolio of 3,100 real estate interests consisting of perpetual easements that might be sold at 25 times the $80 million base rent paid...
North Carolina catches up to India’s ongoing homeowner lease scams
Ashe County, N.C. Sheriff B. Phil Howell is reaching out to residents, urging their support and collaboration in addressing a recent potential cell tower scam that has reportedly fleeced money from “many potential victims.” The Asche County Sheriff’s Office...
TowerCo and Everest acquire 546 towers from Charter, which once had 1,200, lightly eclipsing CTI 525-tower deal
Everest Infrastructure Partners, Inc. (“Everest”) and TowerCo (“TowerCo”) have jointly revealed the acquisition of 546 wireless towers for an undisclosed amount from Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter”) to be completed over multiple closings starting this month. The wireless tower assets...
Louisiana is first state to get full BEAD plan approval and can now get access to funds
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Louisiana’s Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Louisiana is the first state to reach this important milestone, which will enable the state...
Crown Castle’s surprising about-face on Canonsburg relocation sparks employee confusion
Crown Castle Inc., in a dramatic turnaround, has left its employees in Canonsburg, PA, scratching their heads after abruptly canceling plans to relocate them to the corporate headquarters in Houston, TX. The decision comes following activist investor Elliott Investment...
President Biden expected to sign 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act into law
UPDATE: December 19, 2023 – President Joe Biden signed off today on the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, as expected. The measure, which the House passed last week, gives the FCC authority for 90 days to issue T-Mobile and other winning...
In a crowded field of candidates, Banner, Hightower, Paulette and Scott elected to NATE’s Board
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association unveiled the official results of the 2024 Board of Directors election today. The Association announced that Randy Scott, CEO/Owner of Texoma Contracting, Inc. in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Aaron Paulette, President of Elevated Services,...
OSHA ditches hard hats for helmets, possibly leading to a requirement for all construction workers to adopt their move
With data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealing that head injuries accounted for nearly 6 percent of non-fatal occupational injuries involving time away from work in 2020, OSHA is taking proactive steps to protect its employees. Traditional hard...
Crown Castle CEO Jay Brown announces retirement amid activist investor pressure to resign
Communications infrastructure provider Crown Castle Inc. is undergoing a significant leadership change as CEO Jay Brown has decided to retire, effective January 16, 2024. The announcement comes amidst pressure from activist investor Elliott Management, which has been advocating for...
Valmont initiates legal action against Better Metal for patent infringement
Nebraska-based Valmont Industries, Inc. has taken legal action against Tennessee’s Better Metal, LLC, filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee. The lawsuit alleges that Better Metal has violated four of Valmont’s patents through the...