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 …
Tech who hung himself is retrieved by a North Carolina tower crew
UPDATE: December 2, 2016 – According to Kernersville Fire Department Fire Chief Christopher Langham, upon arrival his department’s fire command began preparations to ascend the tower and make the recovery of the victim and they were fully capable of retrieving the tower tech, as incorrectly reported by multiple media. “We make a very strong distinction between a recovery effort and a …
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, …
Wall Street crucifies Dycom over loss of Goodman’s contract backlog
Following the release of Dycom Industries’ Q1 FY2017 earnings report and conference call this morning where President and CEO Steve Nielsen fielded analysts’ concerns about Goodman Networks’ performance, a company that Dycom acquired last July for $107.5 million, Dycom’s stock lost $18.82, closing at $74.13. The 20.25% loss appears to be based upon a number of analysts’ concerns about considerably lower …
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 …
X2 and X3 Lad-Saf sleeves need an immediate locking lever inspection
The Lad-Saf family of climbing sleeves are again in an unfavorable focus as 3M Fall Protection (formerly Capital Safety and DBI/Sala) has identified that a limited number of Lad-Saf X2/X3 sleeves were identified with the locking lever not working properly. In August, 3M issued a stop use and recall/replacement notice for their original Lad-Saf sleeve when incidents occurred involving a serious injury or …
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 …
No longer in the legislative wheelhouse, time runs out for current FCC chief
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said yesterday that he had not yet decided on a departure date. Although his tenure technically extends until 2018, it’s customary for the current Chairman to step down. However, it is likely that he would not want to stay on as a commissioner. With either option, it appears that Wheeler’s influence and incomplete regulatory …
Tower techs’ lives are miraculously spared – literally by inches
Although a Saint James City, Fla. wireless contractor lost a crew cab and utility trailer yesterday, and a Pompano Beach, Fla. crane company suffered considerable damage to their 120-ton crane when it crashed to the ground in North Port, Fla., thankfully no injuries were reported in an incident that could have easily resulted in being the most horrific multiple fatality accident …
AT&T and NASA collaborate on drone traffic management systems
AT&T and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are researching traffic management solutions for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The goal is an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) solution that supports the safe and highly secure operation of drones in the national airspace. AT&T has been working with NASA and other companies to make UAS flight path monitoring, flight …
Commissioners call on FCC to halt major agency actions
Republicans yesterday asked Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler to stop all action on complex or controversial issues during the transition to a new president, stating that Democrats requested the same after the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. “During the last presidential transition, the Commission Chairman wisely heeded the will of Congress in setting aside any remaining controversial …
CS&L to pick up 473 towers and change its name to Uniti Towers
Little Rock, Ark.-based Communications Sales & Leasing Inc. reported a loss on Monday of $4.1 million during its 2016 third quarter, and said it plans to acquire Network Management Holdings LTD, a private company that owns and operates 359 wireless communications towers in Mexico, Nicaragua and Colombia. The company said it expects to initially pay $65 million for the purchase …
MUTI’s apprenticeship program highlighted during DoL’s spotlight week
Midwest Underground Technology Inc./Sabre Industries (MUTI), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, today announced its continued support for Registered Apprenticeship Programs as part of the second annual National Apprenticeship Week. MUTI said it is proud to offer the first registered apprenticeship for Telecommunication Tower Technicians in the country. Going into its second year, the apprenticeship program has trained …
What you need to know about the new tower safety consensus standards
Subject matter experts Don Doty and Gordon Lyman conducted a live NATE webinar yesterday, entitled Game Changers! What You Need to Know About the New ANSI/ASSE A10.48 and TIA 322 National Tower Safety Consensus Standards. Through a coordinated and collaborative effort led by NATE, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE); along with other key …
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 …
New Secretary of Labor for OSHA expected to draw upon talents of current leaders
When the new Secretary of Labor for OSHA is appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2017, it is likely that he will keep and rely upon his key officials that have helped guide the agency throughout the years. One such executive is Dean McKenzie, who was appointed by OSHA Secretary of Labor Dr. …
American Tower reacts to Sprint and T-Mobile merger rumors
Update: Nov. 14, 2016 – SBA Communications Corp. provided an update to its exposure to both companies in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. In the papers, SBA said that as of the end of Q3, T-Mobile and Sprint each represented around 16% of its total site leasing revenue. Revenue generated from each of T-Mobile and Sprint overlapping sites represents …
Avant-garde cell tower design has a minor flaw, it won’t work
An assistant professor of design research at M.I.T. has a unique way to rethink a cell tower’s essential infrastructure by programming building materials — wood, textiles, and synthetic fibers — to respond automatically to external stimuli like heat, cold, light, wind or water. He asks of the next-gen cell tower: “How can we make it change shape, bend, twist, twirl, …
CCI Antenna wins in CommScope patent dispute
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) today denied a petition for Inter Partes Review (IPR) filed by CommScope Technologies LLC, which challenged the validity of CCI Antenna’s U.S. Patent titled “Asymmetrical Beams for Spectrum Efficiency,” and is one of several CCI Antenna’s patents relating to improving sector capacity and throughput in wireless networks. More specifically, the technology covered by …
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