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NATE, Sen. Thune commemorate tower techs, the ‘muscle’ behind the nation’s networks

In Associations News, Featured News by Wireless Estimator

The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) this morning unveiled a commemoration declaring Thursday, May 11, 2017 as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. This day has been set aside by NATE to coincide with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down Week in order to pay tribute to the important work that tower technicians conduct on a daily basis to enable a mobile society. NATE …

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Verizon wins with its superior $3.1 billion offer for Straight Path

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

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 …

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Broadband investment heads south, 5G Michigan trials soar successfully

In Daily News Briefs by Wireless Estimator

Samsung, Cisco deliver multivendor end-to-end 5G trial with Verizon Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Cisco, in partnership with Verizon, today announced the successful deployment of the first multi-vendor end-to-end 5G trial network in the field, which took place in Ann Arbor, a suburb of metropolitan Detroit, Mich. Earlier this year, Verizon announced plans for customer trials of 5G technology for …

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AT&T’s tower-centric drone software could sunset a number of head counts

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

More than 30 years ago, Art Pregler directed the Air Force’s complex mission of taking full sized multi-million-dollar fighter aircraft, converting them into drones, and then shooting them out of the sky with new advanced weapons systems. Today, as director of AT&T’s National Mobility Systems, Pregler’s role is just the opposite, requiring him to ensure that the carrier’s experimental drones remain …

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Comcast and Charter jointly explore a speedy entry into wireless market

In Daily News Briefs by Wireless Estimator

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 …

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Lendlease, a global developer, acquires Parallel Infrastructure and its tower portfolio

In Daily News Briefs by Wireless Estimator

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, …

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Portal to check cell tower RF exposure in India is a poor PR patchwork

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

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 …

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CCA and NATE partner to offer key industry tracks at their conferences

In Associations News, Daily News Briefs by Wireless Estimator

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, …

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Tower tech’s 150-foot fall in Mississippi is nation’s second 2017 fatality

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Update: May 3, 2017 – Kris Edward Runyon, 39, has been identified as the tower technician who fell from a Crown Castle guyed tower near Meridian, Miss. yesterday evening and was pronounced dead at the scene. A resident of Portsmouth, Ohio, Runyon had been working for D&K Nationwide Communications Inc. of Bristol, Conn. for the past year, but according to the …

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Report: Sprint approved ‘trial’ for Mobilitie to build sites without regulatory compliance

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

A humorous anecdote heard in siting corridors is that distributed antenna system (DAS) providers are secretly funding Mobilitie so that they can look good in comparison since the California-based developer is well-known for installing DAS poles in community rights of way without getting permission. Their typical answer, when discovered, is that there was a misunderstanding with a zoning or permitting …

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Industry’s contractors readying for national safety stand-down

In Associations News, Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Next week’s national safety stand-down, May 8 through May 12, to prevent falls in construction, is an ideal time for contractors and other aligned businesses to take time out to discuss the very real problem in wireless construction of civil workers and tower techs injuring themselves. And even though the industry has not had any fatalities of a wireless worker …

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New Labor Secretary sworn in, but OSHA chief still in the wings

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Alexander Acosta was sworn in Friday as Labor Secretary after a bipartisan vote of 60-38. Acosta, 48, is President Trump’s Cabinet’s first Latino member, but the President’s second choice for Labor Secretary. His first selection was fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, who withdrew when it was clear that he lacked support in the Senate for confirmation. In a statement, Senator Tim …