CTIA’s latest Annual Wireless Industry Survey finds the industry beginning the transition from 4G to 5G wireless networks with significant growth in cell sites and data-only devices. That growth and continued demand for everything wireless contributed to Americans using an unprecedented amount of mobile data in 2017. The key wireless trends illustrated in this year’s survey: Mobile data continues to skyrocket. Americans …
Vertical Bridge’s collection chances increase with iHeartMedia bankruptcy court action
Vertical Bridge, one of bankrupt iHeartMedia’s largest unsecured creditors, might have a better chance at securing its past due lease revenues following a filing from iHeartMedia’s unsecured creditors to a Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday that could affect the media giant’s creditors’ Chapter 11 recoveries. The committee of unsecured creditors want to prosecute and settle claims based upon allegations that many …
Massachusetts town stands on five feet as its prime too-close T-Mobile lawsuit defense
A Massachusetts town north of Boston yesterday asked a federal judge to end a Feb. 2017 lawsuit accusing its zoning board of appeals of wrongly denying T-Mobile and another company the right to build a 120-foot monopole, arguing that officials’ determination that the project was too close to residential neighborhoods was evidence-based. Lawyers for the town of Wilmington told the …
STEALTH Concealment joins the Raycap Group in recent acquisition
Global solutions provider Raycap has acquired North Charleston, S.C.-based STEALTH Concealment Solutions, Inc. to further expand the success of both companies in new and existing markets. The transaction closed on June 29, 2018 and was announced today. “We’re excited to be entering into this relationship with a quality company that is very highly focused on supporting the needs of the …
CTI Towers appoints Kevin Travelstead as its Director of Sales
CTI Towers announced today it has named Kevin Travelstead its Director of Sales. Travelstead has been in the wireless industry for over 20 years with extensive experience in marketing and selling network development services. For Cary, N.C.-based CTI Towers, Travelstead will be responsible for leading the marketing and sales of the company’s tower assets. “Kevin has a wealth of industry …
B+T Group has Roshek heading up field services as its Vice President
B+T Group Inc. announced today that Sonya Roshek has joined the company as Vice President of Field Services. The Tulsa, Okla.-based 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 and technical needs. Roshek is a results-driven telecommunications and technology executive with 20+ years …
T-Mobile and CBS-owned WLNY-TV complete early NYC spectrum repack
T-Mobile and CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation, completed the accelerated repack of WLNY-TV’s 600 MHz spectrum on portions of Long Island and the surrounding area that extends into Brooklyn and Queens. WLNY moved to its new spectrum frequency earlier this month, more than a year sooner than the August 2019 FCC deadline. This agreement enables T-Mobile to …
Coalition charges ‘grossly overstated’ Verizon coverage hinders rural carriers
A coalition of radio frequency engineering firms informed the FCC last week that Verizon has “grossly overstated” its nationwide 4G LTE coverage, impairing the wireless carriers the engineering firms serve because the carriers can only get needed FCC funding to boost coverage in areas where coverage is low. To close gaps in broadband service, the FCC’s Mobility Fund II is …
AT&T takes American Tower to court in widening lease rates rift
In a lawsuit made public on Monday by AT&T Mobility LLC in Delaware Chancery Court, the carrier is alleging that American Towers LLC is not complying with amendments to leasing agreements for many thousands of towers that AT&T co-locates upon. In the complaint, AT&T is requesting the court to enforce what it believes is a binding agreement, that ATC disagrees …
Man arrested for threatening to murder family of FCC Chairman
A 33-year-old Asian male from California was arrested Friday in Los Angeles on charges of threatening to kill the family of Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, for Pai’s role in repealing regulations relating to net neutrality. According to unsealed court documents, on or about Dec. 19 and 20, 2017, Markara Man, of Norwalk, allegedly sent three emails to Chairman …
AT&T needs to put part of their newfound billion dollars into workers’ billfolds
Commentary AT&T recently increased their wireless revenue just south of $1 billion by sneaking in an increased “administrative fee,” a line item squeezed in at the bottom of their monthly bill that will not be noticed by most of their 64.5 million wireless customers since it’s only $1.23 extra a month. In a statement to Fortune after being called out …
With stark differences after 20 years, another powerful towerco will start trading
American Tower, the first major U.S. towerco to go public on July 8, 1998, will have a 20-year head start on China Tower when the world’s largest tower owner starts trading next month on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, but down the road China Tower could become a serious competitor. Other than sharing the same IPO month, an average 5-year lease term and …
Politics and alleged propriety software theft unveiled in lawsuit against American Tower
A small Massachusetts software developer is alleging that through their proprietary analytical tools they identified in proof of concept testing that ATC’s Brazilian subsidiary (ATB) was missing the opportunity to capture millions of dollars’ worth of additional annual cash flow, and according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts U.S. District Court by CellInfo, they said they also found “safety shortcomings, …
Coalition of organizations endorse Communications and Jobs Training Act of 2018 legislation
A diverse coalition of influential communications industry organizations today announced their endorsement of H.R. 5639 – The Communications and Jobs Training Act of 2018.Organizations supporting the legislation include CTIA, Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), Rural Wireless Association (RWA), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Utilities Technology Council (UTC) and …
Industry pride shines as Pat Cipov is selected as Wireless Hall of Fame honoree
Accolades from all quarters of the industry have been coming in for Pat Cipov who was selected by the Wireless History Foundation (WHF) last week as one of its 2018 Wireless Hall of Fame honorees – the most recognized and highest honor acknowledging the leadership, innovation and achievement of each honoree in the wireless industry. In making the announcement, the …
Towerco financial support of wireless workers accelerates with a ‘buck a tower’ sponsors
The Tower Family Foundation (TTF), a 501c-3 non-profit, today recognized the updated support of tower owner/vertical solutions provider companies who are donors to the organization’s “$1 Per Tower” fundraising campaign with towercos Cellcom, Performance Development Group, Ltd. and Vogue Towers joining the inaugural list of donor firms participating in the capital campaign. The “$1 Per Tower” effort involves firms who …
T-Mobile/Sprint say they’re giving a wedding gift to the U.S. of $40 billion
T-Mobile has taken the next step in their merger with Sprint by filing their Public Interest Statement with the FCC emphasizing to regulators that the public will benefit from the merger. In making the announcement, CEO John Legere echoed the ever-popular need to be first with 5G, stating, “If we don’t take decisive, positive action, we risk ceding global leadership …
ATC misjudges industry pushback and pulls back onerous contractor amendment
In a measure to prevent other towercos from building sites near their structures, and obtain some of their tenants with more favorable lease rates, American Tower Corp. informed their contractors late last month that if they assisted in the construction of a macro tower site within one-half mile of one of their existing towers they would be dropped from their …
Verizon exploring legal action against ATC in using contractors as hostages
American Tower Corp.’s demand letter to contractors stating that if they assist in the building of a macro tower site within one-half mile of one of their existing towers that they will no longer be able to do any work for ATC, and possibly be excluded from working for other carriers on an ATC site, has raised the ire of Verizon …
FCC Chairman Pai honors innovator in accessibility communications technology
Recognizing the importance of innovative communications technology designed for people with disabilities, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai yesterday announced the winners of the seventh annual Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (Chairman’s AAA). The Chairman’s AAA celebrates outstanding private and public sector ventures as part of the Commission’s continuing effort to facilitate ongoing exchanges among the telecommunications industry, assistive technology companies, …
