Rather than risking jail time, a Georgia man tried to elude police and drowned after he allegedly stole copper from a cell tower in South Carolina The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call about 7 a.m. on Monday about a suspicious vehicle near the cell tower off of Purrysburg Rd. in Hardeeville. Sheriff’s officers spotted 31-year-old Maurice …
Monopole is totaled in Utah after a welding crew ignites it
Update: September 2, 2016 – According to West Valley City Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Fox, the monopole fire was caused by a tower crew that had been welding on the structure. He said the tower was stabilized last night, but high winds created difficulties for the crew trying to dismantle it. Firefighters with the Unified Fire Authority extinguished a cell tower …
NATE unveils RF and antenna identification safety video
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a RF & Antenna Identification Safety Video as part of the Association’s 2016 Climber Connection campaign. The video outlines the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) guidelines for maximum permissible RF exposure limits in both controlled and uncontrolled environments. The segment also features testimonial footage of a tower technician discussing the thermal and …
Digital Bridge’s CEO and his spouse solve capacity problems with a $27 million check
Marc Ganzi, co-founder and CEO of Digital Bridge Holdings, is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and oftentimes drills down to meeting capacity needs from a fiber-based architecture connected to macro sites, small cells and Wi-Fi. So when the Palm Beach Post quoted Ganzi as stating “We needed more capacity,” it would be expected that he was ready to again …
Dycom Industries’ stock falls on a downbeat outlook for Goodman Networks revenue
Shares of Palm Beach, Fla.-based Dycom Industries fell another 1.5% today to $83.61 after falling almost 7.5% on heavy trading volume Wednesday after the company posted solid results for the 2016 fiscal fourth quarter, but gave a downbeat outlook for Goodman Networks revenue. Dycom acquired certain telecom-related assets of Goodman Networks’ wireline and wireless network deployment businesses for about $107.5 …
Tower Family Foundation and W4W benefit from golf tournament sponsored by T-Mobile
The Tower Family Foundation and Warriors4Wireless were each recipients of a $60,000 contribution from T-Mobile’s National Development team following its 3rd Annual Golf Tournament held on Wednesday, August 17 in Newcastle, Washington. The Tower Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides financial assistance and scholarships to family members of a severely injured, permanently disabled, or deceased tower …
Military strikes target ISIL communications towers in Iraq
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Fighter aircraft and rocket artillery conducted eight strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government. Near Baghdad, a strike destroyed an ISIL repeater tower. Near Qayyarah, …
FirstNet awards eight grants for public safety agencies relocating from Band 14 spectrum
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) announced the funding of eight awards for its Band 14 Incumbent Spectrum Relocation Grant Program (Band 14 Program). This program provides financial assistance to eligible public safety entities for relocating their existing radios and systems from Band 14 in advance of the deployment and operation of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). It …
Pennsylvania Wireless Association and NATE host popular networking reception
Last night, the Pennsylvania Wireless Association (PWA) and National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) partnered to co-host a wireless industry networking reception. The event was held at the Sienna Mercato Italian Restaurant’s Il Tetto Rooftop Garden in downtown Pittsburgh. The reception venue is renowned for boasting some of the best and most unique views of the “Steel City”. The PWA-NATE event was …
NATE’s weather conditions video couldn’t be any timelier
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a Weather Conditions Video as part of the Association’s 2016 Climber Connection campaign. With extreme heat warnings being issued across the nation today, it provides a timely opportunity to review it and ensure that you and your co-workers remain safe. The video features testimonial footage of a tower technician discussing the …
Lease buyout firm Unison cuts back its staff while selling off some assets
Cell site lease buyout firm Unison Site Management has sold 760 leases to competitor Melody Wireless Infrastructure for an undisclosed amount, according to a press release from Melody. Omar Jaffrey, Managing Partner at Melody Capital Partners, and CEO of Melody Wireless Infrastructure stated: “This latest acquisition will solidify Melody’s presence within the wireless infrastructure ecosystem and directly aligns with our …
NWSA honors AT&T, Black & Veatch and Teltech Communications as meeting sponsors
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) has recognized AT&T, Black & Veatch and TelTech Communications today for their instrumental role in hosting and sponsoring the recent NWSA Subject Matter Expert Task Force meetings that were held in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. From December 2015 through June 2016, the NWSA Telecommunications Tower Technician Task Force met at three venues to work on …
Tower copper thief chased, tackled and hogtied by business owners
Tower owner Crown Castle and its tenants can thank three Washington men for stopping a copper theft in progress when they observed a suspect stealing wire from a monopole compound and kept the destruction at a minimum According to police, a Maryville business owner had been experiencing a raft of burglaries, theft and vandalism, and had workers patrol the perimeter …
Top U.S. towercos eyeing Deutsche Telekom’s towers in Germany
As America gets ready to celebrate Independence Day on Monday, considered by some to be the original Brexit, Deutsche Telekom is prepping the sale of thousands of its German towers in a potential $5.5 billion deal. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanly are organizing the sale of the structures. SBA Communications, American Tower and Crown Castle are on the invite list, according to …
By cutting crew climbs, Anritsu lowers the cost of testing remote radio heads on towers
Anritsu Company has introduced CPRI RF measurement capability in its market-leading E series of Site Master™, Spectrum Master™, and Cell Master™ handheld field analyzers that dramatically simplifies and lowers the cost of testing Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) installed atop 4G towers. Solidifying Anritsu’s position as the industry leader in field test solutions, the new option reduces network OpEx by allowing wireless …
Hillary Clinton’s goal is to close the digital divide by 2020
In a major tech policy speech, Hillary Clinton on Tuesday promised to work toward providing broadband access to all US homes by 2020, backed investments in next-generation wireless systems and supported the new Title II rules for net neutrality. “I intend to make sure we do what we did with electricity in my grandparents’ generation — we connect every home …
New fall protection book addresses a $5.4 billion per year problem
As the battle against falls from height rages on in the workplace, falls remain a leading cause of work-related deaths across the globe. “Surely no one sets off to work saying ‘this is the day I want to die’,” says Loui McCurley, one of the industry’s most knowledgeable climbing and rope access rigging experts as well as an author whose …
Tower crews tackle restoring communications in West Virginia
Tower crews have been working under challenging conditions to restore cell and wireline services to three carriers in West Virginia after massive floods left tens of thousands of customers without communications services. Frontier Communications, alone, said more than 10,000 of its customers have lost services. The company said in a news release that the number of outages may fluctuate and …
Tower welders torch their surroundings in Pierre, S.D.
Tower techs welding on a communications tower yesterday afternoon started a grass fire that burned several acres in Pierre, S.D. on top of a hill where several towers are located north of HIlger’s Gulch. According to Piere Fire Chief Ian Paul, about 30 firefighters were required to put the fire out that was being fanned by 40 mph winds. After …
No injuries after Indiana tower topples due to 100 mph gusts
An internet service provider’s 180-foot guyed tower collapsed this morning in Russiaville, Ind. after gusts reported to be at 100 mph hit the area. The tower, located at Union and Stewart Streets, is owned by Start of the Art Communications. Local ambulance services and the Howard County Dispatch Center also have equipment on the tower. It also was part of …
