The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today announced that Cathy Piche, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – Towers, Crown Castle, has joined WIA’s Board of Directors and Alex Gellman, Vertical Bridge Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, was elected Chair. Piche, who was also elected to serve as Vice-Chair, will replace Crown Castle President & CEO Jay Brown on the Board. …
NextEdge, NATE, and Clark County School District team up to educate Las Vegas teens on careers in wireless
Clark County School District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department, in partnership with NextEdge and NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, is thrilled to announce a new program aimed at introducing Las Vegas teens and their families to exciting careers in wireless telecommunications. The STEM Saturday event, part of the Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival, will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2023 from 11am-1pm at …
Nick Van Dame moves up from within the ranks of Enertech Resources as its new President
Ontivity, a leading national provider of wireless infrastructure services, announced a key leadership position for its member company, Enertech Resources, to support significant market growth, its largest national clients, and local customers. Nick Van Dame, formerly Vice President of Western Operations for Enertech Resources, has been promoted to the role of President of Enertech Resources. Van Dame will be responsible for …
Murphy Tower Service announces strategic investment in tower analytics provider FieldSync
Murphy Tower Service LLC, a leading provider of wireless and wireline construction and maintenance services, recently placed a strategic investment in FieldSync LLC, a next-generation tower analytics provider. By combining Murphy Tower’s industry-leading capabilities with FieldSync’s revolutionary approach to data acquisition, the partnership will accelerate the assessment, analysis, maintenance, and deployment of critical infrastructure. “The investment in FieldSync further builds …
Civil engineering major Emily Wiebe receives NATE’s Ernie Jones memorial scholarship
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today announced that Emily Wiebe, a junior Civil Engineering major from Mequon, Wisconsin, has been named as the 2023 recipient of the Ernie Jones Memorial Civil Engineering Scholarship at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana. The official announcement was made at the NATE Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, February 22 during the annual NATE …
Federal agencies offering $7 million in prizes to create a greater interest in Open RAN
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the launch of the 2023 5G Challenge in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD). The 2023 5G Challenge is a $7 million prize competition conducted by NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences. The competition aims to accelerate the adoption and development of an open, interoperable, secure, multi-vendor 5G ecosystem. Such an ecosystem will spur a more competitive …
Strong winds against ice loading shears off top half of Montana tower
The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue reported strong winds knocked over a communications tower near Lincoln, Montana last week. The Stonewall communications tower was erected 30 years ago and had its top half sheared off. Fire Chief Zach Muse said the loss of the Stonewall tower will impact all digital communication for agencies in the Lincoln area from law enforcement to fire. …
Industry advocate Matt Mandel departs Wireless Infrastructure Association
After nearly eight years of service to the association and a solid record of policy achievements, Matt Mandel, Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, will be leaving the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) effective today. “Matt has been an incredible asset to WIA and to the entire wireless industry,” said WIA President and CEO Patrick Halley. “Matt was responsible …
Advanced Rigging Concepts Specialty certification exam approved for development by NWSA Board
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) has announced that the certification organization’s Board of Directors has approved the development of a new Advanced Rigging Concepts Specialty certification exam. This Advanced Rigging Concepts Specialty exam will offer a second option to the current certification pathway for those individuals seeking a Foreman credential. Development efforts are scheduled to begin in the first …
Installing networks right is VIAVI’s forte, and free webinar for tower techs and contractors will show why
If you want to install wireless networks right the first time, you’ll want to register for VIAVI Solutions’ best practices for testing cell sites during installation to increase efficiency and avoid revisits webinar presented by solutions expert Steve Gale on October 20, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. VIAVI Solutions, a leader in Fiber Optic and RF test and measurement …
Ruth Dowling will ably take over Ed DiSanto’s executive roles at American Tower
American Tower Corporation announced changes to its senior management team. Ed DiSanto intends to step down from his position as Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, and Secretary, effective January 1, 2023. Ruth Dowling, who has been with American Tower for over ten years, will succeed DiSanto in those roles. To assist in the transition of responsibilities, DiSanto …
North Carolina-based NWS awarded the coveted No. 3 spot in Mid-Market Fast 40 Ranking
Grain Management-backed Network Wireless Solutions (NWS), a fast-growing solutions and logistics provider to carriers and telecommunications contractors, has earned the No. 3 spot on the 2022 North Carolina Mid-Market Fast 40 ranking. Sponsored by Business North Carolina magazine in partnership with the accounting firm Cherry Bekaert LLP, which verifies the results, the Mid-Market Fast 40 ranking recognizes companies based in …
ExteNetSystems is ditching its Illinois headquarters for a ‘feeling of community’ in Frisco, TX
ExteNet Systems, the leading privately held owner of LTE/5G wireless and fiber-neutral host communications infrastructure solutions, is moving its headquarters from Lisle, Illinois to the rapidly developing city of Frisco, Texas. The move is part of a longer-term business strategy to bring ExteNet to the center of the industry’s ecosystem, which will foster further innovation and reignite corporate awareness of …
Newly minted tower techs will receive their training on IsoTruss’s carbon fiber towers
IsoTruss, Inc., an engineering, design, and manufacturing services provider, today announced the donation of two patented IsoTruss® carbon fiber cell towers to the Learning Alliance Corp. (LAC) center located in Tampa, FL. The donation will support LAC’s workforce development initiative in training cell tower climbers and technicians for the wireless telecom infrastructure industry. LAC partners with businesses in the wireless industry, which …
Vertical Bridge achieves carbon neutrality for third consecutive year
Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced that it has realized 100 percent carbon neutrality for the third consecutive year. The Company began a proactive review of its environmental footprint in 2020 which resulted in its initial CarbonNeutral® Certification that year and the subsequent renewal in 2021. “U.S. …
BAI Communications’ acquisition of ZenFi Networks will also bolster powerhouses Mobilitie and Transit Wireless
BAI Communications (BAI), a global shared communications infrastructure provider, has agreed to acquire ZenFi Networks, an East coast based provider of digital infrastructure solutions and innovator in small cell deployment, offload & roaming services, fibre connectivity and network edge colocation. This agreement represents a significant growth opportunity for BAI in North America, building upon its existing connected infrastructure capability and …
Chairwoman Rosenworcel proposes to increase minimum broadband speeds set by FCC in 2015
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has circulated to her Commissioners a Notice of Inquiry that would kick off the agency’s annual evaluation of the state of broadband across the country. As part of this assessment, Rosenworcel proposed increasing the national standard for minimum broadband speeds and proposed setting a long-term goal for broadband speed. “The needs of internet users long ago surpassed …
Northleaf to acquire a 40 percent interest in Vodafone’s New Zealand tower business for $1.1 billion
Northleaf Capital Partners (Northleaf), a leading global private markets investment firm, today announced that funds managed by Northleaf will acquire a 40% interest in Aotearoa Towers Limited (Aotearoa) a mobile tower infrastructure business, from Vodafone New Zealand Limited (Vodafone). The completion of this transaction will create New Zealand’s largest independent tower company, with approximately 1,500 wholly-owned towers covering 98% of …
KCI Acquires Texas-based telecommunications firm AmChel Communications
KCI has announced the acquisition of AmChel Communications Inc., a Texas-based telecommunications firm. KCI will leverage AmChel’s expertise in turnkey cellular tower installation to expand its growing communications service offerings throughout the state and beyond. AmChel was founded in 2001 and has since earned a reputation as a leading firm for wireless network infrastructure projects in the region. Over the …
NATE 2022 UAS Expo hosted by Valmont is set for June 27-28
The NATE 2022 UAS Expo Hosted by Valmont will be held on June 27-28, 2022 in Valley, Nebraska. Leveraging Valmont’s expansive corporate headquarters facilities, NATE will host a variety of different exhibitions and experiments to further the industry’s understanding of the benefits and future opportunities of UAS operations around communications towers. Some of the demos and testing that are anticipated to …
