The Fiber Deployment Cost Annual Report 2025, released by the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) in partnership with Cartesian, confirms what fiber contractors have been experiencing on the ground: deployment costs are rising nearly across the board, with labor, permitting, and make-ready work exerting sustained upward pressure on project economics. According to the study, 92% of respondents reported higher fiber deployment …
NATE launches “ClimbCast” with a safety-first message and a technical reality check on tower work
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has debuted the first episode of its new podcast, ClimbCast, using the premiere installment to reinforce a message the association says has been embedded in its mission since day one: safety is not a program or a slogan—it is the organizing principle of the communications infrastructure industry. Hosted by Brian Bicknese, NATE’s Director of …
Kennedy’s RF inquiry raises questions, but little immediate concern for wireless sector over health risk
As the FCC advances a deregulatory push to accelerate 5G and soon 6G infrastructure deployments, a potentially competing health-policy track is emerging within the Trump administration: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is moving to launch a new federal study examining the health risks of cellphone radiation. The development is surfacing just as the FCC wraps the …
Transmission line theft at SC site under investigation as authorities probe damage to one or more towers
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) is seeking public assistance in an investigation involving the theft of copper-bearing transmission line from a communications site at 2423 Walker-Swinton Road in Florence County, SC, where authorities say two individuals damaged and removed coaxial cable used to transmit radio signals to antennas. The site contains two guyed communications towers—one standing 620 feet tall …
NATE, WIA urge FCC to protect contractor and tower owners’ payments in EchoStar spectrum review
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) are jointly pressing the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that contractors, tower owners, and other infrastructure partners are paid for work already performed before the agency approves EchoStar’s pending spectrum assignment applications. Two letters, one message to the FCC Although submitted as two separate letters, the filings represent …
Crown Castle says DISH defaulted on payments, terminates tower agreement claiming $3.5 Billion owed
Crown Castle Inc. issued a press release late this afternoon, stating that DISH Wireless has defaulted on its payment obligations, prompting the tower operator to terminate its wireless infrastructure agreement and seek recovery of more than $3.5 billion in remaining payments purportedly owed under the contract. The announcement came just hours after DISH filed its formal response Friday evening to Crown …
DISH files its response in Crown Castle’s MSA lawsuit, echoing its defense used against American Tower
DISH Network filed its formal response Friday to Crown Castle’s lawsuit, reinforcing a legal strategy it first deployed earlier this year in its answer to American Tower’s similar complaint. Together, the filings underscore a widening dispute between DISH and the nation’s largest tower owners over the interpretation and enforcement of long-term master service agreements (MSAs). At the outset, it is …
Verizon sues Kansas City condo association over threatened interference with rooftop cell site
Verizon Wireless has filed a federal lawsuit seeking emergency injunctive relief against a Kansas City, MO condominium association, arguing that planned rooftop construction could interfere with a long-standing cell site and disrupt wireless service for thousands of customers across the city. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, available here, Cellco Partnership, …
Appeals court upholds DISH lease ruling as Crown Castle tower payments remain in legal limbo
A Colorado appellate court has unanimously affirmed a jury verdict in favor of DISH Wireless in a $32 million lease dispute with Crown Castle, reinforcing how ambiguity in master lease agreements can carry significant financial consequences for both carriers and tower owners. The Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a Denver District Court jury’s finding that DISH did not breach its …
NATE sunsets CertTrac as it develops a new certification tracking platform aligned with STAR
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has officially deactivated its OneVizion-powered CertTrac certification tracking system as it moves forward with the development of a new, modern certification platform designed to integrate with its expanding STAR safety management system. Effective January 1, CertTrac was no longer offered as a NATE member benefit. According to the association, the decision reflects a broader effort to modernize …
FCC’s ‘Build America’ proposal draws widespread opposition as comments top 3,000
Filings in the FCC’s Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments proceeding (WT Docket No. 25-276) began appearing in late October 2025, weeks before the formal comment period, and have continued steadily as the docket has grown to more than 3,000 submissions. While the NPRM’s publication in the Federal Register triggered the formal deadlines—December 31, 2025, for initial comments and January …
Verizon to pay $7.7 million to settle California environmental violations at hundreds of cell tower sites
Verizon Wireless will pay $7.7 million to resolve a statewide civil enforcement action alleging widespread violations of California environmental laws governing hazardous materials at hundreds of the company’s wireless cell tower sites, according to multiple district attorneys’ offices involved in the case. San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced the settlement, stating that violations dating back to January 2019 …
FBI raids, 340 towers, 65-year prison sentences: Why the viral YouTube story is fake
A viral YouTube video in industry circles is claiming that the Sinaloa Cartel secretly owned and operated hundreds of U.S. cell towers—using them to spy on federal agents and coordinate drug trafficking—is a fabrication, unsupported by any court records, government filings, or credible media reporting. The video, posted by the YouTube channel Truth America, which has professional narration but a …
Is It time for a sweet sixteen party, or is the SoftBank–DigitalBridge $16 acquisition deal still pending?
SoftBank Group’s agreement to acquire DigitalBridge Group, Inc., announced today, has quickly drawn attention across the digital infrastructure investment community, not only because of the transaction’s strategic importance but also because of how the $16-per-share price will be paid and whether that valuation fully captures the company’s long-term potential. How the $16 Per Share Will Be Paid According to the …
Local governments warn FCC expansion of permitting authority could trigger litigation
Local governments are warning the Federal Communications Commission that attempts to expand its authority over broadband and wireless infrastructure permitting could result in court challenges, according to the most recent filings in the agency’s ongoing “Build America” proceedings. In reply comments filed December 19, 2025, municipal organizations and local officials argue that the FCC lacks apparent statutory authority to impose …
A Christmas messge to the Wireless Estimator family
As 2025 comes to a close, we want to thank our readers, partners, and friends across the wireless infrastructure community for being part of the Wireless Estimator family. This time of year is an opportunity to reflect, recharge, and enjoy time with family and loved ones. While many industry websites slow or pause publishing during the holidays, this season also …
SUCCESS for BEAD Act could open new construction and training opportunities beyond fiber deployment
While the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has primarily been viewed as a fiber-centric initiative, newly introduced legislation could significantly expand opportunities for wireless infrastructure and construction firms once initial deployment obligations are met. By allowing states to redirect unspent BEAD funds toward network resilience, mobile infrastructure, public safety systems, and workforce development, the SUCCESS for BEAD Act …
Why Sen. Luján forced the FCC’s “Independence” question — and why Carr let it end with a website change
The most contentious moment in this week’s Senate oversight hearing of Federal Communications Commission leadership had nothing to do with spectrum auctions, broadband deployment, or media ownership. Instead, it revolved around a single word that has defined the agency for nearly a century: independent. By the end of the exchange, that word had disappeared from the FCC’s website (View Video …
Built for speed and performance: ConcealFab launches Side Enclosures for faster small cell rollouts
Valmont Telecom, the wireless infrastructure business of Valmont Industries, has introduced the ConcealFab Side Enclosure portfolio, a new family of RF-transparent, pole-mounted outdoor cabinets engineered to support the rapid expansion of 5G small cells, fiber networks, and private LTE/5G systems across North America. As U.S. operators deploy an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 small cells annually, and municipalities continue to tighten …
American Tower presses court for early judgment regarding DISH’s tower rent obligations
American Tower has escalated its legal battle with DISH Wireless, asking a federal judge to rule as a matter of law that DISH cannot walk away from billions of dollars in tower lease obligations by claiming its business strategy collapsed. In a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings filed December 12, American Tower and its affiliates—SpectraSite Communications and InSite Wireless …
