Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just slashed the $42.45 billion BEAD program in half. But that apparently wasn’t good enough for Sen. John Kennedy, the folksy Louisiana Republican whose Pelican State just got handed a check for $498.2 million from NTIA—down from an original $1.355 billion allocation. Kennedy vented during a brief but pointed exchange with Lutnick, who was testifying Tuesday …
Pennsylvania’s $793 million broadband win came at a price: Stripped labor protections leave all U.S. workers vulnerable
After five months in federal limbo, Pennsylvania finally received approval for its $793 million broadband deployment plan yesterday, but the Commonwealth’s hard-fought worker protections didn’t survive the journey. The February 9 approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) chief, Arielle Roth, marks the end of a process that required Pennsylvania and dozens of other states to eliminate labor standards, …
NATE UNITE 2026 promises innovation and networking for the nation’s infrastructure companies
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association will host its annual NATE UNITE show in Las Vegas from February 23 to 26, bringing together communications infrastructure contractors, climbers, and suppliers for what organizers promise will be the event’s biggest year yet. Amanda Stegall, chair of NATE’s trade show committee, and Stephanie McCall, Director of Events and Marketing, outlined key highlights during …
FCC fast-tracks Comcast pole dispute, issuing “first-of-its-kind” order in 60 days to protect BEAD buildout
The FCC says it has just proven a new enforcement tool can do what broadband builders have asked for years: resolve pole-attachment disputes quickly enough to keep construction moving. In what the agency is calling a “first-of-its-kind” action, the Commission used its new Accelerated Docket process—run by the FCC’s Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT)—to resolve a pole attachment complaint in …
As fiber pay continues to rise, tower hiring falls across U.S. telecom construction to a 20-year low
A Wall Street Journal report this week highlights a stark labor imbalance in the broadband construction sector; while demand for high-speed fiber deployment is surging nationwide, contractors are struggling to recruit sufficient qualified workers to build the networks. Record federal broadband funding, expanding data-center connectivity needs, and the push for universal high-speed internet have driven intense hiring for drillers, linemen, and …
Crown Castle to cut tower and corporate workforce by 20% as DISH fallout accelerates restructuring
Crown Castle’s first earnings report since outlining its transition to a “pure-play” tower operator delivered a sharp reset for employees and investors alike: the company said it will reduce its tower and corporate workforce by approximately 20%, tying the move to both its post-fiber operating model and the sudden loss of expected activity tied to DISH Wireless following the carrier’s …
Levi’s Stadium Super Bowl LX becomes real-world stress test for U.S. wireless infrastructure
Beyond public-safety coordination, carriers and venue engineers are preparing for another massive surge in consumer data traffic surrounding Super Bowl LX this Sunday. With roughly 65,000 fans expected inside Levi’s Stadium, projections indicate spectators and nearby tailgaters could generate tens of terabytes of wireless and Wi-Fi traffic through social posting, livestreaming, and multi-device viewing. Engineers supporting the event have planned …
House subcommittee presses ahead on FirstNet reauthorization
The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee this week examined the future of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as its statutory authorization approaches a 2027 sunset, mirroring recent Senate scrutiny of the nationwide public-safety broadband system. Lawmakers framed the hearing as both an oversight review and an opportunity to refine governance, accountability, and long-term investment before reauthorization moves forward. Subcommittee …
Pilot Fiber to acquire carved-out enterprise fiber unit from DigitalBridge-backed ExteNet
New York and New Jersey-based Pilot Fiber has agreed to acquire ExteNet Systems’ enterprise fiber business, a targeted carve-out from the DigitalBridge-backed infrastructure platform, underscoring continued specialization and portfolio reshaping across the digital infrastructure sector. The transaction transfers ExteNet’s metro-focused enterprise fiber assets—built in part through earlier acquisitions of Hudson Fiber Network and Axiom Fiber Network—into Pilot Fiber’s footprint, expanding its …
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty to receive WIA Foundation Wireless Leadership Award in Washington
The WIA Foundation will honor FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty with the second annual Wireless Leadership Award on February 17, 2026, during the Wireless Women’s Leadership Luncheon in Washington, D.C. This event brings together senior policymakers and industry executives to recognize leadership and expand opportunities across the wireless sector. The luncheon, hosted in partnership with the WIA Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum, …
Tower Family Foundation announces 2026 scholarship deadline of May 31
The Tower Family Foundation expanded its scholarship program in 2024, enhancing eligibility criteria to support more students through merit‑based awards. The application period to apply for scholarships for the Fall 2026 semester is officially open through May 31, 2026. The Tower Family Foundation scholarship is open to the broader NATE community, offering a limited number of merit-based scholarships available annually …
Participation invited as Midwest Wireless Summit sets sail for its inaugural launch in Kansas City this August
A new regional gathering aimed at strengthening collaboration across the communications infrastructure ecosystem is preparing for its debut this summer, as organizers advance plans for the inaugural Midwest Wireless Summit, scheduled for August 17 through 19, 2026, in Kansas City. MO. Registration, sponsorships, accommodations, and panel discussions are available here. The event is being developed by members of the Midwest …
Net-90 terms surface as Verizon falls short on multiple commitments to the FCC and infrastructure contractors
Commentary — When Verizon submitted a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on May 15, 2025, it appeared—on paper—to mark a meaningful shift in how the nation’s largest wireless carrier would treat the contractors responsible for building and maintaining its network. Among the most significant commitments outlined in that filing was Verizon’s agreement to move to 30-day payment terms, a …
Contractors are under pressure—and a new peer-to-peer model will be introduced at NATE UNITE 2026
Wireless infrastructure contracting companies are operating in one of the most difficult environments the sector has faced in decades. Matrix pricing, extended payment terms, margin compression, workforce instability, and increasingly rigid carrier and tower-owner requirements have left many privately held contractors squeezed from all sides. What makes these pressures more acute is that most owners and executives are confronting them …
New SEMC testing results raise safety concerns over two-person pickoff tower rescues
Two-person pickoff rescues are a core part of tower-climber training. Yet, new testing conducted by the Safety Equipment Manufacturers Committee (SEMC) suggests that some commonly used backup fall-arrest systems may be relied upon beyond their tested design limits. SEMC Testing Triggered by Concerns Over Trailing Rope Grab Misuse The testing was documented in a recent NATE Climber Connection episode narrated by …
Verizon’s 4Q momentum supports ongoing tower and fiber work, with continued pressure on margins
Verizon’s fourth-quarter earnings, released Friday, delivered more than a financial beat—they offered several signals that matter directly to macro tower owners and the contractors who build, upgrade, and maintain Verizon’s network. Strong subscriber momentum, continued fiber expansion, and steady capital spending point to sustained field activity in 2026, even as the carrier maintains pressure on efficiency and cost control. The …
Japanese carrier revamps field uniforms as climate extremes mirror conditions faced by U.S. tower crews
What may appear to be a routine wardrobe update in Japan is, in practice, a recognition of the same environmental and jobsite pressures already confronting U.S. tower technicians. Japan’s largest mobile carrier, NTT East Japan, has announced it will roll out redesigned, eco-friendly uniforms for its field engineering workforce, which includes tower technicians, beginning in autumn 2026, citing rising temperatures, …
What AT&T’s 4Q results likely mean for macro tower owners and infrastructure contractors
AT&T’s fourth-quarter results and conference call yesterday were marketed as a fiber-and-convergence story. Still, the call also contained several macro-tower tells: continued wireless network modernization, spectrum deployment, and a multi-year service-revenue growth outlook that can’t be delivered without sustained macro performance. CEO John Stankey framed AT&T’s strategy as a durable blend of fiber and wireless, calling the convergence model “a …
Tower company executives urge FCC Chairman Carr to require escrow funds to cover Dish’s infrastructure debts
Executives from the nation’s largest tower companies and wireless infrastructure trade association met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr earlier this month to press for conditions on EchoStar’s multibillion-dollar spectrum transactions, according to an FCC ex parte filing submitted by the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). A January 12, 2026 termination notice sent by DISH Wireless to tower site lessors, asserting that …
Fern’s ice loading strains power and backhaul, towers remain upright under design standards
A January 26, 2026, Communications Status Report issued by the Federal Communications Commission provides a nationwide snapshot of how communications networks performed as Winter Storm Fern moved across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. The report is based on carrier submissions through the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), which the FCC activated and expanded as freezing rain and ice spread into additional …
