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T-Mobile USA Inc. is sparring with Dish Network Corp. over Dish’s claim that it’s trying to “prematurely” kick Boost Mobile subscribers off Sprint’s 3G CDMA Network. In an FCC filing Sunday to Acting Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel, T-Mobile said that the real problem is that Dish hasn’t done adequate preparation to transition existing customers to the newer T-Mobile networks under a …
Everything old is new again. Tesla’s 1901 wireless power is fine tuned and being suggested for 5G IoT
A research team from Georgia Institute of Technology has announced that they have developed a 3D-printed rectifying antenna the size of a playing card that can harvest electromagnetic energy from 5G signals and use it to power devices, saving billions of batteries in the process. Millimeter-wave energy harvesting has been possible for some time, says the team’s authors, Aline Eid, …
Verizon signs C-band deals with Crown Castle and SBA Communications
Verizon inked deals with Crown Castle and SBA Communications, two vertical realtors already hosting Verizon infrastructure equipment, to speed deployment of C-band equipment in preparation for the launch of 5G Ultra Wideband and fixed wireless broadband service on this newly acquired spectrum. Verizon secured an average of 161 MHz of C-band spectrum nationwide in the recent FCC auction, which will allow Verizon to …
Pittsburgh is ‘illegally’ pocketing $580 on street light small cell fees says AT&T in a lawsuit
AT&T is suing the City of Pittsburgh for allegedly failing to meet the FCC’s shot clock requirements and for asking excessive fees for new cell structures in the city’s rights-of-way. The carrier states that the fees and delays for installing small-cell network equipment along city roadways have prevented AT&T from providing service to the area and violates the federal Telecommunications …
With over 100 towers installed, VIKOR removes many remote learning challenges for Navajos
With school districts relying on remote learning to minimize the spread of COVID-19, broadband internet is an essential component of student success. Add canyons, mountainous terrain, and uninhabited wilderness to the equation, and connecting students to online learning resources becomes seemingly impossible. This is the exact issue the San Juan School District, located on and near the Navajo Nation in …
Two-year answer to bridging digital divide is cooperation says C Spire’s summit experts
A two-year research effort led by Mississippi-based C Spire to identify ways to bridge the rural broadband “digital divide” has concluded that the key to resolving the vexing access problem is to pursue cooperative technology, financial and partnership efforts as an industry. Findings of the research team, which also included collaborations with Airspan, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Siklu and Telesat, were presented in …
Early vertical realtor David Grain pulls together $3.75 billion in investment funding
Washington, D.C.-based Grain Management, a leading private investment firm focused on broadband technology and the global communications sector, announced today that it has closed on $3.75 billion in funding the past year, exceeding its targets for purchase of spectrum and other investments. Grain participated in the Federal Communications Commission’s Auction 107 (“C-Band Auction”), the largest auction of mid-band 5G spectrum …
Contractors say rip and replace funding is profitable, but will be shaved at their level
The Federal Communications Commission has released a new report with an in-depth look at the costs for telecoms to rip and replace eligible Huawei and ZTE equipment, which will aid in the development of a new reimbursement program and its administration. The agency commissioned consulting firm Widelity to “produce a report detailing the anticipated steps in removing, replacing, and disposing …
American Tower shocks industry analysts with its planned acquisition of China Tower for $17.4 billion
Boston-based American Tower Corp. (ATC) is close to inking an agreement to buy China Tower Corp. Ltd. for $17.4 billion, a huge deal that will see ATC acquiring China Tower’s 2.2 million towers, expanding ATC’s 186,000 worldwide towers by 1,100 percent, according to a Forbes report today. The well-kept secret took the industry by surprise, and analysts are still trying …
From monopoles to barber poles, NWSA adds a new certification to buoy lack of broadband funding
President Joe Biden unveiled a $2 trillion plan yesterday to rebuild the nation’s aging infrastructure dubbed the American Jobs Plan, with $100 billion earmarked to build universal high-speed broadband infrastructure. However, the White House did not say how they plan to move the package through congress, nor provide a timeline on when they want it passed. Earlier this month, 30 …
Welder falls 95-feet and dies while working on a U.S. Cellular retrofit project in Kansas
A 45-year-old welder fell to his death while working on a tower modification in Le Roy, Kansas on Sunday, according to individuals knowledgeable of the accident. A spokesperson of Blackhawk Tower Communications of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin confirmed that Shane Jenson of Orfordville, Wisconsin was welding a modification on a U.S. Cellular site at about the 95-foot level when his safety …
Ransomware attack shuts down Sierra Wireless
Sierra Wireless, a leading IoT solutions provider, today announced that it discovered it was the subject of a ransomware attack on its internal IT systems on March 20, 2021. Once the company learned of the attack, its IT and operations teams immediately implemented measures to counter the attack in accordance with established cybersecurity procedures and policies that were developed in …
Lack of training kills a high school day laborer climber and his employer claims it was his own fault
Lakaram Karanjeet was working part-time for Rise & Rise Wireless, Inc. while he was in high school. He died on June 28, 2019 when he fell from this New Jersey 150-foot monopole. An investigation by Wireless Estimator into a lawsuit brought against multiple defendants exposes a wireless construction contractor that had no safety programs in place, few owned assets and …
Third strike against small Colorado telco requires it to reimburse the U.S. $6.75 million
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled March 15, 2021 that a rural telecommunications carrier based in Alamosa, Colorado owes the FCC $6.75 million for improperly claimed Universal Service Funds (USF) it received between 2005 and 2010. In 2016, the FCC demanded that Blanca repay the $6,748,280 in funds it received which it was not entitled. Blanca …
Telecom leaders partner to develop industry-tailored human trafficking prevention training
Leaders in the telecommunications industry have partnered with 3Strands Global Foundation (3SGF), a Sacramento-based nonprofit working to end human trafficking throughout the US. The goal is to educate telecommunications professionals on the signs of human trafficking and train them on how to recognize, notify and report the crime. The partnership was initiated and spearheaded by Kenny Blakeslee, President and CEO …
Walsh’s confirmation as Secretary of Labor is a big win for unions
In a 68 to 29 vote, the U.S. Senate today confirmed Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as the new Secretary of Labor in the Biden administration. As Secretary, Walsh, 53, will also have the power to oversee workplace safety, enforce hourly wages and overtime, recommend new legislation and guide labor statistics collection. Walsh is an advocate of immigrants. In Massachusetts, he …
Plaintiffs settle for $3.2 million in 2018 Missouri tower collapse that killed company owner
Missouri State University and other defendants have reached a $3.2 million settlement in a 2018 deadly television tower collapse in Fordland, Missouri. The Springfield News-Leader reports the university’s attorney, Rachael Dockery, notified the school’s governing board of a “global settlement” in all the lawsuits filed about the incident. According to court documents, on March 10, 2021, a letter was presented …
Immediate mandatory inspection notice issued for Miller MightEvac and MightyLite self-retracting lifelines
If you have been identified as a customer that has purchased certain Miller MightEvac and MightyLite Self-Retracting Lifelines (SRLs) products that were returned for repair work by Honeywell between September 1, 2019 and March 5, 2021, Honeywell has identified a potential issue with reworked brake components that may cause the products to not operate to specification. While there have been …
PANs, papers and standards made enlightening in virtual Wednesday panel presentation
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 11:00 AM CST, a group of panelists will be conducting Session 2 of the NATE UNITE 2021 Virtual Educational Series titled “Sharing of Knowledge Through Industry Planning Advisory Notices (PAN’s), White Papers, and Standards”. Registration is available here. The panelists conducting this session are Scott Stekr, VP of US Engineering for Perfect Vision, Brandon …
Summitt Cellular helps NATE top its all-time membership record
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that it has established a new all-time record of 1,020 member companies, eclipsing the Association’s previous mark of 1,019 members. Summitt Cellular based out of Cleveland, Georgia has the distinction of being the record-breaking company to join the Association, at a time when many trade groups are seeing declines in memberships. “NATE’s …
