In April 2020, FCC Commissioners unanimously approved Ligado’s application to deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-band to support 5G services, ignoring opposition to the departments of Interior, Commerce, Justice Energy, and Homeland Security opposing the company’s plan, claiming that Ligado could disrupt GPS service to aviation and military customers. Ligado, which emerged following the bankruptcy of LightSquared, had …
AT&T’s sole bid is inked for a New Jersey lease deal; lawsuit argues monopine violates town’s height restriction
A Scotch Plains, NJ homeowner has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to block the Town of Westfield’s plan to lease space to AT&T for the construction of a cell tower at the Conservation Center – an adjacent recycling compound. David Munsky, whose home borders Westfield and the recycling facility’s property, claims the monopine will “tower over” his and other …
A secured cable grip failure appears to have caused the death of a Texas tower technician
After a 32-year-old tower technician passed away on December 15, 2022, in Weatherford, TX, while engaged in an installation project for Verizon, the limited information provided by the Parker County Sheriff’s Office and the technician’s employer, Neticom of Arlington, TX, appeared to indicate that the Fort Worth technician was killed after a hybrid cable came loose while it was being …
Verizon tagged with a $950,000 FCC fine partially because an employee lacked NEPA/NHPA expertise
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has entered into a Consent Decree to resolve its investigation into whether Verizon Wireless constructed wireless sites without complying with the FCC’s environmental and historic preservation rules, including rules implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). As part of the decree, Verizon will have to pay $950,000 …
Wireless industry urges states to allow maximum flexibility in selecting broadband technologies
Today, leading organizations representing the wireless industry sent letters to broadband offices in all US states and territories, urging them to allow for maximum flexibility in choosing the right mix of broadband technologies to meet their policy goals with Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds. Under the BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), states and territories are required to …
Hybrid cable is severed from its rigging, causing the death of a Fort Worth tower technician
Clarification: An earlier version of this article said that a hybrid cable being raised fell on a technician causing, fatal injuries. According to the technician’s employer, the cable had been secured to the tower with a cable manufacturer-installed hoisting grip that failed. An update is available here. A 32-year-old Fort Worth, TX tower tech died on December 15, 2022, when …
If DigitalBridge’s turnaround falls short, Legion Partners wants Ganzi to sell the expanding REIT
A small activist investment fund wants to be the tail that wags the dog after it heavily weighted its company’s portfolio in DigitalBridge Group stock. It believes the company should consider a sale if current efforts fail to boost shareholder value. Legion Partners Asset Management, with a portfolio today of about $280 million, began its investment in DigitalBridge during the …
Fighting Mother Nature for 44 years, two tall towers in South Dakota finally succumb
The massive winter storm that moved through the Plains Wednesday morning knocked down a 1,700-foot TV tower and an 800-foot broadcast tower in northeastern South Dakota just outside the boundaries of Garden City. The 1,700-foot guyed tower, constructed in 1978, is owned by Nextar and was the home for CBS affiliate KDLO-TV and KDLO-FM When the tower fell just before …
$19 million ‘disguised’ loan and breach of ageement by American Tower is alleged in $794 million lawsuit
Terra Towers Corporation (Terra), TBS Management, S.A. (Terra TBS), and DT Holdings, Inc. (DTH) filed a lawsuit against American Tower International (ATI) in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on December 12, 2022, alleging ATI breached a $794 million acquisition and development deal in Latin America known as Project Codu, referring to “Center of da Universe” because of its size and shape. …
Senators and witnesses assail the inaccuracies they have found on the FCC’s new broadband maps
Senators and witnesses assailed the inaccuracies they found in the FCC’s new draft national broadband map during yesterday’s Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband hearing. Although last month when the maps were released, the FCC said that they expected inaccuracies. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said version one was “a beginning, not an endpoint.” At Tuesday’s hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Ben …
US opposes Dish’s attempt to throw out whistleblower’s FCC multi-billion-dollar auction fraud lawsuit
The US government notified the US District Court for the District of Columbia yesterday that it opposes Dish Network Inc.’s latest attempt to end a False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit alleging that the carrier used sham small businesses to win at auction FCC communications licenses that were reduced by approximately $3.3 billion. Whistleblower Vermont National Telephone Company’s lawsuit was dismissed …
Interstate, interagency effort provides an impaled American Bald Eagle the ability to fly to rescuers
Firefighters over the years have rescued tower technicians off of communications towers, but on Thursday, the City of Macclenny Fire and Rescue Department in Florida was called upon to rescue our national symbol of pride – an American Bald Eagle that was impaled on a lightning rod of a decommissioned 120-foot monopole at the St. George Elementary School in neighboring …
Financially strapped landlord sues American Tower in a hail Mary attempt to shore up lost rents and profits
A Baltimore City, Maryland building owner is suing American Tower’s Global Tower Holdings for allegedly not maintaining a cell site on the property’s rooftop and causing damages above $75,000. Olcan lll Properties, LLC states in their complaint that they had provided an easement since January 1, 2021, to Global Tower on the property located at 4437 Belair Road for “a …
Drouin and Mallon re-elected to NATE Board, Valdez and Young elected to expanded 11-member Board
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled the official results of the 2023 Board of Directors election. The Association announces that Victor Drouin, President of Green Mountain Communications, Inc. in Pembroke, New Hampshire, and Chris Mallon, President of Tower MRL, LLC in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, were re-elected and will retain their respective seats on the NATE Board of Directors. …
‘Amazing’ milestone of 10,000-plus trade certifications in a six-year time span achieved by NWSA
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced that the organization has officially surpassed 10,000 trade certifications issued to workers in the communications infrastructure industry. NWSA reached the 10,000 credentials mark in a six-year time span, having started offering trade certification programs to the industry in late 2016. “I would like to congratulate the National Wireless Safety Alliance on achieving this …
Stranded Alaskan snowmobiler’s rescue appears to be first reported use of Apple’s emergency satellite SOS app
In what might be the first reported use of Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite, a snowmobiler in Alaska was successfully rescued when he became stranded in an isolated area – a location that Apple wasn’t sure if they could provide connectivity to a satellite. Alaska State Troopers received an alert from the Apple Emergency Response Center early yesterday morning. The State …
TIF’s white paper explores how to save money on tower foundations and still achieve structural integrity
The installation of new foundations and the modification of existing foundations for telecommunication structures represent significant capital investment costs. The money invested limits the use of that capital for other telecommunications infrastructure. For the industry to support the demand for telecommunications infrastructure as effectively as possible, all analysis methods that can minimize cost should be considered. The Telecommunications Industry Foundation (TIF) …
Stacey Abrams’ spokesman denies she’s seeking FCC seat as Gigi Sohn’s chances continue to erode
Senate leadership is not expected to line up a confirmation vote for FCC nominee Democrat Gigi Sohn in this year’s lame-duck session, according to statements being made by multiple legislators. “Bills will likely get the priority” in the Senate’s December calendar, said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee and has voiced support for Sohn, said …
Virginia Wireless Association President Alex Beiro, Jr. passes, leaving a legacy of charitable giving
A memorial mass followed by a celebration of life will be held on December 2, 2022, at St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia, at 10:30 a.m. for Alexander (Alex) A. Beiro, Jr., who passed away unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack on November 19, 2022, at his home in Alexandria. He was well known for his industry advocacy, serving …
Duke Energy heads back to court to reverse FCC’s slashing of rates for AT&T on utility poles
On November 17, 2022, in a unanimous vote, the FCC stood by its 2021 decision regarding utility pole attachment rates in a dispute between AT&T and Duke Energy Progress, denying Duke Energy’s bid to revisit a ruling that slashed the rates that AT&T pays to attach equipment to its utility. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel applauded the FCC’s resolution of the joint …
