The Knoxville Fire Department said investigators arrested and charged a Knoxville, KY, man after there were numerous fires at cell phone tower sites. According to multiple news searches, none of them were reported in local news media since they started occurring in June of 2022. Gildardo Herrera Gonzalez, 36, was charged with one count of arson and one count of setting fire to …
Workforce shortages and last mile technology are concerns at WISPAPALOOZA
The industry’s workforce shortage and last-mile technology were critical topics during Wednesday’s virtual keynote interview between FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and WISPA CEO David Zumwalt at the Las Vegas trade show’s WISPAPALOOZA that ends today. The video can be viewed below. Noting the Biden administration’s preferences for union workforces, Carr questioned employment favoritism “when right now we have a workforce shortage,” …
FCC’s union shores up support for Gigi Sohn’s confirmation as the third Democratic FCC Commissioner
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents 800 FCC employees and thousands more, has come out in support of the nomination of Gigi Sohn for the still vacant fifth seat — and third Democrat — on the Federal Communications Commission. In a letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, which failed to successfully report …
Hopefully after his tower climb a 37-year-old felon will serve time
A 37-year-old man was arrested after fleeing officers, ramming his pickup into two sheriff’s vehicles, then climbing to the top of a 150-foot cell tower before finally giving up, the Yuba County (CA) Sheriff’s Office reported. Deputies said the incident began Saturday when they attempted a traffic stop in Marysville on a man named Michael Allan Williams. Williams stopped his Ford …
Ian’s Florida cell site outages still critical in some counties with a 28% average as deaths continue to mount
According to the FCC, the cell site outage average on Sunday dropped to 28% in the most affected Florida Counties that saw outages of 20% or higher. Although it’s a severe concern for residents and first responders still performing rescue missions, service had increased considerably since Thursday when half of the state’s cell sites were down. At least 89 people …
With 50% of Florida’s cell sites out, ‘deadliest hurricane’ prediction has loved ones on edge
“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history,” President Joe Biden said at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington on Thursday regarding Hurricane Ian. “The numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be a substantial loss of life,” Biden said. Although there have been 21 confirmed deaths reported, the deadliest hurricane on …
Cell sites out of power are expected to rise steeply following Hurricane Ian’s devastating damage
The FCC’s communications status report released yesterday afternoon identifies that Florida’s cell sites weathered Hurricane Ian’s devastating thrashing of Florida. Of the 13,832 total sites, only 188 were out of service, representing a statewide average of 1.4%. Today’s report is expected to be a crushing comparison as the real outage figures come in. Added in the new outages will be …
$160,000 Harwood grant to develop free electrical safety awareness training for telecom workers
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced that it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Labor – OSHA to receive a $160,000 Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grant for the 2022-2023 program year. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program awards grants to nonprofit organizations competitively. Awards are issued annually based on Congressional appropriation. The new curriculum to be …
Liberty and Claro offer limited information regarding severe cell site outages in Puerto Rico
CORRECTION – An earlier publication of this article stated that AT&T had not issued a press release about their network’s resiliency and actions to keep the island connected following Hurricane Fiona. In 2020, AT&T sold its wireless and wireline operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to Liberty Latin America. Wireless Estimator apologizes for the misstatement. However, AT&T still …
The backstory of a teen tower climber rescue: It took a village
A Fox 8 News viewer yesterday afternoon sent Wireless Estimator an email with a link to an article on the Ohio TV station’s website that a 15-year-old boy had been rescued off of a 190-foot cell tower. With few details, it stated, “As the fire department’s ladder was not tall enough, rescuers had to put together a climbing crew, which took a …
As power is crippled by Hurricane Fiona, Puerto Rico cell service remains somewhat stable
Hurricane Fiona roared over the Dominican Republic this morning after knocking out power across all of Puerto Rico, causing damage that Governor Pedro Pierluisi said was “catastrophic.” In addition, many thousands of people were left without water service. No deaths had been reported. However, authorities said it was too early to know the full scope of damage from an expansive …
Lawsuit hastens NJ borough’s approval of Verizon’s 20 sites on Belmar’s beachfront property
The Borough of Belmar, NJ has agreed to let Verizon Wireless erect 20 small wireless sites along its boardwalk after the carrier filed a lawsuit last year accusing the borough of delaying approval for the proposal. According to a consent judgment filed in federal court, Belmar and Verizon struck a deal that will enable the telecom company to install 20 …
Fatal fall of a 29-year-old tower tech from a 300-foot Louisiana tower is industry’s first 2022 death
OSHA is investigating the death of a 29-year-old tower technician who fell from a guyed tower in Florien, LA, late Friday afternoon. According to multiple sources interviewed by Wireless Estimator, Jose Garcia, a resident of Mexico, fell from an unknown elevation off of a 300-foot tower owned by SBA Communications of Boca Raton, FL. The site is located off of …
New iPhone 14 provides emergency services everywhere and lets them know if you crash
Apple unveiled its new iPhone 14 devices yesterday, promoting a new emergency service via satellite feature starting in November that enables the phones to connect and send messages when the devices are in areas with no cell phone coverage. The emergency service hardware requirements are built into all iPhone 14s sold worldwide, although the service will currently only be available in …
AT&T sues T-Mobile over false senior discount ad campaign that could impact sales
When carriers are concerned that their competitors have misleading ads, the normal way to resolve it is to file a complaint with the National Advertising Review Board. However, AT&T is suing T-Mobile in Texas’s Eastern District Court, accusing the Uncarrier of uncaring about accuracy and publishing false advertising. They’re demanding that they are awarded T-Mobile’s profits earned through its advertising …
Verizon to take switches off commercial power to prevent CA rolling blackouts
Verizon is taking extraordinary steps to help prevent rolling blackouts in California as temperatures rise to extreme levels this week. The carrier said in a statement the following actions will provide meaningful relief to reduce the impact on the state’s power resources while minimizing the risk to their customers and employees. In a rare move, during today’s Flex Alert from …
Louisiana is first State to receive a broadband planning grant for an expected $1 billion in future funding
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced that Louisiana is the first state to receive broadband funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) he helped author and pass into law last year. This $2,941,542 grant is for the planning of the deployment and adoption of affordable and reliable high-speed internet throughout the state. During the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill negotiations, Cassidy …
Verizon signs lease deal with American Tower to boost 5G deployment
American Tower Corporation and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) announced today that they have signed a new overarching lease agreement, facilitating Verizon’s on-going 5G network deployment across American Tower’s extensive U.S. portfolio of communications sites, with over 11,000 of them on Verizon towers that American Tower acquired the rights in 2015 to lease and operate through 2045. The agreement …
Cell tower collapse kills seven children outside of a school in Jakarta
Police say at least ten people, including seven children, were killed in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, this morning after a truck crashed into a telecommunications tower near a bus stop and toppled the structure in a busy area where school children were on the street during a morning recess. The children’s ages ranged from 7 to 11 …
FCC Commissioner Carr honors a tower foreman who turned his life around: Robert Gallegos
America’s tower crews are a mainstay in the country’s buildout of 5G and other next-generation infrastructure. Their work helped millions of Americans stay connected through the COVID-19 pandemic—as people relied on these networks for everything from working to learning to connecting with family and friends. Their work has also played a critical role in securing and preserving America’s 5G leadership. FCC …
