A San Antonio, Texas man pleaded guilty in federal court in San Antonio on Thursday to eight charges in two indictments related to arson and felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Sean Aaron Smith, 29, maliciously attempted to damage and destroy, by means of fire, multiple cellular telephone towers around San Antonio between April 2021 and …
Vertical Bridge lawsuit says 30-foot tower near Finley Point, Montana won’t fly
Vertical Bridge filed a lawsuit last week against Lake County, Montana, stating that there is a well-known gap in mobile coverage near the Finley Point area of Polson, Montana, and an unnamed carrier wants to fix it. Still, Vertical Bridge claims that Lake County’s onerous restriction of only allowing a 30-foot tall tower violates the towerco’s “federal rights” under the …
Maui cell site outages drop considerably as death toll rises to 111 with possibly 1,000 still missing
Although cell phone coverage has improved significantly in Maui today with only five out of 21 cell sites on the west coast out of service, the death toll has risen to 111, and according to authorities, more than 1,000 people are estimated still to be missing. The five sites represent an out of service amount of 24%, about half of …
“Y’all better come back for your trial on coax theft,” alleged New York thieves told after being set free
If you’re hell-bent on making a quick buck by illegally stripping coax from communications towers and you live in Akron, Ohio, your county’s landscape is pin cushioned with approximately 300 or more towers to cherry-pick from. So why did two Akron men, 49-year-old Phillip Lakes and 36-year-old Bryan Good, travel 140 miles to the closest county in New York, Chautauqua …
Almost half of Maui’s cell sites are operational in six impacted areas as communications on the island improves
Since yesterday, when 90% of cell sites were out of service in six hard-hit cities on Maui following the deadly wildfire that swept through the island’s west coast, carriers have considerably recovered, with 48% of sites being operational today. Ten out of 21 cell sites are in service, according to the FCC’s Communications Status Report of August 15, 2023. The …
SEMC is keeping the industry’s workers safer through its research and testing of equipment
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled a video shining a spotlight on the important research and testing initiatives of the Safety Equipment Manufacturers Committee (SEMC). The video is the third to debut in Volume 6 of the Association’s popular #ClimberConnection series. The #ClimberConnection video highlights the SEMC’s role in conducting real-world testing and providing detailed information applicable to …
Cell tower fires did not cause Maui’s communications outages, power was the problem
According to Hawaii Governor Josh Green, residents will be allowed to return to the devastated town of Lahaina in Maui today, stating, “They will see destruction like they have never seen in their lives.” Authorities said that most of the flames were contained. Currently, the death toll is estimated at 55 but is expected to rise as the interior of …
With Frontier or Verizon as a possible anchor, Tillman FiberCo, gets a $500 million investment deal
Tillman FiberCo, LLC and private investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners today announced a strategic partnership where Northleaf is funding Tillman FiberCo with an initial investment of $200 million, with the potential to invest up to $300 million more as Tillman FiberCo scales its operations. The new company will build and operate its own open access facilities-based fiber network to deliver …
MasTec stock tumbles on CAPEX shaves, but fundamentals remain positive
MasTec, Inc. reported mixed results for Q2 on Friday, with earnings beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but revenues of $2.87 billion missed their target mark of $3.01 billion by 3.1%. Nonetheless, it jumped 25% from $2.3 billion a year ago. However, the stock has taken a beating in the past three sessions, closing today at $92.70 from its closing on …
Electrifying love and other heartbreaks are resolved after tower climbs in India
Although unauthorized tower climber incidents are more frequent in India, the U.S. has its share of climbing events, such as a man who scaled a 320-foot guyed tower late last month in Thornton, CO, after he exited a stolen car after a police chase and thought he could disappear in the clouds. However, over the years, communications towers are often …
U.S. Cellular stock almost doubles after announcement it is being readied for the auction block
The boards of directors of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. and United States Cellular Corporation have decided to initiate a process to explore strategic alternatives for U.S. Cellular. The comprehensive process will explore a range of strategic options. “The TDS board believes that now is the right time for a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives for U.C. Cellular. We will …
DigitalBridge says it will continue to profit from providing the picks and shovels for Gen AI that is edge delivered
DigitalBridge stock gained 1.2% in Friday trading after the company turned in much stronger than expected Q2 revenue and said it remains on track for its $8.0B fundraising target. During the Q2 analysts call, CEO Marc Ganzi’s message of “promises made, promises kept” appeared to resonate with shareholders as DBRG in pre-market this morning was up 4.23% at $16.73. Ganzi said the company …
DigitalBridge is betting a quarter billion dollars on its competitors becoming more profitable
On Monday, during its second-quarter earnings call, SBA Communications cited a slowdown in U.S. carrier activity, similar to previous announcements by American Tower Corp. and Crown Castle, whose Q2 activity had declined a whopping 50%. DigitalBridge Group, whose tower arm Vertical Bridge has 11,000 owned and master-leased towers, will release its quarterly report on Friday and takes no comfort in …
Lawsuit relies upon Wall Street Journal reporting about toxic lead-sheathed cable buried underground
UPDATE – August 2, 2023 – On Tuesday, Verizon investors filed a similar lawsuit in Pennsylvania federal court to AT&T’s securities fraud lawsuit, stating the carrier lied about the health and safety risks associated with its network of lead-sheathed cables, leading to a decline in Verizon stock after The Wall Street Journal’s articles exposed the toxic cables that are still in …
750 field services workers to be terminated by Ericsson; unprofitable contracts cited
On Thursday afternoon, Ericsson’s U.S. field services employees were informed via a live webcast that the company will be shuttering its self-performing installations group by September 29, 2023, since the current market demand will no longer allow the company to justify the cost of maintaining crews. A Friday memo from the company’s People Operations Team made it official. Approximately 750 …
One size PPE can’t fit all, says OSHA chief Douglas Parker, requesting to hear from all sizes of stakeholders
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify the personal protective equipment standard for the construction industry. The current standard does not state clearly that PPE must fit each affected employee properly, which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s general industry and maritime standards do. The proposed change would clarify that PPE must fit each …
Crown Castle consolidates offices and axes 750 employees, many of them providing construction management
Crown Castle Inc. initiated a restructuring plan this week as part of the company’s efforts to reduce costs to better align the company’s operational needs with lower tower activity, as discussed in Crown Castle’s second quarter 2023 earnings release. The plan includes reducing the company’s total employee headcount by approximately 15%, discontinuing installation services as a product offering within the …
Incline acquires GME Supply as the company positions itself for additional product lines and growth
Platte River Equity, a Denver-based private equity firm, announced the sale of GME Supply Co. to Incline Equity Partners. GME is a premier critical worker safety and productivity supplier distributor to field-deployed technicians serving multiple infrastructure end markets. “Platte River’s investment played a pivotal role in the acceleration of our growth and development. We are confident that Incline shares our dedication …
Fentanyl water bottle death hoax hits home about not accepting water or food from strangers
Last Wednesday, San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) sent out a warning to its contractors that claimed that a stranger gave two workers on a solar project a water bottle, and the incident alert said: “Apparently, the water bottles were laced with Fentanyl. Sadly, one of the flaggers died, and the other is in critical condition after ingesting the water.” …
AT&T says Mississippi county is stiffing it for relocation costs after they were forced off private property
AT&T is suing Rankin County, MS, in U.S. District Court for Southern Mississippi, for relocation expenses incurred when the county required the carrier to move its distribution and other equipment for a road expansion project from a leased easement from a private property owner that it had acquired in 1991. AT&T alleges that after Rankin County announced that it would widen …
