.jpg)
The Senate this afternoon passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure with modernized highways, roads, bridges, railways and transit systems as well as provide needed broadband services, after months of intense debate over how to prioritize and pay for President Joe Biden’s plan to boost the U.S. economy. However, the bill now faces potentially lengthy …
DigitalBridge acquires a controlling stake in nation’s largest independent tower owner, Vertical Bridge
DigitalBridge Group. Inc. today announced that funds affiliated with DigitalBridge Investment Management, the Company’s investment management platform, have reached a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Vertical Bridge Holdings, LLC (Vertical Bridge), the largest private owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure in the United States. As the operator of the largest independent tower platform in the U.S., …
SBA’s Stoops believes Q2 was the start of a multi-year increase in U.S. wireless carrier capex
SBA Communications Corp. on Monday reported its second quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company’s shares have increased 21% since the beginning of the year. This morning SBAC was trading at $348.62, inching towards its 52-week high of $350.63. The Boca Raton, FL-based real estate investment trust said it had funds from operations of $293.5 million, or $2.64 …
11th hour amendment to infrastructure bill will assist nation’s workforce needs
Yesterday evening, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Thune-Tester amendment to the infrastructure bill, which aims to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry and it was a welcomed addition, according to trade groups NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). “We are very pleased that Senator John Thune’s Telecom Skilled Workforce Act has been …
Pole taxes relations with Omaha’s leaders when the node is placed in the middle of a sidewalk
Throughout America you can find obstacles in the middle of sidewalks ranging from fiber boxes, utility poles, streetlights, traffic signs, trees, fire hydrants, newspaper stands, bike racks, benches and more. However, when a 5G small cell node is purposely installed in the center of a sidewalk due to nearby underground utility concerns, there is community outrage, such as the concerns …
Senate puts it in writing: Fiber will not keep wireless from benefitting from $65 Billion broadband bill
A group of senators finalized the legislative text totaling 2,702 pages last night for the long-awaited infrastructure deal, bringing the Senate a step close to passing the administration’s bill that would provide $65 Billion for the nation’s broadband development. Industry lobbyists were relieved when their core concern was struck from the legislation being considered that would have favored high-speed fiber development …
Dish wants contractors to ‘accept or reject’ unprofitable blue plate special colo pricing
Dish Wireless’s urgency to build out their 5G mobile network has been long-seen by many wireless contractors as their sought after savior that would allow them to move a segment of their workforce to more profitable work than the depressed market pricing they are being offered by many carriers or their turfing vendors. However, the expected supply and demand shift …
Historic infrastructure deal appears to be days away from banking $65 billion for broadband
Following weeks of negotiations, a bipartisan group of senators have reached a deal on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that provides $65 billion for broadband, the fourth-largest expenditure below $66 billion for rail services, $73 billion for electric grid and power structures, and $110 billion for roads and bridges. Although the final bill is not complete, the Senate can begin …
California study shows that small cells actually increase home values
Joint Venture Silicon Valley unveiled their latest study last week regarding the Economic Impacts to Residential Real Estate from Small Wireless Facilities. The study focused on whether objective evidence in real estate sales records shows residential real estate valuation impacts from small wireless facilities or “small cells”. It concluded that small cell facilities do not have an appreciable effect on …
Rullex and Ansco get into legal fray over $113K of downtime and troubleshooting
A project management and construction company is suing another management and contracting firm that is managing AT&T site builds for allegedly failing to pay invoices submitted for downtime and troubleshooting. According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on June 21, Rullex Co., Inc., is suing Georgia-based Ansco & Associates LLC for not …
DigitalBridge’s Barrack resigns after being arrested in LA for being an alleged unregistered foreign agent
Update: July 23, 2021 – Federal prosecutors agreed upon a $250 million dollar bail today for Thomas Barrack while he awaits trial on charges that he illegally lobbied the U.S. government on behalf of leaders in the United Arab Emirates. The bail, was the third highest amount in U.S. history, equal to Michael Milken’s bail that cost the Wall Street ‘junk …
Additional voluntary safety forms in next ESL version will pave the way for a safer wireless workforce
For the past 11 years, the majority of the wireless construction industry has been keeping their jobsites safe and OSHA compliant with the nation’s leading Jobsite Hazard Assessment (JHA) forms that are automatically populated with emergency services information such as the nearest hospital, fire department, and law enforcement agency. The service is available at no charge and takes just minutes …
Dish ditches its T-Mobile relations with a parting shot of providing $5 Billion to AT&T for its MVNO
Dish Network has arranged to pay AT&T approximately $5 billion over ten years for network access, making AT&T the primary network services partner for Dish Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) customers. Through the agreement, Dish will provide current and future customers of its retail wireless brands, including Boost Mobile, Ting Mobile and Republic Wireless, access to connectivity on AT&T’s wireless …
Ericsson hits a great wall in China, but Verizon lifts its revenues with a $8.3 B contract
Ericsson has announced a landmark multi-year $8.3 Billion agreement with Verizon to provide its industry-leading 5G solutions to accelerate the deployment of Verizon’s world-class next-generation 5G network in the U.S. The deal came just in time since China, where Ericsson gets about 10% of its revenue, has cut the amount of their $6 Billion 5G rollout awarded to Ericsson to …
Supervising a Maryland build? Watch out for a prowling former OSHA chief
If you’re performing an upgrade or installing 5G small cells in Takoma Park, MD, especially near Westmoreland Ave., double check your JHA to ensure that all of your safety measures are spot on, or you could be spotted by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of OSHA Jordan Barab who is on the prowl in his neighborhood for worksite violations. This morning, …
Following a two island shopping spree, Phoenix Tower Intl. bags 830 Monaco Telecom towers
Boca-Raton, FL-based Phoenix Tower International (“Phoenix“) has closed its agreement with Monaco Telecom to purchase over 830 wireless towers and acquire newly constructed wireless towers over six years across Malta and Cyprus through a build-to-suit (BTS) program. Phoenix is now the largest tower infrastructure provider in both countries and the long-term partnership established with Monaco Telecom through this deal will see the operator occupy the …
WIA’s Adelstein: A fiber-only strategy will not work, wireless can provide needed flexibility
WIA President and CEO Jonathan Adelstein was the featured speaker at The Media Institute’s Communications Forum luncheon today. In his remarks, Adelstein underscored the valuable role wireless broadband should play in the infrastructure legislation under consideration in Congress and the importance of technological flexibility. He relayed the importance of flexibility in his experience overseeing the Rural Utilities Service for the …
American Tower and SBA Communications exposed to sabotage during South Africa riots
South African crowds continued to riot overnight, defying calls from authorities to end a week of violence that has killed more than 70 people, wrecked dozens of shopping malls, and destroyed over a thousand businesses as well as over one hundred communications towers. The violence started following the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma last week for failing to appear at …
NATE’s new Washington chief will also head association’s Wireless Industry Network
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced the hiring of Todd Washam as Director of Government Relations and Wireless Industry Network, a new Washington, D.C. based staff position established by the Association. Washam officially begins his duties with NATE on Friday, July 16. Washam comes to NATE with an extensive background that includes serving as a congressional staffer for approximately …
Driverless car service is launched in Las Vegas, powered by T-Mobile 5G
Yesterday, Halo launched one of the first commercial driverless car services in the U.S. running on the T-Mobile 5G network in Las Vegas. With Halo, visitors and residents can quickly summon a sleek, driverless all-electric Halo with the push of a button. A driverless Halo then arrives at the pick-up location and the rider hops in and drives to their destination. Halo …
