Every year the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) adds new educational and event activities to it annual convention, the acknowledged premiere conference for the wireless construction and maintenance industry. This year is no exception as the organization introduces its free exhibit hall passes during the Feb. 19 through Feb. 22 NATE UNITE 2018 event at the Gaylord Opryland Resort …
Trump’s infrastructure plan unveiling is thin on broadband benefits
The White House today released President Donald Trump‘s long-sought infrastructure plan that includes $200 billion in federal funding for the next 10 years with the end goal being to incentivize another $1.3 trillion in local investment to rehabilitate the nation’s roads, bridges, tunnels, and to expand broadband. Whether any of the $100 billion in direct grants to local governments will …
Spectrum scammer, firms ordered to repay $14 million in illegal payments and fines
A Florida man and several companies he managed will have to pay more than $14 million in repayment of ill-gotten gains and civil penalties after a federal judge sided with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on allegations that they participated in a fraud scheme involving applications to the Federal Communications Commission for cellular spectrum licenses. U.S. District Judge …
American Tower could take over the Philippines as sole towerco
A new tower siting policy in the Philippines to free telecommunications companies from costly capital expenditures in constructing communication towers and eventually reduce the cost of their services is being rolled out by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Under the controversial “common tower” policy, telecommunications companies will no longer be allowed to build communication towers or cell sites, but instead must …
NATE members enable networks to enjoy record Super Bowl LII data surge
All eyes will be laser-focused on Sunday’s Super Bowl LII kickoff, and it’s unlikely that they’ll even notice eyeball orbs above them containing dozens of cellular antennas improving coverage at ground level. Or Verizon’s antennas hidden in stairway handrails and under some seats. With the lowest asking price for a ticket on the secondary market going for $6,743 this afternoon …
Congressman Marsha Blackburn to headline NATE UNITE 2018 awards luncheon
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has been named as the inaugural recipient of the organization’s Legislative Champion Award. Blackburn will be presented with the honor and is slated to deliver keynote remarks at the NATE UNITE 2018 Awards Luncheon. The Awards Luncheon, sponsored by SBA Communications, is scheduled to take place …
First batch of a flurry of broadband bills introduced by Rep. Blackburn
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced today a series of bills introduced by members aimed at reducing the regulatory barriers to broadband infrastructure expansion. “Communications Facilities Deployment on Federal Property Act of 2018,” sponsored by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA). The bill would amend Sec. 6409 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (47 …
California considering paying $20 million to build three 180-foot towers
Humboldt County California homeowners were given the opportunity last night to learn about the state’s Office of Emergency Services’ plans to move government agency towers atop of Red Mountain – a sacred prayer area for the Yurok Tribe and the highest peak in the area – at a community meeting in Arcata. And if they wanted to learn more about …
Washington’s ‘Little Red Book’ could easily save tower tech lives
The State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries’ (L&I) extensive Safety Standards for Telecommunications became effective Jan. 1, 2018, and in order to get the rule into workers’ hands, the agency, at no cost to the individual or their company, is providing a downloadable copy of the 129-pages of rules in Chapter 296-32 WAC. The department is also providing …
President Trump’s ‘great, great’ rural broadband pledge should increase tower builds
President Donald Trump boasted to big ag executives at the American Farm Bureau Association convention in Nashville, Tenn. yesterday that an executive order he’s signed will help solve the persistent problem of appalling broadband speeds in rural America. Trump signed a memorandum directing the Interior Department to support broadband development in rural areas by increasing access to tower facilities managed …
New broadcast stations’ 2017 count shaved in half following FCC’s reverse auction
According to newly released statistics by the FCC, the nation saw an addition of 609 broadcast stations added to its ranks during 2017, with 158 of them being low power FM stations. However, the repack auction has taken its toll. In 2016, an additional 1,365 stations were added, 55% more new broadcasters than in 2017. (VIEW BROADCAST CATEGORY COUNTS BELOW) The year saw the continuing …
CommScope ushers in the new year with a new DAS patent lawsuit
When Cobham Wireless launched it intelligent digital DAS (idDAS) on New Year’s Eve 2015 covering Berlin’s Fan Mile – from the Victory Column to the Brandenburg Gate – over one million revelers enjoyed high-bandwidth 4G (LTE) services on the thoroughfare for the first time. This New Year’s Eve, CommScope’s attorneys and management were reveling in their ability to recently file …
NATE offering free rigger awareness training throughout the country
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today the dates and locations for their 2018 Rigger Awareness Training Courses. Twelve courses will be hosted nationwide and will be offered free of charge to attendees due to a Susan Harwood Training Grant (SH-31235-SH7) from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Throughout 2018, NATE is planning to …
ISP worker falls to his death from a backyard broadband tower
Update: January 2, 2018 – OSHA has opened their investigation into the workplace accident that took the life of technician Richard C. Andrews, the eight industry fatality in 2017. In 2016 there were seven fatalities. Update: January 1, 2018 – Services have been announced for Richard C. Andrews, age 31, a resident of Manitowoc, Wisc. who fell from a tower …
Top 10 industry stories in 2017 trailed with one fake news article
Below are the top 10 articles that appeared in Wireless Estimator during 2017 based upon the number of views each one received, such as the September rigging accident that claimed the lives of three industry workers. It had 6,000 Facebook likes, was shared on LinkedIn over 900 times, and had been viewed over 48,000 times With Wireless Estimator’s safety-centric audience …
RSI asks for steep and immediate prosecution for counterfeiting training documents
By Miranda Allen, CEO RSI Corp. Fraudulent safety training cards are circulating putting us at risk. The definition of a fraudulent act is intentional deception of a person or entity by another made for monetary or personal gain. Fraud can be prosecuted both civilly and criminally. Wire fraud is a federal crime and occurs whenever a person uses a phone, …
FCC gets serious about putting 4,200 ‘twilight towers’ in the spotlight
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) applauded the FCC’s significant vote to seek public comment on a plan to exclude from routine historic preservation review the collocation of wireless communications equipment on “twilight towers”. It has been estimated by the FCC that those structures total more than 4,200 nationwide. The affirmative vote from …
FCC’s fidget spinning Pai gets enough party-line votes to kill net-neutrality
In a move that will reshape the internet and incubate consumer-advocacy and other opponents’ lawsuits, the Federal Communications Commission this afternoon repealed the net neutrality rules it put in place in 2015. In the 3-2 expected party-line vote, with Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn dissenting, the FCC reversed the designation of broadband providers as telecommunications companies and does away …
Battery thief uses Verizon codes for multi-county Florida crime spree
A Ruskin, Fla. man with ties to the industry has been arrested by Hillsborough County Florida deputies for breaking into numerous cell phone tower compounds in Hillsborough and surrounding counties to steal backup power supply batteries. Authorities say that William Bingham, 40, broke into a Gibsonton cell tower site on Nov. 27 using Verizon access codes to get into the …
Leaked Vermont FirstNet reports put AT&T in an unwanted spotlight
Vermont Governor Phil Scott’s decision last month to award a 25-year contract to provide FirstNet’s emergency responders network is overly secretive, according to critics who leaked documents last week of unredacted consultants’ reports, and it has state officials and lawyers for AT&T scrambling to find the leaker and force them to return the documents, according to Vermont Digger. The concerns …
