GITAI USA Inc. (GITAI), the space robotics trailblazer, unveiled a game-changing giant leap for moon construction automated tower erectors. They’ve pulled off a stellar first by showcasing their robot squad building a 16.5-foot-tall cell tower, mimicking moon-like conditions. This feat was a team effort with KDDI Corporation, a telecom giant from Japan, cheering from the sidelines. (SEE VIDEO BELOW) Here’s the …
Deputies bust dad on his bring your son to work day at tower site; multi-site copper thief gets probation
Two North Carolina men, a father and son team, are facing criminal charges after being accused of stealing transmission lines from a cell site tower in eastern Richmond County for their copper value. According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) press statement released on March 4, 2024, deputies responded to a call about the cutting and theft of copper …
An unsafe 1,541-foot Texas TV broadcast tower is decommissioned with a picture-perfect landing
On Wednesday, Nexstar Media Group Inc. discovered that a 1,541-foot guyed tower in La Feria, Texas, was unsafe because one of its guy wires had detached. Instead of retrofitting it with a new outer anchor wire, the company decided to decommission the hazardous structure, asking nearby residents to evacuate the area. The broadcaster’s structural engineers then initiated a plan for an …
Residents urged to evacuate area near Texas 1,541-foot TV tower after distressed guy wires failed
The Nexstar Media Group Inc. has raised concerns about a TV tower located south of La Feria, Texas, indicating a slight risk of collapse. Jeff Miller, Nexstar’s VP and General Manager, reported that the issue was investigated on Wednesday afternoon. One of the outer anchor guy wires may have been severed on the east side of the 1,541-foot tower, which is …
For those unaware of the Climber Rescuer Training Standard, a guided tour is available in new NATE video
Two years ago, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association released the Climber/Rescuer Training Standard (CRTS) to establish uniform fall protection and rescue training guidelines for the tower and communications infrastructure sector. Now that the standard is well-established and welcomed by NATE and non-NATE members for its novel evaluation methods for employers to identify qualified climbers/rescuers and provide guidance on developing …
Verizon’s Fresno faux brick building cell site is a slight to the community and an eyesore, residents say
OPINION — “What the’ x&!*’ is that monstrosity?” a member of the “For the Love of Downtown Fresno” Facebook group asked. “Looks like low-quality brick wallpaper,” commented another member. “This looks like crap, and if this is the finished version, I cannot believe the forward, thinking people who designed that,” a third member remarked. “It needs advertisements,” a fourth post …
Four faux T-Mobile contractors arrested after caught in the act of ripping off ‘3G’ cables
A brazen communications cable theft at a West Boylston, Massachusetts, cell tower on Friday afternoon led to the arrest of four New York men accused of posing as subcontractors to steal the cables for their scrap value. The incident, which highlights a troubling trend of cell tower transmission line thefts across New England, unfolded when local police responded to an …
Phoenix Tower International enters Ireland after acquiring Cellnex’s 1,900 towers for $1.1 Billion
Spanish telecom infrastructure company Cellnex has announced the sale of its Irish mobile tower unit to Boca Raton, Florida-based Phoenix Tower International (PTI) for about $1.1 Billion, equivalent to a multiple of around 24x EBITDA. This move comes as Cellnex, which currently manages approximately 1,900 tower sites in Ireland, aims to consolidate and simplify its corporate structure as part of …
Shentel strikes a $310 million deal with Vertical Bridge to sell its tower portfolio of 226 sites
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel), a prominent provider of broadband services, including cable TV across the Mid-Atlantic region, has announced a significant transaction with Vertical Bridge Holdco, LLC, a company based in Boca Raton, Florida, led by President and CEO Ron Bizick. Shentel will sell its tower portfolio and operations to Vertical Bridge for $310.3 million in cash. This deal, expected …
Having to sleep in a Faraday cage, Minnesota couple threatens ATC, T-Mobile and AT&T with a lawsuit
In 2008, Marcia and Jason Haller moved into their newly constructed home with an oversized free-standing garage in a peaceful setting in a rural area just north of Duluth, Minnesota. Within months, Minnesota Tower, Inc. erected a 295-foot guyed tower on leased land approximately 1,300 feet from Haller’s home, which was approved for construction by the FCC in 2007. Although …
Long-sought testing results of 19 lanyards released by NATE Safety Equipment Manufacturer’s Committee
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association released the 2023 Safety Equipment Manufacturer’s Committee (SEMC) Fall Arrest Lanyard Testing Report today. The Fall Arrest Lanyard Testing was conducted at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) over two days, with five different scenarios and over 100 drop tests completed. The testing utilized new and used equipment attached to an antenna supporting …
Crown Castle boots Boots Capital and Ted Miller’s turnaround fiber plan to the curb
Twenty-two years after stepping down as Crown Castle’s leader, co-founder Ted Miller wanted back one of his old jobs. Still, after the company reviewed his resume as an applicant for Chairmanship and his plans to turn around the company’s lagging stock price, they rejected his employment on Tuesday. Crown Castle said it had confirmed that Boots Capital Management, LLC, which …
Award recipients honored at annual NATE UNITE for their untiring dedication to the industry
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association honored a distinguished group of leaders for their contributions to the organization and industry on Wednesday. The following honorees were presented their awards at the NATE UNITE 2024 Awards Recognition Luncheon sponsored by DISH Wireless in Memphis, Tennessee: Bill Carlson Lifetime Service Award Gordon Lyman (eSystem Training Solutions) Gordon Lyman has over 55 years …
Co-founder launches Crown Castle proxy fight after being rebuffed by Elliott, to reshape its ‘ridiculed’ image
Ted Miller, the co-founder of Crown Castle, stated today that the U.S. telecom infrastructure firm could sell its fiber assets for up to $15 billion if he and his partners were added to the board of directors. In a conversation with Reuters, Miller expressed confidence that his team is ideally suited to secure buyers for the fiber division and to assist …
Murphy Tower Services and FieldSync Technologies’ strategic merger ushers in a new era for telecom
After a year of collaboration and proven innovation, Murphy Tower Service, a leading provider of construction and maintenance services, and FieldSync, a next-generation tower analytics provider, announced at NATE UNITE 2024 this morning a strategic merger that heralds a significant opportunity to provide services to their clients in the industry. However, both companies will maintain their well-established separate brand identities. “By joining …
Drouin, Scott and Dougherty will again serve as NATE’s executives to guide the organization’s continued success
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that Board of Directors members Victor Drouin, Randy Scott, and Kevin Dougherty were selected by their peers to continue serving on the Association’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year. The Association announced on the first day of the NATE UNITE 2024 Conference and Trade Show in Memphis, Tennessee. Victor Drouin, President of …
Newly minted NATE UNITE customer diversification workshops will help its members thrive in today’s uncertain telecom landscape
With severe carrier capex cuts resulting in depressed earnings for many industry companies because they are too reliant on just a few customers, diversification becomes a critical strategy for sustainability and growth. NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, aware that many of its members are dependent on a limited client base, wants to assist them by presenting the organization’s 1st …
Stolen Alabama AM tower sparks a broader conversation about the station’s ‘bizarre’ operational history, and video debunked claims
Other than local, state, and industry media covering a communications tower collapse, unless it involves a fatality, failure incidents seldom get national legs. However, when an AM station general manager in Jasper, Alabama, reported earlier this month that vandals in the night had walked off with his 200-foot tower, forcing him off the air, it had all the right visuals, …
MSA Latchways fixed ladder fall arrest units require inspection for missing locking pin
MSA is calling for an inspection notice regarding the locking pin on certain MSA Latchways® Guided Type Fall Arresters (GTFAs) that were manufactured between February 16, 2021 and January 30, 2024. Additional information is available here. In addition to other fixed ladder systems, workers might find the system installed on fixed ladders where the top rung of the ladder extends …
Able to issue steep fines, the FCC says, ‘Hasta la vista, baby!’ to AI-generated voice robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken significant action to combat AI voice-cloned robocalls by declaring them illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. This decision, effective immediately, is part of the FCC’s efforts to curb AI-aided scam and misinformation campaigns, especially ahead of the 2024 election season. The ruling was motivated by the use of AI-generated voices …
