Riding the line to reach a work station on a tower is thought by some individuals to not be the best safe practice for ascending or descending. However, as identified in the National Association of Tower Erectors’ (NATE) safety video released today – Riding the Line – the procedure is safe and there have been no incidents of injuries or …
Crane collapse takes the life of a 51-year-old Texas industry worker
Update: April 26, 2017 – The cell tower compound that RMCI’s crane toppled into is owned by Crown Castle International. April 25, 2017 – A 51-year-old industry worker was killed yesterday afternoon when a crane tipped on its side in downtown Dallas, Tex., crashing into a cell tower compound in the 1700 block of Arts Place, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue …
O’Rielly: Should the FCC go the way of the Dodo Bird and be fired?
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly said in a speech at the NAB show yesterday afternoon that it’s up to Congress to decide whether the FCC should “go the way of the Dodo” and be eliminated with its responsibilities divided up among other federal agencies. The FCC, originally established to prevent spectrum interference among radio users, has grown into a behemoth …
One tower installation error adds up to a half million dollar add on
For 13 years Wireless Estimator has been covering the wireless siting community and is always in search of the man bites dog story rather than a mundane municipal siting protest. Today, we found one in Rowlett, Tex. where a city tower was built on their neighbor’s adjoining property. But instead of moving the tower, equipment shelter and generator to the …
Wireless West 2017 Conference leaps way past the wow factor
Last year’s inaugural Wireless West Conference was often described as taking the wow factor to the next level. Yesterday’s opening day in their second conference will surely be labeled as astonishing as to how five wireless associations – California Wireless, Arizona Wireless, Nevada Wireless, Colorado Wireless and the Northwest Wireless associations – put together a conference that rivals major trade …
CTIA shrinks the size of a pizza box to get the FCC to deliver small cells
Last Tuesday, CTIA Regulatory Affairs executives Brian Josef and Kara Romagnino pitched Rachael Bender, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s Acting Legal Advisor, with their newly minted presentation on key reforms that would be beneficial for the agency to enact to ensure that America can build its 5G infrastructure. It’s likely that Bender fully understood their presentation on new opportunities and challenges …
Attempts being made to quell ‘panic’ over cell tower radiation in India
India’s Telecom Minister, Manoj Sinha, said yesterday that all relative radiation studies have not revealed any health hazards from cell towers, emphasizing that the limits in the country are more stringent than other nations. Sinha’s comments came in the wake of last week’s Supreme Court ruling that shut down a tower on the grounds that a 42-year-old domestic worker was …
Robber who threatened to kill NYPD captain gets first taste of justice with $404K FCC fine
The FCC issued a notice of apparent liability (NAL) on Friday to a 20-year-old New York resident for operating a radio transmitter on frequencies that the Commission has licensed to the New York Police Department, fining him $404,166. And although the enforcement message was clear, collecting the fine is uncertain. Following procedure, a copy of the NAL might have been …
Profitable range of reimbursable repacking costs offered contractors, engineers, suppliers
Full power and Class A Broadcasters that have been reassigned to new channels must submit their reimbursement estimates for their repacking costs by July 12 using a form released Thursday by the FCC. The stations must include engineering, legal, equipment, installation, and other costs reasonably incurred to complete a required channel change. And for those participants in the repacking efforts, …
Repack is kick-started after FCC’s auction results are unveiled
T-Mobile, Dish Network and Comcast were the top bidders in the incentive spectrum auction for 70 MHz of airwaves, according to an FCC announcement that will now jumpstart the nation’s long-awaited repacking efforts. The Commission now commences a 39-month transition period to move broadcast stations to new channel assignments. The first group of stations to move channels is scheduled for …
U.S. adds 449 broadcast stations in first quarter, mostly low power FM
According to newly released statistics by the FCC, the nation saw an addition of 449 broadcast stations, the majority being 246 low power FM stations as of March 31, 2017. Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations are authorized for noncommercial educational and public safety and transportation broadcasting only and operate with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 watts (0.1 kilowatts) …
Straight Path finds its 5G suitor as AT&T picks it up for $1.25 Billion
AT&T has announced plans to acquire Straight Path Communications which holds a nationwide portfolio of millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum, including 39 GHz and 28 GHz licenses. This acquisition complements AT&T’s January acquisition of FiberTower and augments the company’s holdings of mmWave spectrum. The acquisition will support AT&T’s leadership in 5G, which will accelerate the delivery of new experiences for consumers …
NATE goes full bore into the beltway to address industry’s and nation’s priorities
Timed to coincide with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai’s declaration of April 2017 as “Infrastructure Month”, executives of the National Association of Tower Erectors were in Washington, D.C. last week for a series of legislative and regulatory meetings. During the productive week, the NATE delegation, consisting of Chairman Jim Tracy, Board of Directors member John Paul Jones, Executive …
California wireless contractor and his family killed in Oregon plane crash
A well-known and respected California contractor and his family were killed Friday while on a college scouting trip when their plane crashed in a rural field in Oregon. Authorities said John A. Zitting, 42, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; his wife, Karen Blackmore Zitting , 37; and their son, John Brendan Zitting, 17, were headed to Eugene to visit the University …
FCC appoints WIA members and leaders to broadband deployment committee
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai today announced that members and leaders of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) were selected to serve on the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC), a new federal advisory committee charged with exploring ways to accelerate deployment of high-speed Internet access nationwide and to close the digital divide. WIA members named to the Committee include: Marc Ganzi, Chief …
Court agrees, awarding FirstNet contract to Rivada was just too ‘risky’
According to documents released by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, FirstNet’s Source Selection Authority (SSA) said one of the reasons that Rivada Mercury did not make the competitive range for bidding for the nationwide public safety network that was awarded to AT&T on Thursday was because “Rivada’s proposed strategy was risky because it utilized aggressive business assumptions.” The SSA …
Over 70 communities have filed suit over Ohio siting bill enforcement
Maumee, Ohio is the latest community to take action against Ohio’s “Petland Bill” that became effective March 21, that snuck in and set standards for tower siting in the state’s 938 municipalities’ rights of way. Maumee City Council members voted unanimously last night to file a formal complaint and request an injunction against the section of the bill relating to …
Mobilitie is zero for two in its move to install New York monopoles
Mobilitie is back in the news again after submitting an application in Washington County, N.Y. for a cell tower in Kingsbury and commencing work in Easton without getting proper approval. According to the The Post-Star, Mobilitie applied for a county highway work permit, “which is normally used when a homeowner wants to put something temporarily in the county’s right-of-way. Usually …
Ivanka puts in a hostile bid for 3M, wants crown jewel DBI-Sala
April 1, 2017 – Traders were turned topsy-turvy yesterday afternoon after The Wall Street Journal reporter Ryan Knutson, in an exclusive interview with Ivanka Trump, said she had made a hostile bid for Maplewood, Minn. industrial giant 3M, offering a 46% premium for the company’s stock which closed Friday at $191.33. “Thulin [Inge G., 3M Chairman and CEO] will be hard-pressed …
FirstNet and AT&T contract is inked creating 10,000 new jobs, $40 billion in spending by the carrier
At an award and signing ceremony this morning at the Department of Commerce, AT&T, although unofficially acknowledged as the winning FirstNet bidder, was officially announced as the winner of the private/public safety network contract by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Today is a landmark day for public safety across the Nation and shows the incredible progress we can make …
