If tower techs from JMA Wireless of Liverpool, N.Y. were going to be heading north to Watertown yesterday, chances are they were praying that it would be one of their in-building wireless projects and not a bone-chilling outdoor installation where the temperature hit a national low of -30.1 °F. The waves of Arctic air coming in this week have been …
B+T Group brings aboard Largent and Gladstone’s capital to further growth
B+T Group, a leading full-service engineering, construction and technical services firm specializing in the wireless industry, has announced that Steve Largent will serve as Chairman of the Board following an investment from Gladstone Investment Corporation and its affiliate Gladstone Capital Corporation . “This is a great move for our company,” said CEO and founder, Chad Tuttle. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth …
Long-awaited FCC streamlined wireless facilities siting rules finally published
The Federal Communications Commission provided wireless siting professionals with a post-holiday present today: the final rules for acceleration of broadband deployment by improving wireless facilities siting policies. But its ultimate impact upon municipalities and siting professionals may not be known for weeks to come as interested parties scour each word in the 121-page document that has changed some of the FCC’s …
South Dakota tower tech’s climb to 1,500 feet heads north of a million views
YouTube is littered with many hundreds of climbers that are captured as they ascend a tower. Oftentimes their videographers weep at view counts struggling to break double digits. But a mundane drone-shot bulb replacement video in South Dakota recently went viral, and it’s expected to surpass over one million views this week. Filmed in September, eight-year industry worker Kevin Schmidt …
ComTrain sets a two-year expiration date on its new certifications
In an effort to prevent fraud and require mandatory tower climber retraining, ComTrain, one of the industry’s largest tower training companies, has announced that its new certification cards will expire after two years following their issue. In addition, all new cards will have the holder’s photo to further authenticate it. According to ComTrain President Zane Windham, after conducting surveys at …
New York State Troopers ticket technicians for taking an illegal smoke break
Two tower technicians responding to a T-Mobile trouble ticket in Upstate New York ended up with a ticket of their own from Wappinger, N.Y. State Troopers on Tuesday for unlawful possession of marijuana. Authorities say a rental truck drove through the rear parking lot of the barracks in the Dutchess County town of Wappinger around 8 a.m. As the truck …
South Carolina technician, 44, is 10th industry worker to die this year
UPDATE: Authorities have identified the tower technician who fell approximately 100 feet from a cell tower in Greeneville, Tenn. yesterday as 44-year-old Allen Lee Cotton of Sumter, S.C. Two of his co-workers from Central USA Wireless did not see him fall, according to Greeneville Police Officer Shawn Hinkle’s report which provided information regarding the 12:25 p.m. incident. “Mr. Cotton was …
Technician succumbs following a 100-foot fall in Greeneville, Tennessee
A tower technician fell to his death this afternoon in Greeneville, Tenn., according to Greene County EMS Director Robert Sayne, who said he was at approximately the 100-foot level when the incident occurred. Sayne did not have any additional information. An individual familiar with the worker’s death, said the tech was working on an Ericsson project for Sprint on a 197-foot …
NATE’s Carlson, Miller and Tracy re-elected; Little assumes board seat
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released the official results of the 2015 Board of Directors election. Candidates Kari Carlson, Chief Operating Officer of Tower Systems, Inc. in Watertown, S.D. and Winter Park, Fla; Jim Miller, President of EasTex Tower, Inc. in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Jim Tracy, Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Telecommunications, Inc. in Burley, Wash. …
Falling fuel prices providing early holiday gifts, especially to American Tower
Contractors and other infrastructure companies have seen free-falling fuel prices prop up their bottom line as gasoline continues to drop across the nation to its lowest prices since 2009. Although diesel fuel’s drop hasn’t been as dramatic, it too is showing a steady decline. Even though Spectrum Antenna Service and 23 other Missouri-based contractors can get gas today for as little as …
Corroded anchor may have contributed to a South Dakota tower’s collapse
A guyed tower in Mitchell, SD collapsed on Monday on West Havens Ave. due to severe winter weather conditions, but a corroded anchor rod may have contributed to the structure’s failure. The anchor shaft on one of the tower’s outer foundations separated from its deadman foundation due to severe corrosion, according to an individual knowledgeable about the collapse. Following the anchor …
Report: 5G growth won’t be introduced as quickly as 4G networks
If you’re looking to cash in on increased contractor opportunities that will become available as America moves towards a still undefined 5G network, seen as the mobile interface on which the network of the 2020’s and 2030’s will be based, you might have to reevaluate your business plan, according to a new market data forecast released by ABI Research. Research …
After two years of sparring, KSMQ settles tower collapse claim
When KSMQ-TV’s tower collapsed on Sept. 5, 2012 in Austin, Minn. during a severe wind and rain storm, the public television station turned to their insurance carrier to assist them in covering their anticipated cost of $620,000 to replace their 444-foot tall guyed tower. Then The Hanover Insurance Group threw them a curve ball, stating that they weren’t going to …
New year will usher in eased FAA lighting failure reporting requirements
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), through coordination with the FCC and other federal stakeholders, expects by mid-January 2015 to streamline the online process for submitting Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) to alert pilots to tower lighting outages. The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued an advisory earlier this week announcing the FAA’s new process which will permit tower owners to individually select …
Wind speed tower ruling in Oklahoma sets new lighting standards
The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) has adopted emergency rules designed to protect low-flying aircraft from towers over 50’ in height used to measure and record wind speed. The new lamping law requires companies who erect wind speed measurement towers to mark them according to the Commission’s rules. It is presumed that it would also include all of the State’s meteorological …
California Wireless Association recognizes key companies and members
The California Wireless Association (Calwa) has announced the recipients of the 2014 Golden State Wireless Awards. The awards acknowledge individuals, companies, and organizations for their efforts and commitment to the wireless industry for the state of California. Receiving the Golden Sponsor Awards were Talley and Crown Castle. Recipients of the Golden State Wireless Award were Joint Venture Silicon Valley and …
South Wireless Summit will rise again as one of the premiere industry shows
The South Wireless Summit, an annual meeting hosted by the South Wireless Summit Association, expects record attendance at its conference March 16-18, 2015 in Nashville, TN. The group’s focus, supported by PCIA and participating state wireless association from AL, AR, OK, NC, SC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, TN and TX, is to educate its members to changes and advancements …
Leading wireless industry staffing firm Telforce Group adds IT
TelForce Group, an industry leading staffing company for wireless infrastructure personnel, recently launched a new IT division that will be headquartered in Raleigh, NC. TelForce Group is headquartered in Nashville, TN. Ron Deese, Founder and CEO of TelForce Group states that with this new division, TelForce Group will be able to provide human capital to all industries. The IT division …
Vertical Bridge picks up iHeartMedia’s towers for $400 million
iHeartMedia today announced a deal to sell an undisclosed group of its radio towers to tower owner Vertical Bridge for up to $400 million. The broadcaster will continue to use the towers in a lease arrangement after the purchase closes, which is expected in the first quarter of 2015. iHeartMedia says the sale will help optimize its balance sheet and maximize …
