“It’s obvious, carriers are simply putting profits ahead of tower technicians’ lives,” said a Texas-based contractor’s safety manager last week, deploring requirements by some carriers to perform maintenance work during nighttime hours to keep subscriber service interruptions at a minimum. He was one of many company owners and safety professionals Wireless Estimator spoke with after there was a groundswell of concern following …
AT&T lays out its strategy for 5G for America’s 15 million businesses
Businesses are leading the 5G revolution, and AT&T is going to give its business customers a full 5G toolbox. They state that they are the first carrier to publicly lay out what they’re making available to help businesses get the most out of this technology. America’s 15 million businesses increasingly look to technology to drive outcomes, but their needs range drastically …
Tower technician dies during a South Dakota nighttime climb
UPDATE: January 18, 2019 – According to two individuals that are familiar with Andrew Psomas’ fall from a tower on Jan. 10 that took his life, the three-man tower crew he was assigned to was performing tiger team warranty work for AT&T on the 190-foot self-supporting tower. Psomas was reportedly at the 150-foot level when he fell. It is not …
FCC Chairman Pai and Commissioner Carr to deliver keynote addresses at NATE UNITE 2019
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr are confirmed to deliver keynote addresses at the NATE UNITE 2019 Conference in Grapevine, Tex. taking place Feb. 4-7, 2019 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center. The event is widely regarded as the premier and most comprehensive educational event and …
‘Disruptive’ Vertical Bridge celebrates tremendous growth with 266,000 sites in just four years
Vertical Bridge Holdings, LLC, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced that it has grown its portfolio to 266,000 owned, master-leased and right-to-master sites. The company, which is entering its fifth year of operations, also announced that it has built more than 500 macro towers for U.S. telecommunications carriers to date, with …
FCC given green light to start enforcing its new small cell regs on Monday
At the eleventh hour, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit yesterday denied a motion to stay the enforcement of the FCC’s September 27, 2018 Declaratory Ruling and Third Report and Order led by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. The new federal siting rules for small cells became effective Jan. 14, 2019, according to the order. A group of cities led by …
Fraudulent PPE check scam is targeting the nation’s wireless construction workers
A tag-team of con artists representing that they are HR generalists from a Texas-based leading installation contractor, have been targeting job seekers for at least two months with a scam cloaked with a degree of believability because of their industry knowledge and their employment of a new twist as to why they’re willing to send the applicant a check for …
World’s first 5G data call using 2.5 GHz and Massive MIMO made by Sprint in San Diego
Sprint has announced it has reached a significant milestone on its path towards launching mobile 5G service beginning in the first half of this year. Together with Nokia and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, the companies this week completed the world’s first over-the-air 5G data transmission using 2.5 GHz and Massive MIMO on Sprint’s live commercial network, …
AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint seek to make amends over location breach leads Fast Forward Friday
Article Media AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint seek to make amends over location breach Fierce Wireless Telecom Tech Companies: Shutdown threatens 5G rollout B+C Construction of Verizon cell tower causing angst in Colorado Gunnison Country Times Crown Castle emails contradict former Palo Alto IT chief’s small cell involvement Daily Post Testing Times Square on its busiest night RCR Wireless News Pumping up …
NATE announces free 2019 Advanced Rigging Principles Training dates and locations
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) has announded the dates and locations for the 2019 Advanced Rigging Principles Training sessions. Twelve (Advanced Rigging Principles Courses will be hosted nationwide in 2019 and will be offered free of charge to industry employees and employers due to a Susan Harwood Training Grant (SH-05018-SH8) from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. …
FCC commish concerned about the possibility of Trump taking over the airwaves
In a Tweet yesterday, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said it’s time to survey the nation’s laws and consider what happens with a declaration of a national emergency as President Trump has threatened to do to build his southern border wall which Rosenworcel’s fellow Democrats are blocking. She said in the War Powers of President code, it allows the President to …
Three carriers give three Pinocchios to AT&T for its false ‘5G E’ claims
In a statement Monday, Verizon, the nation’s largest mobile carrier called upon carriers to not use the term 5G for services until they use actual 5G hardware and radio standards. It was obvious that it was directed towards AT&T whose recent over the air upgrade displayed a “5G E” logo on certain Android devices in lieu of the standard LTE …
Broadband provider is suing the DOJ and FCC for foreclosure action from prison and wants $50+ million for slander
The FCC on Thursday reaffirmed its earlier decision that Hawaii-based Sandwich Isles Communications (SIC) knowingly defrauded the Universal Service Fund (USF) of more than $27 million for reimbursements it was not entitled to receive. In its order for reconsideration, the FCC said between 2002 and 2015, the USF provided nearly $250 million of funds to SIC to provide service to …
Exclusive interview with FCC Commissioner Carr addresses industry issues and our 5G future
Wireless Estimator Publisher Craig Lekutis and National Association of Tower Erectors Executive Director Todd Schlekeway recently conducted an exclusive interview with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr in late December. In this extensive feature article, Commissioner Carr discusses the FCC’s role in paving the way for a 5G future, the nation’s networks’ resiliency, and restoration lessons learned, the importance of industry workforce development initiatives …
Schlekeway and Nurnberg sign long-term extensions as NATE moves through 5G and beyond
Todd Schlekeway, Executive Director and Paula Nurnberg, Chief Operating Officer of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), have agreed to multi-year contract extensions that will keep them directing NATE, the nation’s leading grassroots communications infrastructure organization. “The wireless industry is extremely fortunate to have Todd and Paula directing the management of our organization,” said Jim Tracy, NATE Chairman and …
FCC returns to full five members as the Senate confirms Carr and Starks
The Senate late yesterday evening in a voice vote confirmed Geoffrey Starks as an FCC Commissioner to the open seat left by former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Commissioner Brendan Carr for a full five-year term. Carr and Starks had been previously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee, and their swearing in is expected shortly. Both will be paid during the …
Most of the FCC’s operations will be shuttered tomorrow if government shutdown drags on
The partial government shutdown will hit the FCC on Thursday at mid-day when approximately 1,197 workers will be furloughed until further notice if the partial government shutdown isn’t resolved by today. President Trump is expected to meet with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders at the White House this afternoon to try to break the deadlock, but a successful outcome is …
MTA skirts zoning rules, but after Tarrytown dressing down removes its 150-foot monopole
A 150-foot monopole erected in September in Tarrytown, N.Y. enjoyed a scenic view of the eastern bank of the Hudson River, but was retired the weekend before Christmas to a flatbed truck in search of a new home. The tower was constructed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) because the Metro-North Police needed it to improved emergency communications. However, the …
CenturyLink fixes outages, but not outrages from the FCC and state regulators
Last Thursday CenturyLink, the nation’s third largest telecommunications company, announced that it was experiencing phone and internet services technical difficulties, and expected that the disruptions would be fixed in four hours. However, it wasn’t until Friday morning that most outages were resolved and the FCC, prompted by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, has launched an investigation of CenturyLink to identify the problem …
