T-Mobile is petitioning the FCC for confirmation that its proposed merger with Sprint won’t prevent the carrier from bidding in wireless spectrum auctions under FCC rules prohibiting joint-bidding arrangements between companies, according to an ex parte filing this week. Kathleen Ham, Senior VP, Government Affairs for T-Mobile and Steve Sharkey, the carrier’s Government Affairs, Technology and Engineering Policy chief, and …
Sinclair/Tribune deal given life support after court nixes ownership rule petition
In a two-page decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has refused to overturn the FCC’s restoration of the UHF discount on the grounds that the parties challenging it did not have standing to bring the petition. However, its impact may not be beneficial to the Sinclair/Tribune acquisition which might already be doomed. The UHF discount means …
Anritsu’s BTS Master software will keep PIM-testing tower climbers safely on the ground
Anritsu Company introduced its PIM over CPRI software today for its BTS Master™ MT8220T and MT822xB handheld base station analyzers that allow passive intermodulation (PIM) measurements to be made from the ground for the first time. By eliminating the need for network operator installation and maintenance crews and contractors to climb the tower to test for PIM, the new BTS Master-based solution …
Monopole paint job gets too up close and personal with 132 cars
Some contractors that have been painting towers for years might have painted something other than the intended structure due to an unexpected gust of wind or a wand or other spray rig malfunction, but an Iowa contractor last month tallied 132 reasons why you shouldn’t trust Mother Nature. A crew from TeleWinCom Inc. painted an SBA Communications monopole off of …
‘Disruptive’ tower builder Tillman gets bankrolled with a billion dollars
Build-to-suit developer Tillman Infrastructure, currently building sites in over 36 states across the U.S., will receive up to $1 billion in additional funding from La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and global investment manager AMP Capital, with an initial investment of $500 million. Tillman’s biggest clients are AT&T and Verizon. Both carriers last year announced a joint …
Future telecom profitability is not seen as especially robust: BDO Global Survey
Telecommunications companies surveyed for the 2018 BDO Telecom Risk Factor Survey are feeling a little more assured that there will be a successful future as compared to previous surveys, but BDO Global’s findings indicate that “dramatic changes in the political, business and economic environment means new risks are appearing the horizon,” and the industry must adapt to rapidly changing market …
AT&T and T-Mobile rumble in the 5G buildout PR jungle over city choices
AT&T said Friday that it plans to begin introducing mobile 5G to customers in a dozen cities this year, and they’re adding Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. and Oklahoma City as the next three identified cities for their buildout, the carrier said in a press statement. These cities will join their previously announced cities of Dallas, Atlanta, and Waco Earlier this year, T-Mobile said it plans to …
Transparency bill ushered in to order early release of FCC’s draft documents
Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger has introduced H.R. 6422, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Transparency Act, which would require the FCC to publish on their website the documents to be considered by the Commission at least 21 days ahead of a vote, a pilot plan introduced by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai last year. Upon introduction of H.R. 6422, Kinzinger released this statement: “As a member of the …
Fast-Forward Friday is Wireless Estimator’s newest news offering
Fast-Forward Friday, a new weekly feature, is Wireless Estimator’s latest news offering that provides an overview of industry news articles presented during the week by other media that were not covered by our staff, along with a link to the article to go upstream and read it in its entirety. After all, the articles’ authors did all the heavy lifting, and …
Indian Tribes team up to halt 5G ‘desecration’ expected from FCC’s exemptions
American Indian tribes are pressing the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to halt a March 22, 2018 order from the FCC exempting small-cell 5G network structures from certain regulatory reviews, arguing that the order would allow for the “desecration of historic sites just because it cannot supervise effectively.” In consolidated complaints, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, …
NATE partners with Teltronic Towers to host U.S. SBA and OSHA tower-site visit
Last Thursday, NATE partnered with founding member company Teltronic Towers, Inc. to host officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and OSHA at a communications tower site in Frederick, Md. During the visit, officials from U.S. SBA and OSHA witnessed in real-time a Teltronic Towers crew replacing cellular antennas with upgraded antennas and equipment at a monopole site. The U.S. …
Appeals court rejects ‘wrong license’ ruling, reviving subcontractor’s $18.1 million lawsuit
License only becomes a concern in a ploy to not pay for millions of dollars of work, plaintiff says UPDATE: October 26, 2018 – MP Nexlevel of California, Inc., and defendant and counter and cross-claimant CVIN, LLC, dba Vast Networks, filed a stipulation to dismiss the entire action with prejudice. In light of the stipulation, and the previous dismissal of claims against …
Blackburn says feds should complement private broadband investment, not compete
The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, held a hearing yesterday to discuss the latest efforts to support broadband deployment and bridge the digital divide. Subcommittie members received an update from the panel of expert witnesses about progress made by the private sector and the federal government. The full hearing video is available below. “Almost six months ago, I chaired …
NATE and Warriors4Wireless announce a strong industry partnership
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and Warriors4Wireless (W4W) today announced a collaborative partnership to enhance ties between the two organizations and further advance workforce development initiatives in the industry. As part of the agreement, NATE joins a select group of prominent organizations and companies in the industry to be promoted as an official supporting partner of W4W. Additionally, W4W …
CTIA 2018 survey presents a story of remarkable growth and transformation
CTIA’s latest Annual Wireless Industry Survey finds the industry beginning the transition from 4G to 5G wireless networks with significant growth in cell sites and data-only devices. That growth and continued demand for everything wireless contributed to Americans using an unprecedented amount of mobile data in 2017. The key wireless trends illustrated in this year’s survey: Mobile data continues to skyrocket. Americans …
Vertical Bridge’s collection chances increase with iHeartMedia bankruptcy court action
Vertical Bridge, one of bankrupt iHeartMedia’s largest unsecured creditors, might have a better chance at securing its past due lease revenues following a filing from iHeartMedia’s unsecured creditors to a Texas bankruptcy judge on Monday that could affect the media giant’s creditors’ Chapter 11 recoveries. The committee of unsecured creditors want to prosecute and settle claims based upon allegations that many …
Massachusetts town stands on five feet as its prime too-close T-Mobile lawsuit defense
A Massachusetts town north of Boston yesterday asked a federal judge to end a Feb. 2017 lawsuit accusing its zoning board of appeals of wrongly denying T-Mobile and another company the right to build a 120-foot monopole, arguing that officials’ determination that the project was too close to residential neighborhoods was evidence-based. Lawyers for the town of Wilmington told the …
Coalition charges ‘grossly overstated’ Verizon coverage hinders rural carriers
A coalition of radio frequency engineering firms informed the FCC last week that Verizon has “grossly overstated” its nationwide 4G LTE coverage, impairing the wireless carriers the engineering firms serve because the carriers can only get needed FCC funding to boost coverage in areas where coverage is low. To close gaps in broadband service, the FCC’s Mobility Fund II is …
AT&T takes American Tower to court in widening lease rates rift
In a lawsuit made public on Monday by AT&T Mobility LLC in Delaware Chancery Court, the carrier is alleging that American Towers LLC is not complying with amendments to leasing agreements for many thousands of towers that AT&T co-locates upon. In the complaint, AT&T is requesting the court to enforce what it believes is a binding agreement, that ATC disagrees …
Man arrested for threatening to murder family of FCC Chairman
A 33-year-old Asian male from California was arrested Friday in Los Angeles on charges of threatening to kill the family of Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, for Pai’s role in repealing regulations relating to net neutrality. According to unsealed court documents, on or about Dec. 19 and 20, 2017, Markara Man, of Norwalk, allegedly sent three emails to Chairman …
