Although damages from Hurricane Matthew along the east coast are still being assessed, the report on how carriers managed wireless communications with hardened sites and cell site service by the nation’s wireless contractors is in – and they are getting high marks. While there were a sporadic reports of outages on downdetector.com, service has been generally excellent in the effected …
Verizon sets path forward for Airborne LTE Operations
The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking flight at Verizon. The company has announced its strategy to drive innovation and wide-spread adoption for in-flight wireless connectivity through its Airborne LTE Operations (ALO) initiative. Two years in the making, Verizon’s plan includes: The successful completion of technical trials in various locations across the country using a combination of unmanned and manned aircraft …
New pivoting and swivel RRU mounts provide ease of radio head installs and maintenance
Connect-It Wireless Components, a leading manufacturer and supplier of thousands of site hardware and component products, has introduced its newest industry offerings, pivoting and swivel RRU mounts to keep remote radio heads close to the antennas and allow for easy maintenance and simplified installations with the included mounting arms that swivel the radio heads to a single face. The mount, …
AT&T’s veiled tower lease ‘threats’ surface again with new onerous requirements
According to a number of news reports that republished information from an article by Fierce Wireless, AT&T is in a full-court press to force tower owners to take new restrictive terms or the carrier might relocate to an alternative site. The articles state that the push to lower rates dovetails with AT&T’s SVP of wireless network design Tom Keathley’s August …
Cop’s shooting of tower tech had none of the outrage being shown in Charlotte death
After a Charlotte, N.C. police officer ten years ago shot and killed an AFL Network Services tower technician, Anthony Wayne Furr, 41, while he was working in a Sprint equipment shelter, the officer said he was in fear of his life and was exonerated. Sadly, following Tuesday’s killing of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott by police, Furr’s children will revisit the memories …
AT&T plans to give towers and fiber competition with plastic antennas using the power grid
Towers and fiber may have a serious competitor if AT&T’s Project AirGig is successful in spreading internet service wirelessly through the country’s power grid, with the company believing, “where there are power lines, there can be broadband”. AT&T said its transformative technology from AT&T labs allows for affordable antenna units to be able to redistribute wireless and wireless signals around …
California appeals court upholds small cells ruling against Crown, T-Mobile and ExteNet
A California appeals court ruled against T-Mobile, Crown Castle and ExteNet Systems last week when it affirmed a lower court ruling allowing the city of San Francisco to enforce broad aesthetic control regarding where small cells are placed. San Francisco passed an ordinance in 2011 requiring wireless companies to obtain a wireless facility site-specific permit before installing or altering wireless …
Safety exec Kyle Fulton passes, but his legacy to the industry lives on
Update: September 19, 2016 – Services for Kyle Fulton who passed away Friday will be held on Oct. 1, 2016 at the Irvington Methodist Church, 30 N. Audubon, Indianapolis Ind. with visitation from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and a memorial service from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kyle Fulton, 48, a well-respected and dedicated industry safety executive, passed away …
Wireless has curtailed real conversations about real subjects
By Andrew Seybold With today’s wireless networks, services, and devices we have instant access to all of our voice, text, data, and video information almost no matter where we are. Does that mean every call, text, or email we receive must be answered right then and there? I was one of the first to learn a lesson when it came …
ASSE and TIA launching their awareness campaign for new communication tower standards
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) are launching a joint effort to raise awareness of new standards that are important for all workers and companies that install, alter or maintain communication towers. The new American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved standard, ANSI/TIA-322, Loading Criteria, Analysis, and Design Related to the Installation, Alteration …
Lone survivor to provide message of courage, honor and patriotism at NATE UNITE 2017
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that decorated Navy Seal and renowned author Marcus Luttrell will deliver the keynote address at the NATE UNITE 2017 Conference in Fort Worth, Tex. on March 1, 2017. On June 28, 2005, Luttrell and SEAL Team 10 were assigned to a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah, a high-ranking Taliban …
TIRAP sets goals for telecom workforce development, safety standards at CTIA
The Executive Board of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) met during the annual CTIA Super Mobility conference this week in Las Vegas as part of the group’s ongoing mission to champion workforce development issues within the U.S.’s telecommunications industry. Board Chairman Scott Kisting said the board discussed multiple issues facing the telecommunications sector and committed as a group …
Goodman’s wireless CMs will receive $2 million to settle overtime lawsuit
Wireless turfing contractor Goodman Networks Inc. has agreed to pay $2 million to former construction managers who claimed the company stiffed them on overtime pay after misclassifying them as exempt employees, according to a settlement statement obtained by Wireless Estimator that was filed in Texas federal court on Sept. 6. The matter was litigated for two years, required numerous depositions …
FCC chief says the path to 5G has challenges and millions of antennas
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler looked at the past, yesterday at CTIA 21016, to give a vision of the future, while also asking, “What do we need to do seize the 5G opportunity?”. One key requirement, according to Wheeler, would be to get local officials in municipalities to agree to the installation of 5G equipment to support the higher speeds that …
Sprint’s small cell delays may be worse than the industry thinks
By Ken Schmidt Sprint and Mobilitie’s innovative plan to build mini-macros Back in June of this year, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) ran a story about Sprint’s use of “sidewalk utility poles” as a core element of their efforts to improve the Sprint network while reducing ongoing network operating expenditures. The article suggested that Sprint may have been delaying network …
In Agile agreement, Indiana throws in additional assets to meet tower leasing shortfalls
Agile Networks announced today, along with Indiana Governor Mike Pence, that negotiations have been finalized on an agreement that will license the state of Indiana’s communications infrastructure to Agile. The Indiana Finance Authority board approved the agreement this morning, pending review by the state’s legislative budget committee. The deal will have Ohio-based Agile put up $50 million immediately to Indiana …
As FCC auction goes into second stage Sept. 13, NAB questions ‘spectrum crisis’
The Federal Communications Commission is moving to a second stage of the 600 MHz spectrum auction, and with a lower clearing target, after the most recent bidding by wireless carriers fell far short of the first-stage target goal of $88.4 billion, raising just $22.4 billion. The next round will begin on September 13 with the FCC setting a to-be-determined lower …
Free lanyards aren’t going to solve safety on monopoles after Lad-Saf sleeve recall and shortages
When Capital Safety/3M introduced their new vertical safety cable sleeve last March, the Lad-Saf X3, industry rumors circulated amongst some safety professionals and distributors that the use of legacy Lad-Saf sleeves could have resulted in a few serious injuries and deaths, either through product defects or misuse. But those could have been easily dismissed as anecdotal. In June, a number …
Climbers with original Lad-Saf cable sleeves warned to immediately stop using them
Capital Safety/3M announced a Stop Use and Recall/Replacement notice today for their original Lad-Saf sleeve after a limited number of incidents occurred involving a serious injury or death in the U.S. while tower climbers were using the sleeve. Although Capital Safety/3M said their review didn’t reveal product hazard or risk scenarios that would arise in the ordinary and proper use of …
FCC chief throws in the towel as his agency accepts municipal broadband defeat
The Federal Communications Commission will not appeal a ruling by the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appelas striking down its move to prevent states from blocking the expansion of broadband service offered by local governments. “The FCC will not seek further review of the Sixth Circuit’s decision on municipal broadband after determining that doing so would not be the best …
