On Aug. 3, 2016, Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the A10.48 Standard, Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and Maintenance of Communications Structures, the first voluntary national consensus standard strictly dedicated to protecting workers in the communications tower industry. Although the standard has yet to be published, National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) Executive Director Todd Schlekeway, said …
FiberLight required to pay $17M to company that brokered Verizon network deals
A California U.S. District Court judge has awarded Telecom Asset Management (TAM) $17 million in commissions after a three day bench trial that it said it was due after securing approximately $420 million worth of Verizon contracts for telecom network provider FiberLight. Judge Susan Illston awarded TAM the money after settlement discussions failed last month. TAM claimed that beginning in …
FCC refuses to halt spectrum bidding for trade show attendance as the auction yawns on
The FCC has informed two rural carrier organizations that it will not slow down or suspend the broadcast spectrum incentive auction in September due to a conflict in trade show scheduling. The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) and NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association had petitioned the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to provide breaks in the auction for RWA’s Rural Wireless Summit …
Drones will put tower techs out of a job within five years! Nonsense!
Commentary – If you believe an executive from drone services provider ETAK Systems, 29,000 tower climbers in America should start training for another avocation – immediately. Safety training companies should shutter their doors. Bye, bye Exofit. OSHA, eighty-six any new regulations. And TIRAP, NWSA and NATE, it’s been nice knowing you. In a news article in RCR Wireless News, ETAK Systems …
Wives of murdered tower techs sue the Coast Guard for wrongful death
The wives of two Alaskan tower technicians who were gunned down by a co-worker filed a lawsuit against their husbands’ employer, the U.S. Coast Guard, stating that it should have been known that their spouses’ murderer, James Wells, “was a disgruntled and dangerous employee.” The August 5, 2016 complaint by Nicola Belisle and Deborah Hopkins, is seeking over $1 million …
Civil lawsuit filed against Verizon as the culprit for tower collapses
A Massachusetts tower owner says Verizon acted without due caution in adding equipment to their tower, causing it to collapse in 2014, and they are suing the carrier for $477,000. In reply to the complaint, Verizon said that the damages were caused by “an act of God, and were not in reason preventable by human foresight, strength or care.” North …
Hugely profitable state-wide tower deal most likely will never be bested
Hybrid fiber optic provider Agile Networks has a sweetheart deal with Ohio’s state officials that will make all tower companies blush with envy. The Department of Administrative Services authorized Agile to sublease space on up to 82 state-owned communication towers that form part of the state’s Multi-Agency Radio Communications System. And with just one tenant on them such as T-Mobile …
Court strips the FCC of its power to preempt state laws
A circuit court of appeals dealt a severe blow to the Federal Communications Commission when it ruled today that the agency could not preempt state laws that restrict the growth of municipal broadband networks. In February 2015, the FCC voted to block laws in North Carolina and Tennessee that prevent municipal broadband providers from expanding outside their service areas. Chairman Tom …
Amended colocation agreement lessens historic preservation reviews and speeds up 5G
The Federal Communications Commission took another significant step to facilitate the deployment of infrastructure critical to ensuring American leadership on next-generation wireless service, or 5G. Building on previous infrastructure reforms, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau signed an agreement to eliminate historic preservation review for small facility deployments across the U.S. that do not adversely impact historic sites and locations. The agreement …
Tower tech who was shot by his co-worker passes away in San Antonio
Update: August 11, 2016 – A memorial service for Brandon Cartwright will be held on Tuesday, August 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Northeastern Junior College, Sterling, CO. An altercation between two tower tech co-workers on July 28 in San Antonio, Tex. sent one of the men to University Hospital after he was shot in the chest and the other to jail where he’s …
A long overdue game-changing tower safety standard is finalized
The long-awaited game-changing ANSI standard, A10.48-2016 – heralded as being the first comprehensive standard encompassing the entire wireless construction, service and maintenance industry, and clearly living up to its expectations – has been finalized, according to the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and other individuals knowledgeable of its completion. The 107-page standard, although currently not available for purchase, is …
One ‘tower treasure’ found by a landowner is worth at least a quarter million dollars
Tower techs frequently talk about ‘tower treasures’ that they find at a cell site left by previous crews, from hand tools to rigging blocks, and a host of other equipment. But it’s rare for a homeowner to discover that someone had built a multi-tenant tower designed for someone else and left it installed on his property, while another property owner benefited …
Safety alliance continues efforts to launch tower tech certification programs in December
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) convened its 28-member Board of Governors today in Pittsburgh, Pa. to discuss key action items and activities related to the organization’s worker certification program development process. The NWSA Board of Governors consists of representatives from a broad cross-section of the industry and are tasked with developing policy and overseeing the activities of the various …
Alaska’s contractors could feel the pinch of GCI’s capex belt tightening
Alaska’s General Communication, Inc. (GCI) announced yesterday that its deal to sell approximately 275 urban wireless towers and rooftop sites to Florida-based towerco Vertical Bridge closed Monday, providing the company with approximately $90 million in the transaction that was announced in May. The largest Alaska-based and operated, integrated telecommunications provider, however, also announced some unsettling news to its vendors and …
A large chunk of capital will help InSite expand its national presence
InSite Wireless Group, LLC (InSite) today announced that Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III (“MIP III”)—as part of an initial investment of approximately $280 million—has acquired a 42.5% equity interest in the company from Catalyst Investors II, L.P. and other minority investors. MIP III has also committed to additional future investments to promote InSite’s continued growth. InSite owns, operates, and manages wireless …
American Tower’s chief says pressures to lower their tenant rates aren’t working
During American Tower Corporation’s second quarter earnings analysts’ call yesterday, President and CEO James Taiclet fielded questions regarding whether the company might need to reduce its carriers’ tenancy rates. Taiclet said, no. Answering Barclays analyst Amir Rozwadowski’s question regarding concerns about future lease escalator rates, with some carriers expressing “some consternation about how the compounding growth outlook of that cost …
Successful 300-foot heat exhaustion rescue performed by tower tech’s co-worker
Update: July 27, 2016 – According to crew leader Harold Finley, the tower tech that was rescued this afternoon, about 2:30 p.m., was 24-year-old tower climber Terry Thompson who had a number of years of experience in the industry. His rescuer was Bernard Holly. In a news report, Finley said, “All the Glory goes to God.” According to the FCC’s database, the …
The sky doesn’t appear to be ready to fall upon tower company stocks anytime soon
Almost four months ago, a well-respected telecom financial analyst downgraded the public tower companies, later citing that she believed that a couple of the major carriers may be trying to bypass the major towercos – or at least presenting that posture so that they could control rising rent escalators. In a March 4 statement, Wells Fargo senior analyst Jennifer Fritzsche …
NATE’s weather conditions video couldn’t be any timelier
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a Weather Conditions Video as part of the Association’s 2016 Climber Connection campaign. With extreme heat warnings being issued across the nation today, it provides a timely opportunity to review it and ensure that you and your co-workers remain safe. The video features testimonial footage of a tower technician discussing the …
Tower tech is rescued after a fall from a Georgia monopole
Update: July 26, 2016 – According to crew lead Moses Wright, in a Facebook post this morning, his co-worker on a three-man crew is “alive and well”. Wright said, “It was a 20-30 foot drop and he was stopped by landing on top of our co-worker. We are not sure at this time why his safety grab didn’t grab. We …
