To project whether 2016 will be a banner, bust or somewhere-in-between year for wireless construction, and service and supplier providers, one has to simply search for the devil or angel that’s always in the details. Unfortunately, conflicting details and limited industry information clouds accurate projections. But the industry overall appears to be still creating jobs and there should be a robust …
Slim’s Telesites towerco spinoff is off to a rocky start
Telesites SAB, a spinoff from Carlos Slim’s America Movil SAB, has a majority of analysts recommending selling the shares. The wireless-tower company started trading in Mexico this week and after its debut on Monday when there appeared to be market interest, it proceeded to drop yesterday 2.9 percent to 11.99 pesos ($.70). Mexico City-based Telesites, created to manage the operator’s …
Mt. Wilson’s iconic Poole complex acquired by InSite Towers
A deal to buy the multi-tower Poole Tower complex on Mount Wilson in California that was expected to be close to being inked in April, according to a report in Wireless Estimator, took another seven months, but finally closed last week, according to Media Services Group’s Bob Heymann, Jr. who served as the broker for Poole Properties, in announcing the …
New York subway system’s DAS expansion welcomed in troubling times
With New York City going to high alert in response to the release of a new ISIS video that sets Times Square in the terror group’s bombing or chemical-warfare sight, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s announcement last Thursday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Transit Wireless have launched the Phase 4 expansion of wireless, public safety and Wi-Fi services …
Lack of tower crews and antenna manufacturers cited as reasons to revisit repacking deadline
The National Association of Broadcasters has asked the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider the 39-month repacking window following next year’s TV spectrum incentive auction. The trade group commissioned a study from Digital Tech Consulting. The study concluded that the Commission’s three-month window for filing for construction permits falls well short of the actual time needed to submit and process the …
One tower is surely not in step with American Tower’s upbeat Mexico outlook
American Tower Corp. CFO Tom Bartlett said during the company’s Q3 analysts’ conference call on Friday that Mexico had 90% wireless penetration, but only had 45% smart phone saturation. He also said that the growth potential was excellent since, “We believe, like Brazil, that the market needs twice the number of towers to support 4G over the long term.” He …
American Tower cautions investors that their MLA with AT&T isn’t expiring in 2016
In American Tower Corp.’s investors’ conference call this morning, EVP and CFO Tom Bartlett cautioned analysts that their master lease agreement (MLA) with AT&T was not expiring in 2016 when he was questioned by one caller regarding the expiration. Bartlett said he had seen that statement in some write-ups, but it wasn’t correct. In August, SVP and Treasurer Leah Stearns …
American Tower’s Viom deal puts their India tower count ahead of the U.S.
American Tower Corporation is paying $1.16 billion to buy a controlling stake in the Indian tower operator, Viom Networks. The deal, which was widely expected will see American Tower taking a 51 percent stake in the Indian firm, which currently owns and operates approximately 42,200 towers and 200 indoor distributed antenna systems across India. American Tower’s existing Indian portfolio of …
One towerco to own a mind-boggling 1.5 million towers in China in a $34 billion deal
Every large tower owner dreams of the day when they can boast that they’re the largest in the world. Those hopes were dashed yesterday with the announcement that the big three telecommunications operators in China have agreed upon an infrastructure-sharing joint venture, China Tower Corp. According to Barclays, the total tower count will be a staggering 1.5 million towers. The …
FCC Commissioner’s new tower builds is based on a hazy crystal ball
Commentary — Making subsidies more flexible and removing legal hurdles are two of several changes the Federal Communications Commission should make to advance wireless infrastructure development, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly said Wednesday at the Competitive Carriers Association conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Another adjustment they should consider is providing their Commissioners with research that they’ve unearthed to provide direction rather than …
Repacking’s effect on tower site configurations to be discussed at BTS conference
The IEEE Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) announced that James Stenberg, broadcast account manager for American Tower Corporation, will lead a technical “TV Repack” session at the 2015 IEEE Broadcast Symposium on Friday, Oct. 16, at 8:30 a.m. Taking place Oct. 13-16 at the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, Fla., the four-day symposium is an annual gathering of broadcast engineers from …
Michigan school board provides an easement for a three-tenant tower for $900,000
The Livonia, Mich. School Board has welcomed the opportunity for a revenue enhancement of $900,000 from American Tower Corp. for a perpetual easement for a three-tenant stadium lighting monopole site at Stevenson High School’s athletic field, and agreed to ink an agreement on Monday. According to an article in Home Town Life, Interim Superintendent Andrea Oquist said the $900,000 is …
Battery catcher in the rye bread truck and other wacky world events
Wireless industry news in America sometimes catches viewers off guard with weird events, but our nation doesn’t have exclusivity – especially in the past week. In Pretoria, South Africa, police arrested a 29-year-old man after he was found in possession of 12 Vodacom backup batteries. Although that’s becoming a frequent occurrence in the U.S., the vehicle he was transporting them …
American Tower topples an Oklahoma tower while its sole tenant was broadcasting
UPDATE: Sept. 25, 2015 – Dale Bolton, High Plains Public Radio’s director of programming and operations, said today that he has been informed that an American Tower Corporation representative had called another individual within his organization on Friday afternoon prior to taking the KGUY tower down the following morning for safety reasons. However, Bolton said,”They were unable to get to Guymon to …
Ski area communications plan delayed by AT&T and others says lawsuit counterclaim
American Tower Corporation has filed counterclaims against Aspen Skiiing in regards to a $21 million project to improve service for four ski areas in Colorado. Aspen Skiing filed a lawsuit in July against American to break the contract the businesses had entered into in 2014. According to an article in the Aspen Daily News, American Tower in a March letter …
Key analyst likes Crown Castle, but sees American Tower with less acquisition exposure
Morningstar analyst Michael Hodel has provided an excellent overview of the industry’s three publicly-traded companies, American Tower Corp., Crown Castle International, and SBA Communications. Whereas there are almost daily yawn-inducing recommendations from analysts, Hodel’s insight and extensive analysis is worth the read. Although Hodel has previously said that his favorite amongst the towercos is Crown Castle, because he thinks it …
India High Court: Use your landline if you don’t want cell towers installed
In a rather unorthodox response to a petition by residents alleging that a cell tower was being constructed in their neighborhood in violation of a local recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee, India’s Delhi High Court dismissed their plea and basically said that residents of Vasant Kunj should stop using their cell phones and revert back to using landlines, and then, …
Going beyond compliance standards and use of SAUCE could curtail tower-site accidents
Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) board chairman Scott Kisting today urged members of the wireless infrastructure industry to watch a newly produced video aimed at strengthening workplace safety, enhancing workplace quality, and improving worker health and safety training. Initiated by TIRAP and produced by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the video released today, the first of a planned ongoing series, …
American Tower reportedly picking up an additional 41,000 towers in India
American Tower Corporation is reportedly ready to ink a deal to acquire a majority stake in Indian tower operator Viom Networks, which will expand it’s portfolio there by approximately 41,000 towers. If the agreement is signed, according to the Economic Times, it will be the largest tower acquisition ever made by a US-based tower consolidator. Viom has another 1,000 towers …
American Tower’s CEO unloads 47,000 shares and the 48-hour silly cycle begins
When a corporate insider such as an officer or director buys or sells their company’s publicly-traded stock they’re required to file a Form 4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. American Tower Corporation Chairman, President and CEO James Taiclet did that yesterday when he sold 47,000 shares in a transaction that occurred the day before at a price of $100.99, …
