A number of TV journalists covering the collapse of a cell tower in Wittmann, Ariz. on Saturday afternoon appeared to display that investigative reporting is not their strong suit A wooden monopole had fallen on high tension power lines causing a power outage that left nearly 2,000 customers without electricity. While Arizona Public Service brought in a crew to remove …
American Tower monopole destroyed following Virginia welding accident
Polyethylene insulation on coaxial transmission lines caught fire Tuesday in Newport News, Virg. when a crew was welding on a monopole behind Heritage High School. According to Newport News Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Pincus, the coaxial cable caught on fire as maintenance workers were welding on the tower just before noon. The flames quickly spread along the insulation of …
Some tower landowners want their structures removed as fear strikes India over deaths
Most likely one of Ashwini Khillian’s first initiatives following his appointment to Chief Operating Officer for American Tower Corporation’s ATC India last week, was to inventory the towers the company owns in Jammu and Kasmir as thousands of towers are being compromised by terrorists in India. Telecom trade group Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) estimated today that around 2,500 …
ATC ‘s Taiclet named to Forbes’ 2015 Global 2000 CEO Hall of Fame
American Tower Corp. Chairman and CEO Jim Taiclet has been named to Forbes Magazine’s 2015 Global 2000 CEO Hall of Fame. In assembling its 2015 list, Forbes viewed companies that made the biggest move up its list of the world’s largest companies during the past ten years. Forbes narrowed that group down to 128 companies that had the same CEO for the entire period and …
Some wireless industry musicians and singers can easily quit their day job
A traditional scathing barb heard when garage band musicians try to imitate legendary rock stars is: “Don’t quit your day job.” But at last Wednesday’s PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association’s, All-Star Jam Session in Hollywood, Fla., it was obvious that the only things being skewered, were buffet offerings as PCIA members led a rousing session that made the house …
PCIA’s ‘view from the top’ shows a little bottoming out; tall tower crew shortage possible
A common thread throughout yesterday’s PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association’s Hollywood, Fla. conference was that AT&T has pulled back on their builds, Sprint is almost in a holding pattern and T-Mobile is providing a number of opportunities. Verizon, however, is seen as a steady engine that is assisting a slower than expected build in the second quarter. “Verizon continues …
American Tower takes AT&T to court and wins a $132 million judgment
American Tower Corporation stood behind a New Jersey construction manager who used a creative approach to comply with an AT&T program manager’s directive on a new monopole cell site’s location, while suffering with hurt feelings, and was awarded $132 million by a Sloatsburg, Tex. jury today. In a statement issued by the Boston-based tower owner following the verdict, the company said, …
Competitive spirit can be cutthroat in leasehold ground wars of towercos
Although the nation’s major tower owners present a public face of spirited friendly competition and collective initiatives to ensure worker safety, when it comes to protecting their interests it can be a no holds barred battle between them to keep their most valuable assets, their long-term leases. One clash got so nasty that the counter-complainant wanted a leasehold aggregator’s executives …
ATC leads slightly over Crown with their $5 billion 11,324 Verizon tower deal
American Tower Corporation today announced that it has been the successful suitor in acquiring the rights to approximately 11,324 wireless communications towers and purchase approximately 165 additional towers from Verizon Communications, Inc. for $5.056 billion. Under the agreement, American Tower will have the exclusive right to lease and operate the Verizon towers for a weighted average term of approximately 28 …
Falling fuel prices providing early holiday gifts, especially to American Tower
Contractors and other infrastructure companies have seen free-falling fuel prices prop up their bottom line as gasoline continues to drop across the nation to its lowest prices since 2009. Although diesel fuel’s drop hasn’t been as dramatic, it too is showing a steady decline. Even though Spectrum Antenna Service and 23 other Missouri-based contractors can get gas today for as little as …
Analyst accuses American Tower of possible fraud as Wall Street falls in love with SBA
Update: July 18, 2013 – American Tower Corporation President and CEO James Taiclet, Jr. told CNBC Mad Money’s Jim Cramer last night that he wanted to set the record straight, stating that the Muddy Waters report writer didn’t fully understand the way in which the company funded its Brazilian transaction and they filed a report with the SEC identifying that the …
