AT&T is no longer describing copper theft as a nuisance; it’s calling it something far more coordinated. In a recent corporate blog post, the carrier said it is seeing “clear evidence of organized crime” behind a growing wave of copper theft incidents impacting its network infrastructure across the United States. The shift in language signals that what was once viewed …
AT&T’s capex surge coupled with FirstNet signals where the real infrastructure build is in 2026
For wireless infrastructure contractors who have spent the past three years watching carrier capex decline and work slow, this week’s FirstNet announcement deserves a close read. AT&T and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $2 billion agreement in principle to expand and upgrade FirstNet, America’s dedicated nationwide public safety broadband network, though only $1 billion represents new money from …
Mike Rowe quits PureTalk after learning its network is built on the backs of underpaid tower crews
Mike Rowe, the nation’s most recognizable champion of skilled trades and PureTalk’s lead spokesperson, has abruptly terminated his relationship with the mobile carrier after a Reddit post and a chance encounter with a tower crew exposed what he described as “two uncomfortable truths I can’t unknow” — one about the company he represented, and one about the industry that makes …
Kiss Cam love story ends the moment Verizon’s terms were unveiled last night
For approximately 12 seconds yesterday, the telecom contractors industry achieved something remarkable: everyone looked happy. AT&T and Verizon executives had invited NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association’s directors and administrators to a Washington Nationals game, a gesture of appreciation following the much-discussed framework agreement among the carriers, NATE, and the FCC. Under the stadium lights, it looked like progress had …
Verizon’s new sourcing model promises scale—but no guarantees; contractors call it a financial trap
Verizon’s latest push to consolidate its network construction and maintenance work into a handful of “preferred suppliers” is being pitched as a pathway to stability and scale. But contractors reviewing RFPs say the reality is far different: a system that most—and possibly all—qualified general contractors cannot financially meet, even if they win. At the center of the concern is a …
NATE’s carrier contracting framework: Where things stand and what’s coming
After more than a year of hard-fought negotiations, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has secured landmark framework agreements with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile — all three filed with the FCC. The association has released an updated infographic (March 21, 2026) summarizing the key commitments each carrier has made, and what NATE member contractors can expect as implementation continues to …
Shared infrastructure is reshaping stadium wireless—and redefining who gets the work
The Small Cell Forum is positioning its new stadium connectivity guide as a playbook for better fan experiences. But the substance points somewhere else entirely: shared infrastructure, neutral host control, and dense deployments are redefining who builds—and controls—modern wireless networks. For contractors and infrastructure providers, this isn’t really about stadiums. It’s a preview of how high-capacity environments will be designed, …
Turnkey telecom TriStruX shuts down — subcontractors and vendors owed substantial sums
Multiple vendors at last month’s NATE UNITE 2026 gathering said the same thing: TriStruX’s wireless division was behind on substantial payments and running out of runway. With mounting debt owed to subcontractors and suppliers nationwide, many expected the Clifton, New Jersey–based company to shut down. Less than two weeks later, it did so with a tombstone message on its website. …
The abuse has been hiding in plain sight. Now wireless infrastructure contractors have a number to call.
Due to NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association’s advocacy, carriers have established reporting hotlines for unsafe and uncertified crews and companies, but using them comes with risks, and not all hotlines are created equal. It would be foolish to think that the three major carriers — at the infrastructure build management level — are unaware of the flagrant workforce abuses …
Carriers made promises to the FCC, but contractors are still waiting to be made whole
For the first time in recent memory, contractors working on America’s wireless infrastructure have commitments from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. These agreements address pricing, payment terms, audit practices, and the use of unlicensed crews that industry leaders say have long suppressed wages and undercut legitimate businesses. Although they are not binding, the agreements, secured over fourteen months by NATE: The …
Levi’s Stadium Super Bowl LX becomes real-world stress test for U.S. wireless infrastructure
Beyond public-safety coordination, carriers and venue engineers are preparing for another massive surge in consumer data traffic surrounding Super Bowl LX this Sunday. With roughly 65,000 fans expected inside Levi’s Stadium, projections indicate spectators and nearby tailgaters could generate tens of terabytes of wireless and Wi-Fi traffic through social posting, livestreaming, and multi-device viewing. Engineers supporting the event have planned …
House subcommittee presses ahead on FirstNet reauthorization
The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee this week examined the future of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as its statutory authorization approaches a 2027 sunset, mirroring recent Senate scrutiny of the nationwide public-safety broadband system. Lawmakers framed the hearing as both an oversight review and an opportunity to refine governance, accountability, and long-term investment before reauthorization moves forward. Subcommittee …
What AT&T’s 4Q results likely mean for macro tower owners and infrastructure contractors
AT&T’s fourth-quarter results and conference call yesterday were marketed as a fiber-and-convergence story. Still, the call also contained several macro-tower tells: continued wireless network modernization, spectrum deployment, and a multi-year service-revenue growth outlook that can’t be delivered without sustained macro performance. CEO John Stankey framed AT&T’s strategy as a durable blend of fiber and wireless, calling the convergence model “a …
Built for speed and performance: ConcealFab launches Side Enclosures for faster small cell rollouts
Valmont Telecom, the wireless infrastructure business of Valmont Industries, has introduced the ConcealFab Side Enclosure portfolio, a new family of RF-transparent, pole-mounted outdoor cabinets engineered to support the rapid expansion of 5G small cells, fiber networks, and private LTE/5G systems across North America. As U.S. operators deploy an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 small cells annually, and municipalities continue to tighten …
Inside the $300 million contracting scandal—apparently linked to a major U.S. carrier—that brought down ASG
Indictment reveals years of bribery, forged invoices, shell companies, and concealed payments inside a telecom contracting giant When the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment against Allstate Sales Group’s (ASG) CEO Anthony Tepedino last week, the wireless infrastructure industry received its clearest—and most troubling—view yet into the corruption that led to the company’s dramatic …
FCC presses Supreme Court to combine Verizon and AT&T fights over massive fines that vacate jury trials
The Federal Communications Commission is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Verizon’s challenge to a $46.9 million location-privacy fine together with a parallel case involving AT&T’s vacated $57 million penalty, saying the Court should resolve—once and for all—whether the agency may impose large monetary forfeitures without offering companies a jury trial. The government told the justices that the two …
NATE and AT&T reach a landmark deal — What it means for the tower-contracting industry
In a move that could rewrite the business model for how America’s wireless infrastructure gets built and maintained, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and AT&T recently reached an agreement to overhaul longstanding contracting practices. According to NATE, the deal includes fundamental changes the association expects will “advance material aspects of the tower construction ecosystem,” including phasing out the “turf …
Tilson’s $200 million Gigapower lawsuit is sold to Winston I LLC for an undisclosed amount
Bankrupt Tilson Technology Management has sold its $200 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against Gigapower — the AT&T and BlackRock-backed open-access fiber venture — to Winston I LLC, a Delaware-registered entity that now assumes control of the litigation, according to a Purchase Agreement filed in Tilson’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. The price and financial terms were not disclosed in the publicly available …
Cellular coup stopped: What 300,000 rogue SIM cards could do to New York City and other U.S. cities
What was first described last week as a cache of roughly 100,000 SIM cards seized in New York City has now been reassessed as possibly 300,000 after follow-on leads developed since the initial discovery. That escalation isn’t cosmetic; it materially changes the scale of the risk scenario—and the urgency of hardening the city’s and the nation’s mobile networks. How the …
AT&T and Verizon flee ‘high rent’ American Tower site: Tillman’s build-to-relocate strategy sparks lawsuit
Tillman Infrastructure has sued Stearns County in Minnesota after the Planning Commission turned down its bid to construct a 325-foot tower in rural Kimball. Tillman says the denial violates the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which requires that local governments’ refusals be backed by written decisions and “substantial evidence.” But the real story is not the lawsuit itself — siting disputes …
