In 2017, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai established the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) to draft a model code for municipalities that would provide guidance and assist local communities in authorizing wireless and wireline broadband deployment in the public rights of way. The 41-page draft – still a work in progress – was introduced July 19, 2018, while the National League …
One-touch policy will benefit broadband providers and non-union workers
The FCC voted unanimously today, with one partial dissent, to adopt a one-touch, make-ready (OTMR) policy for new broadband attachments on utility poles in order to speed up broadband deployment and competition. The policy “makes clear” that states and local governments are not to impose moratoria on broadband development. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel agreed with accelerating pole attachments, but dissented in …
Coalition calls out Sprint’s conflicting claims about munis threatening 5G
The Smart Communities and Special Districts Coalition, originally formed to participate in the FCC’s Mobilitie Petition, is taking Sprint to task for making conflicting claims about communities impeding the rollout of broadband throughout the nation. In a filing to the FCC, the coalition, comprised of individual localities, special districsts and local government associations that collectively represent over 31 million residents …
Telamon announces acquisition of Oklahoma turnkey firm CLS Group
Telamon Corporation has increased its national presence with the acquisition of CLS Group, a leading provider of site acquisition, design, engineering, and construction services in the telecom industry and land services to the Oil & Gas industry. Headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, CLS Group holds licensure in 48 states across the country. The integration of CLS’s services into Telamon’s Deployment Ready …
Indian Tribes team up to halt 5G ‘desecration’ expected from FCC’s exemptions
American Indian tribes are pressing the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to halt a March 22, 2018 order from the FCC exempting small-cell 5G network structures from certain regulatory reviews, arguing that the order would allow for the “desecration of historic sites just because it cannot supervise effectively.” In consolidated complaints, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, …
Appeals court rejects ‘wrong license’ ruling, reviving subcontractor’s $18.1 million lawsuit
License only becomes a concern in a ploy to not pay for millions of dollars of work, plaintiff says UPDATE: October 26, 2018 – MP Nexlevel of California, Inc., and defendant and counter and cross-claimant CVIN, LLC, dba Vast Networks, filed a stipulation to dismiss the entire action with prejudice. In light of the stipulation, and the previous dismissal of claims against …
Blackburn says feds should complement private broadband investment, not compete
The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, held a hearing yesterday to discuss the latest efforts to support broadband deployment and bridge the digital divide. Subcommittie members received an update from the panel of expert witnesses about progress made by the private sector and the federal government. The full hearing video is available below. “Almost six months ago, I chaired …
CTIA 2018 survey presents a story of remarkable growth and transformation
CTIA’s latest Annual Wireless Industry Survey finds the industry beginning the transition from 4G to 5G wireless networks with significant growth in cell sites and data-only devices. That growth and continued demand for everything wireless contributed to Americans using an unprecedented amount of mobile data in 2017. The key wireless trends illustrated in this year’s survey: Mobile data continues to skyrocket. Americans …
Coalition charges ‘grossly overstated’ Verizon coverage hinders rural carriers
A coalition of radio frequency engineering firms informed the FCC last week that Verizon has “grossly overstated” its nationwide 4G LTE coverage, impairing the wireless carriers the engineering firms serve because the carriers can only get needed FCC funding to boost coverage in areas where coverage is low. To close gaps in broadband service, the FCC’s Mobility Fund II is …
Dish’s foray into 5G is already a soothing shot in the arm for nation’s towercos
Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen said that his company will be building a full-blown 5G wireless network that will cost $10 billion in an interview Wednesday at the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s Connect (X) conference in Charlotte, N.C. by former FCC Commissioner Rob McDowell. Ergen pointed out that current wireless networks are designed for approximately 300 million smart phone users in …
FCC’s 2020 repack deadline is questionable following first year’s bleak build
After assessing the progress of the first 12 months of the broadband repack, and the immense pressure put upon the small cadre of contractors that specialize in tall tower broadcast work, the NAB is again championing the need for the FCC to address what the trade group and tower companies believe is an “unrealistic schedule” and the organization is urging …
PerfectVision and Trylon team up to ensure successful wireless rollouts
PerfectVision Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of satellite, broadband, and wireless products, and Trylon, an end-to-end wireless infrastructure developer and tower manufacturer, have entered into a partnership agreement for a long-term joint manufacturing and distribution relationship to support the growing demands of the industry. The alliance will drive continued improvement in the quality and cost of products in the wireless marketplace by aligning …
Feds charge FCC chairman’s advisory head Elizabeth Pierce with a $250 million fraud scheme
When Quintillion Subsea 0perations, LLC CEO Elizabeth Ann Pierce ran her first meeting of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) on April 21, 2017 as its newly appointed chairman, she echoed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s message that it would be a priority of BDAC to remove regulatory barriers. She also knew, if the Department of Justice’s allegations are true, that …
SpaceX’s broadband satellites approved conditioned upon not causing space collisions
The Federal Communications Commission issued an order approving SpaceX’s application to start launching operational satellites as early as 2019, with the goal of reaching the full capacity of over 4,000 satellites in 2024, even though the FCC approval only requires SpaceX to launch 50 percent of the satellites by March 2024, with the remainder by March 2027. “Grant of this …
Sprint wants to put an end to tribal fees costing 24% of a small cell’s installation cost
In a short letter to the FCC with four photographs , Sprint has easily identified the outdated review processes that have become a significant barrier to 5G deployment with small cells. According to Sprint Senior Counsel Keith C. Buell, the tribal review process that is part of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) allows fees to be levied against Sprint …
NRA awards FCC chief Pai a long gun for his ‘courage’ to kill net neutrality
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is a passionate and polished speaker. But on Friday he was flummoxed when he was about to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland when the American Conservative Union (ACU) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) presented him with the Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire” award, an honor that is given with the …
Wireless ‘SuperTowers’ connect rural areas with mobile broadband
Altaeros has demonstrated a new “SuperTower” to help operators deploy LTE in hard-to-reach rural communities using tethered aerostats, the industrial versions of blimps. Altaeros partnered with Ericsson to successfully deploy a multi-sector LTE base station on a SuperTower in late 2017 in rural Maine, providing broadband speeds with streaming video. Rural markets like Maine are ideal for operators to deploy …
Trump’s infrastructure plan unveiling is thin on broadband benefits
The White House today released President Donald Trump‘s long-sought infrastructure plan that includes $200 billion in federal funding for the next 10 years with the end goal being to incentivize another $1.3 trillion in local investment to rehabilitate the nation’s roads, bridges, tunnels, and to expand broadband. Whether any of the $100 billion in direct grants to local governments will …
First batch of a flurry of broadband bills introduced by Rep. Blackburn
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced today a series of bills introduced by members aimed at reducing the regulatory barriers to broadband infrastructure expansion. “Communications Facilities Deployment on Federal Property Act of 2018,” sponsored by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA). The bill would amend Sec. 6409 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (47 …
President Trump’s ‘great, great’ rural broadband pledge should increase tower builds
President Donald Trump boasted to big ag executives at the American Farm Bureau Association convention in Nashville, Tenn. yesterday that an executive order he’s signed will help solve the persistent problem of appalling broadband speeds in rural America. Trump signed a memorandum directing the Interior Department to support broadband development in rural areas by increasing access to tower facilities managed …
