Crown Castle Inc. issued a press release late this afternoon, stating that DISH Wireless has defaulted on its payment obligations, prompting the tower operator to terminate its wireless infrastructure agreement and seek recovery of more than $3.5 billion in remaining payments purportedly owed under the contract. The announcement came just hours after DISH filed its formal response Friday evening to Crown …
DISH files its response in Crown Castle’s MSA lawsuit, echoing its defense used against American Tower
DISH Network filed its formal response Friday to Crown Castle’s lawsuit, reinforcing a legal strategy it first deployed earlier this year in its answer to American Tower’s similar complaint. Together, the filings underscore a widening dispute between DISH and the nation’s largest tower owners over the interpretation and enforcement of long-term master service agreements (MSAs). At the outset, it is …
Appeals court upholds DISH lease ruling as Crown Castle tower payments remain in legal limbo
A Colorado appellate court has unanimously affirmed a jury verdict in favor of DISH Wireless in a $32 million lease dispute with Crown Castle, reinforcing how ambiguity in master lease agreements can carry significant financial consequences for both carriers and tower owners. The Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a Denver District Court jury’s finding that DISH did not breach its …
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 …
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 …
Crown Castle follows American Tower’s lead, suing DISH for attempting to walk away from its MSA
Crown Castle has become the second major tower operator to sue DISH Wireless after the carrier notified infrastructure partners of its intent to shed large portions of its wireless business through spectrum-sale transactions. Just weeks after American Tower filed suit demanding that DISH honor its long-term lease commitments despite the pending spectrum sale, Crown Castle has taken the same position, …
Boost turns to bust: American Tower sues to stop DISH ditching tower rent; towercos could lose $9 billion
American Tower has taken DISH Wireless to federal court, warning that the company’s recent multibillion-dollar spectrum selloff does not excuse its continued obligation to pay rent on thousands of cell towers across the United States—and that the financial fallout for the tower industry could be immense. In a declaratory judgment complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District …
Tower crews lose work as Boost’s open RAN ambitions as the nation’s fourth carrier collapse
The prospect of Boost Mobile emerging as an actual “fourth national carrier” has collapsed following EchoStar’s multi-billion-dollar spectrum sales to AT&T and SpaceX. Together, the transactions dismantle Dish/EchoStar’s original 5G greenfield buildout and confirm that the U.S. market will remain dominated by the Big Three—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—for the foreseeable future. AT&T deal: Spectrum sale and RAN takeover In late …
Christian Hillabrant named CEO of Crown Castle, promising visionary leadership and driving growth
Crown Castle Inc. has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Christian Hillabrant, 59, as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 15, 2025. Hillabrant is also expected to join the Company’s Board at that time. P. Robert Bartolo, Chair of the Crown Castle Board of Directors, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Chris as Crown Castle’s next CEO. Chris is a …
Crown Castle’s Missouri cell tower outage tied to theft, not terrorism
Two individuals accused of damaging a Kansas City, Missouri cell tower on Monday have been charged with targeting critical infrastructure — but court documents suggest the alleged theft from a 110-foot monopole site on Prospect Ave., owned by Crown Castle, was driven by theft rather than terrorism. Missouri state law identifies communications networks and facilities as critical infrastructure and includes enhanced penalties …
Starting July 1, no more rogue 1099 crews on Verizon sites—NATE reporting agreement takes effect
On July 1, 2025, a landmark agreement between Verizon and NATE, the Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, will provide contractors with an opportunity to report to Verizon those who may be performing construction services for the carrier without their knowledge and with improper 1099 status. This monitoring promises to reshape the field for many hundreds of subcontractors. After years of contractor complaints …
Wireless Estimator’s matrix pricing exposé shatters LinkedIn norms—Hits top 0.1% with 164K Impressions
This month, coverage of carrier matrix pricing, which has proven unsustainable for contractors, has achieved tens of thousands of views on Wireless Estimator and has exploded on LinkedIn, driven by three back-to-back industry articles that have garnered attention at every level, from C-suite executives to tower technicians, with one article alone having over 164,000 impressions. A viral article with these …
Animated outrage: NATE unmasks carriers’ unfair pricing and 1099 labor tactics in a whiteboard video
] During their May 6–7 Congressional Fly-In event in Washington, D.C., NATE members will showcase a whiteboard animation presented today, highlighting the critical issues that are forcing many contractors out of business. They will personally deliver a petition for Fairness and Sustainability in Wireless Infrastructure Contracting to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. [enlarge image] NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled …
Crown Castle ousts CEO Steven Moskowitz amid strategic overhaul and $8.4 billion fiber and DAS asset sale
Crown Castle Inc. shares slipped almost 4% yesterday following the abrupt termination of CEO Steven Moskowitz earlier this week. He held the top job for less than a year. The decision surprised the industry as the wireless infrastructure giant underwent a major strategic shift, including the $8.5 billion divestiture of its small cells and fiber solutions businesses. The company did …
DigitalBridge continues to face market woes as stock hits new lows and European director departs
In late 2021, when it was announced that Matt Evans was hired as Digital Bridge Group, Inc.’s Managing Director Head of Europe, he said, “I am excited to be joining the DigitalBridge team at such a pivotal time.” According to Bloomberg, he is leaving DigitalBridge at a pivotal time as the company tries to shore up its flagging stock value. …
Back to basics: Crown Castle reverts to core tower strategy after shedding fiber and small cells assets for $8.5 billion
Crown Castle Inc. has finalized a definitive agreement to sell its Fiber segment, marking a strategic shift to focus on its core tower business. The transaction, valued at $8.5 billion, involves EQT Active Core Infrastructure fund acquiring Crown Castle’s small cells business, while Zayo Group Holdings Inc. will take over the fiber solutions business. The deal is expected to close …
Insider theft: Telecom contractor’s employee charged with stealing hundreds of T-Mobile’s cell tower batteries
A Phoenix, Arizona man faces 27 felony charges for allegedly stealing backup batteries used in cell towers across the area, threatening emergency communications during power outages. According to an indictment, Andres Samuel Contreras, 29, is accused of stealing over 900 backup batteries from 66 T-Mobile cell tower sites between August 2024 and February 2025, resulting in over $330,000 in damages. …
Aggressive contractor debt collection and a $325M appeal: The latest in the Crown Castle vs. Dish feud
Dish Network has aggressively pursued alleged debts from contractors involved in its dispute with Crown Castle, engaging a third-party debt collection firm rather than initiating litigation. Alternately, Dish could agree that the contractors were not at fault in developing Dish sites within Crown Castle compounds that extended Dish’s lease area because they explicitly followed the construction plans provided. At the same …
Mount Wilson towers remain intact as FCC reports minimal communication disruptions from deadly LA fires
Yesterday, the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County threatened Mount Wilson, which houses the transmitting towers of nearly every Los Angeles TV station, many of its FM radio stations, and other critical communications facilities in Southern California. At one point, the fire advanced quickly to the bottom of some structures, and it appeared that the broadcast compounds would be sheared …
Services set for Texas tower tech James Belcher as OSHA continues its investigation
Funeral services have been announced for James Robert Belcher of Magnolia, Texas, who passed away on November 4, 2024, after a work site incident in Grovetown, Texas. Belcher, 38, was a tower technician supervisor employed by MasTec Network Solutions. According to Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace, his office received a call for a welfare check on November 5 when Belcher …
