The stars and stripes were flying whole again yesterday morning in Towamensing Township, Pennsylvania on a Crown Castle monopole after residents pressured the company to take down a tattered American flag that had been flying for months in the Carbon County community of 4,429 residents. Numerous local TV and news outlets championed the cause of township officials and residents who …
Crazy lady opens fire on two tower techs working on a Crown Castle North Carolina tower
Two tower techs working on a 290-foot Crown Castle guyed tower in Taylorsville, North Carolina were targets of choice for a deranged 61-year-old woman who began shooting at them with a 22-caliber revolver. Thankfully, her aim was just as off balance as she was and the men were not injured. According to Alexander County Sheriff’s Office authorities, Susan Lynn Moose …
‘Pay to play’ Avetta has industry’s contractors concerned about it becoming a monopoly
Concerns about the time, expense and frustration of contractors that are forced to use client onboarding companies such as BROWZ and Avetta surfaced on January 30, 2019, when Wireless Estimator released the survey results of financial and administrative roadblocks set up by carriers and towercos that could derail America’s race to 5G. Two weeks later on February 14, 2019, Avetta announced the …
SBA sets NWSA certified climbers at 25% next year, 50% in 2021
SBA Communications (SBA), the nation’s third largest tower owner, has released the percentages of National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) certified climbers that contractors will have to maintain when doing work on their sites. Prior to climbing any SBA structure, all general contractors and lower tier subcontractors must meet the following guidelines and dates: Effective June 1, 2020: 25% of the …
Crown asks court to rule on California county’s unlawful node application fees
Crown Castle Fiber LLC, in a U.S. District Court of Western California filing, is requesting that the court restrict Santa Barbara County, California from charging unlawful, unreasonable and excessive fees in order to deploy wireless infrastructure within the county’s rights-of-way. Crown said the county is putting it in the untenable position of having to pay fees in excess of what …
AT&T’s remaining US towers and those in Mexico are on the chopping block
In its second quarter earnings conference call today, AT&T Chief Financial Officer John Stephens confirmed that the carrier is looking to sell its remaining cell towers in the U.S as well as those in Mexico. In discussing asset sales, Stephens said, “I think that it’s public knowledge that we’re out there selling our collections of about 1,300 U.S. cell towers that …
Momentum builds around wireless installations at military facilities leads Fast-Forward-Friday
Article Media Momentum builds around wireless installations at military facilities WIA Palm Beach and AT&T at odds over spotty service Palm Beach Post Virginia Beach leaders have concerns about 5G antennas Government Technology Crown Castle crushed its second-quarter earnings guidance The Motley Fool Brookfield inks $3.7 billion deal to invest in Reliance’s tower assets VC Circle With Ripon tower gone …
FCC says its jurisdiction rules in pole pricing rift between Crown Castle and ComEd
Crown Castle Fiber accused Illinois utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) last month of breaking FCC rules by charging excessive pole attachment fees and denying the company access to hundreds of poles. ComEd filed a motion to dismiss both charges, arguing that the FCC lacks jurisdiction over Crown Castle’s complaints because the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has “preempted Commission jurisdiction over all …
Crown sues after New York town says it will tear down 152 of the company’s nodes
Crown Castle filed an action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the Town of Hempstead on June 28, 2019, after officials terminated a license agreement and demanded that Crown Castle remove all of its 152 facilities from the town’s rights-of-way (ROW). Crown is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Hempstead’s …
Crown Castle Fiber says ComEd is pole dancing around regs with obscene pricing
Crown Castle Fiber has accused Illinois utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) of breaking FCC rules by charging excessive pole attachment fees and denying the company access to hundreds of poles. In its complaints filed with the FCC, Crown Castle alleges that ComEd refuses to recognize that wireless attachments are subject to FCC rules, and as a result, the utility has charged …
NCOSH casting a wide net in its investigation of a fiber installation explosion that killed two
The N.C. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) is using a shotgun approach to uncover whether proper procedures were followed marking utility lines as well as drilling around those lines prior to a gas explosion on April 10 that killed a shop owner and utility employee and injured 25 other individuals. N.C. DOL Public Information Officer Mary Katherine Revels …
Investigations underway in Crown Castle subsidiary’s gas explosion accident that killed one, injured 25
As part of a state investigation, Dominion Energy will begin excavation this week under a site where an explosion in downtown Durham, N.C. on April 10 killed a 61-year-old coffee shop owner and injured 25 people when a Crown Castle subcontractor struck a gas line causing the blast that severely damaged 15 businesses. City officials have said a contractor laying …
Industrious Alabama thieves: Why take the copper when you can scrap the entire tower
For 15 years Wireless Estimator has covered tower compound thefts and the most common items taken are copper and cell site batteries; on occasion, a generator or air conditioner makes the list. However, in the annals of bizarre telecom thievery, it’s likely that a theft in McIntosh, Ala. last week will be difficult to top. Three Alabama men are in jail …
SBA breaks the prized $200 mark and Crown to break ground for a 13-story 420K square-foot headquarters
SBA Communications (SBA) made another record high today with its stock closing at $201.49, the first towerco of the big three ever to break the prized $200 plateau. The day’s range was from $199.87 to a record high of $201.99. American Tower closed at $196.22, Crown Castle at $128.51. SBA will be releasing its first quarter result on April 29. In …
Ugly cell sites can be rejected leads 20 Fast-Forward Friday news stories
Article Media San Francision can reject 5G equipment it views as too ugly Bloomberg SC school district’s cell phone tower program draws scrutiny FITSNews WIA’s Adelstein: 5G deployment faces a skills gap RCR Wireless News How a Trump admin ruling could hurt effort to improve data coverage in Syracuse’s poor areas Syracuse.com Deadline to adopt and publish small cell facility …
Services set for New Jersey tower tech who died after falling from Georgia monopole
UPDATE: March 27, 2019 – Services have been set for Devon James Collins who passed away on March 21, 2019 in an industry accident. He attended Pinelands Regional H.S., and graduated from Oakcrest H.S. in Mays Landing, NJ. Devon not only loved climbing cell towers, but he loved and cherished the tower family he gained and grew into nationwide over the …
Congressman Loebsack tours Crown Castle monopole site in Iowa
U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) today conducted a site visit to a communications tower located in Le Claire, Iowa. The tour was facilitated by representatives from the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), the Association’s Wireless Industry Network (WIN) and Crown Castle. The site visit was held at a Crown Castle-owned monopole cell tower site that is conveniently located in …
ExteNet sues Crown and NY DOT over shot clock violation, wants Crown’s contract revoked
In a be careful what you wish for reality incident, a subsidiary of Crown Castle is being sued for violating an FCC’s shot clock deadline as set forth by Congress in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, an action that carriers, Crown Castle and other vertical realtors petitioned the FCC to adopt. ExteNet Systems, Inc. filed its complaint on Monday against …
Contractor survey uncovers some startling financial statistics that could trigger a 5G train wreck
In their drive to lower capex as they roll out 5G, carriers have created a troubling national Achille’s heel – a contractor base that has many companies swimming in debt with serious cash flow problems, according to results of an extensive nationwide survey taken by Wireless Estimator. The wireless contractor survey that was completed last quarter by 263 vetted companies, clearly indicates that …
Comments on contractor roadblocks set up by carriers that will derail America’s 5G race
Deeply concerned about the unsustainable state of wireless contracting, company executives provided 328 optional comments in Wireless Estimator’s extensive survey that was unveiled today. Armed with anonymity, it’s not possible to verify the accuracy of their statements. But it’s clear that their comments, in most cases, were well-thought-out summaries of the difficulties they are facing as carrier capex cuts, extended …
