H2-B TOWER TECH FAILURES IN 2023 – In addition to Vastek, Inc. being denied its request for 105 tower technicians, in 2023, four other companies were unsuccessful in using the VISA program: Pioneer Communications Group, 21 tower techs, Santa Barbara, CA; Atlas United Corp., 40 tower techs, Birmingham AL; Yupana, Inc, 70 tower techs, Benicia, CA; and Sirtecom USA, LLC, 40 …
State of industry contracting and numerous topics on agenda at NATE WIN Rocky Mountain conference
NATE Wireless Industry Network (WIN) is has announced the speakers and sessions for the upcoming NATE WIN Rocky Mountain Regional Conference to be held on Wednesday, October 4, in Centennial (Denver), Colorado. The agenda is crafted to address key issues occurring in the industry right now, and how companies can adapt in these uncertain times. Topics discussed at the conference will …
It’s a big no from T-Mo to Dish’s extension request to lower its interest rates for spectrum funding
T-Mobile US and parent Deutsche Telecom told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that Dish Network can’t shove off its requirement to finance a $3.6 billion divestiture of T-Mobile simply because interest rates are considerably higher today than they were three years ago, T-Mobile informed the federal court Friday. Dish had asked the court to amend the …
Dish meets its 70% buildout deadline with assistance of three major towerco partners
Dish Wireless announced yesterday that as of June 14, the carrier is offering 5G broadband service to over 70 percent of the U.S. population, giving more than 240 million Americans access to its technology. This marks a significant milestone for Dish and the U.S. telecom industry, as Dish designed, built, and deployed a first-of-its-kind 5G network in three years. Dish …
Dish asks DC Circuit for a rehearing in their FCC SpaceX feud
On Tuesday, Dish Network asked the D.C. Circuit to reexamine its decision to allow SpaceX to fly satellites in a lower orbit. Viasat and Dish previously sued the FCC, arguing regulators failed to consider, among other things, the potential environmental effects. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) federal agencies are required to assess the environmental impact of their decisions. In August, …
D.C. Circuit will not reverse FCC’s ruling that Dish controlled AWS-3 spectrum bidders
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled in favor of the FCC that two companies aligned with Dish Network were ineligible to receive $3.3 billion in bidding credits available to small businesses in the 2014 AWS-3 spectrum auction. Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless were established by Dish as designated entities (DEs) which entitled them to $3.4 …
It’s official: Dish Network meets the FCC’s 20% U.S. coverage deadline as it turns on 5G in 128 cities
Yesterday morning, some media reports suggested that Dish Network might not be able to meet its FCC-mandated June 14 deadline to cover 20 percent of the US population with its 5G network. One report said that the nation’s newest carrier was “poised” to fail and could possibly see its spectrum licenses being revoked and feasibly have to pay fines of up to …
Dish must again face lawsuit that it used two sham companies to save billions of dollars in spectrum buys
Dish Network Corp. will be required to face a whistleblower’s False Claims Act (FCA) spectrum license lawsuit for the second time following a Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruling yesterday. The carrier is alleged to have used sham small businesses to win FCC licenses worth billions of dollars. A three-judge panel agreed that Vermont National Telephone Co. showed …
Nationwide strike of contractors averted after carriers and towercos agree to meaningful concessions
An organized work stoppage action by U.S. wireless contractors that could have exceeded the breadth of economic damage caused by the steel workers strike of 1919, that shut down the nation’s steel industry, was averted yesterday after carriers and tower owners offered concessions to offset untenable matrix pricing being offered for 5G installations. The call to action for a national …
Key execs believe certified tower technicians will lead the nation’s continuous build programs
Attendees at NATE UNITE 2022 were provided an executive level overview of how field personnel will be taking control of their future as the wireless workforce becomes increasingly dependent upon new skillsets that will be required of technicians. The session, which also identified why companies are motivated to assist in their success, was presented by Mark Ciarfella, EVP, Domestic Operations, …
Dish courts contractors for its wireless build at NATE UNITE 2022
Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen complimented attendees at the NATE UNITE 2022 conference last week for assisting in ensuring that his company’s upcoming 5G stand-alone network will cover 20% of Americans with 5G by a federally mandated June deadline. Recalling the NATE 2020 conference in Raleigh, NC, Ergen said, “We hadn’t built a tower yet, and two years later we’ve …
As the labor pool tightens, contractors are sweetening employment offerings with bonuses
Wireless contractors and other infrastructure companies are offering bonuses to attract new hires and are rewarding employees who refer job seekers from other companies as well as inexperienced candidates that remain with the company for a set period of months. A review of Wireless Estimator help wanted ads found many companies offering from $1,000 to $5,000 sign-on bonuses as a carrot …
Bogus BLS averages put larger wireless contractors at a greater risk of being red-flagged
Avetta and other compliance vendors continue to use the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to initially assess the safety culture and performance of wireless contractors through metrics such as the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) average. Compliance vendors red flag contractors if their TRIR exceeds the BLS’s current TRIR averages, even though they are aware …
DISH Chairman Ergen and FCC’s Carr added to NATE UNITE’s stellar lineup of keynotes and presenters
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that DISH Co-Founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr will participate in a Q & A Keynote Fireside Chat at the NATE UNITE 2022 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The keynote session will be moderated by prominent industry analyst Jennifer Fritzsche, Head of North American Telecom and Digital Infrastructure …
DISH Network appoints John Swieringa as its new wireless prexy as pressures mount to launch in Las Vegas
DISH Network has named John Swieringa as President and Chief Operating Officer of DISH Wireless. In this expanded role, he will be responsible for all operational aspects of DISH’s wireless business including the deployment and management of DISH’s virtualized, O-RAN 5G broadband network. Swieringa also will continue to lead DISH’s retail wireless business, and oversee day-to-day wireless activities. The Sweiringa announcement comes at …
The 10 biggest wireless infrastructure news stories of 2021 can be distilled down to one
In assessing Wireless Estimator’s Top 10 News stories in 2021, there were dozens to choose from pertaining to safety, fatalities, 5G infrastructure, COVID-19, workforce shortages, and Dish’s ambitious buildout. However, there was one story that dwarfed all others in readership and its ability to shape 2021 and beyond – NATE’s full-court press in exposing and championing its core contractor members’ concerns regarding …
Dish’s new deployment software might benefit contractors
Dish Network Corporation has selected NEXSYS-ONE for end-to-end, cloud-based network deployment software solutions to manage Dish’s nationwide 5G network build. In a press release, Dish said “NEXSYS-ONE’s unique platform supports Dish’s network deployment with speed and agility, allowing for seamless integration of project, inventory and financial management.” Dish said the software has modules that support project management, procurement, asset management, …
It’s possible the infrastructure bill will require tower techs and other workers to receive huge pay increases
Since the text of the infrastructure bill was released earlier this month, industry media have been surgically dissecting the limited details in the $1.2 trillion act that provides $65 billion for the nation’s broadband development. What is known is that $42.45 billion will be funneled to states to fund projects each state approves independently, if their telecommunications provider can offer speeds …
SBA’s Stoops believes Q2 was the start of a multi-year increase in U.S. wireless carrier capex
SBA Communications Corp. on Monday reported its second quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company’s shares have increased 21% since the beginning of the year. This morning SBAC was trading at $348.62, inching towards its 52-week high of $350.63. The Boca Raton, FL-based real estate investment trust said it had funds from operations of $293.5 million, or $2.64 …
Dish wants contractors to ‘accept or reject’ unprofitable blue plate special colo pricing
Dish Wireless’s urgency to build out their 5G mobile network has been long-seen by many wireless contractors as their sought after savior that would allow them to move a segment of their workforce to more profitable work than the depressed market pricing they are being offered by many carriers or their turfing vendors. However, the expected supply and demand shift …
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