Last Thursday, NATE partnered with founding member company Teltronic Towers, Inc. to host officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and OSHA at a communications tower site in Frederick, Md. During the visit, officials from U.S. SBA and OSHA witnessed in real-time a Teltronic Towers crew replacing cellular antennas with upgraded antennas and equipment at a monopole site. The U.S. …
NATE and Warriors4Wireless announce a strong industry partnership
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and Warriors4Wireless (W4W) today announced a collaborative partnership to enhance ties between the two organizations and further advance workforce development initiatives in the industry. As part of the agreement, NATE joins a select group of prominent organizations and companies in the industry to be promoted as an official supporting partner of W4W. Additionally, W4W …
Coalition of organizations endorse Communications and Jobs Training Act of 2018 legislation
A diverse coalition of influential communications industry organizations today announced their endorsement of H.R. 5639 – The Communications and Jobs Training Act of 2018.Organizations supporting the legislation include CTIA, Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), Rural Wireless Association (RWA), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Utilities Technology Council (UTC) and …
Industry pride shines as Pat Cipov is selected as Wireless Hall of Fame honoree
Accolades from all quarters of the industry have been coming in for Pat Cipov who was selected by the Wireless History Foundation (WHF) last week as one of its 2018 Wireless Hall of Fame honorees – the most recognized and highest honor acknowledging the leadership, innovation and achievement of each honoree in the wireless industry. In making the announcement, the …
ATC misjudges industry pushback and pulls back onerous contractor amendment
In a measure to prevent other towercos from building sites near their structures, and obtain some of their tenants with more favorable lease rates, American Tower Corp. informed their contractors late last month that if they assisted in the construction of a macro tower site within one-half mile of one of their existing towers they would be dropped from their …
Less ‘headache’ calls championed by NATE’s new dropped object video
When a tool or other object is accidentally dropped by a technician from a tower, the customary bellow to those below is to yell ‘headache’ – the customary warning of a dangerous, possibly deadly situation. Desirous of Aleveiating headache concerns, the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today unveiled a video entitled “Look out Below” that focuses on the risks associated with dropped objects …
NATE unveils Spanish edition of popular climber training standard
NATE today announced that the fourth edition of the NATE Tower Climber Fall Protection Training Standard (NATE CTS), one of the Association’s signature resources, is now available in Spanish. The Norma de Capacitación de Protección contra Caidas para Trepadores de Torres de la NATE establishes the minimum requirements to which all tower climbers should be trained. The NATE CTS outlines …
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 …
Company calendars should be checked for June 11 NATE WIN regional conference
On Monday, June 11, 2018, NATE WIN will host the Rocky Mountain Regional Conference at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. NATE members and non-members alike are encouraged to attend this conference. The cost to attend the Rocky Mountain Regional Conference is $75 per person and includes lunch. Interested attendees can register by completing the Registration Form …
All tower techs get to bask in the limelight on appreciation day
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today unveiled a commemoration declaring Wed., May 9, 2018 as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. For the second consecutive year, a day has been set aside by NATE to coincide with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down Week in order to pay tribute to the important work that tower technicians conduct on a daily basis to …
FCC Commissioner Carr gets an enlightening Cook’s tour of tower site work
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr today conducted a site visit to a communications tower located in Noblesville, Ind. The tour was facilitated by representatives from NATE, Crown Castle and Heartland Solutions Corporation. During his time spent on site, Carr visited with technicians and staff from NATE member companies Heartland Solutions and Crown Castle to discuss the work that is conducted on …
NATE Chairman Jim Tracy delivers a keynote address at STAC 2018
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) is playing a significant role this week at the 3rd Annual Structure, Tower and Antenna Council (STAC) Conference & Exposition in Calgary, Alberta. The STAC event, which began yesterday, is being held April 17-18 at the Hyatt Regency Calgary Hotel. NATE Chairman Jim Tracy delivered a STAC 2018 keynote presentation today entitled The …
“I Don’t Need a Gym Membership” video is a great workforce development initiative
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a video highlighting the physical rigors and challenges that make communications tower work rewarding. The video is a companion series to the Association’s popular #ClimberConnection campaign and is a vital component of NATE’s workforce development outreach to promote the profession and attract new workers into the industry. The video, entitled “I …
Organizations applaud new rules that curb 5G ‘cash cow’ reviews
The FCC helped clear the way for wireless providers to deploy hundreds of thousands of small antennas for use in 5G services by easing historic and environmental reviews before equipment is installed, and limiting American Indian tribes’ authority over the installations. In a 3-to-2 Republican-led vote for its Wireless Infrastructure Streamlining Report and Order, the FCC said that installing the …
NATE’s Music City show ends on a ‘real’ record high note
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that last week’s NATE UNITE 2018 conference in Nashville, Tenn. set a new attendance record of 1,856 registrants. The organization’s all-time conference attendee total in its 23-year show history exceeded the previous attendance registration record of 1,801 at NATE UNITE 2017 in Fort Worth, Tex. NATE leaders also recognized the high …
Cipov, Miller and Blackburn honored at NATE UNITE 2018 awards luncheon
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today honored Pat Cipov, President of Cipov Enterprises, Inc. in Sumter, S.C.; Pat Miller, Director of EasTex Tower, LLC in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Congressman Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Representative for the 7th District of Tennessee during the Awards Luncheon sponsored by SBA Communications at NATE UNITE 2018 in Nashville, Tenn.Cipov was honored as the recipient …
Tower Family Foundation and NATE assist Indiana student with memorial scholarship
The Tower Family Foundation and National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today jointly announced that Corey Gilreath, a junior civil engineering student from Evansville, Ind., has been named as the 2018 recipient of the Ernie Jones Memorial Civil Engineering Scholarship at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Ind. Gilreath already has significant real-world experience, having spent the past four years …
Thanks to the Women of NATE, Nashville confab is off to a running start
Participants who walked the 3.1 mile loop around the Gaylord Opryland resort, had the opportunity to network and enjoy each other’s company, but for some, their time to finish took precedence and it showed with the first three male finishers being Ross Evans, Anthony Castillo and Jim Murdock. The top three female participants were Heather Delz, Jeanne Piercy and Danielle …
Executives Tracy, Miller and Dougherty to lead NATE in 2018
NATE announced today that Board of Directors’ members Jim Tracy, Jim Miller and Kevin Dougherty were elected to serve on the Association’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year. The Association made the announcement on the first day of the NATE UNITE 2018 Conference and Exposition in Nashville, Tenn. Jim Tracy, CEO of Legacy Telecommunications was re-elected to serve as NATE …
Lawsuit targets multiple companies in Ernie Jones’ tragic death
The widow of a well-respected and prominent Indiana structural engineer who died on Oct. 21, 2015 when he was crushed to death between an elevator and a guyed tower’s structural members has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Oklahoma, where the incident occurred, against the owner of the tower, the manufacturer of the structure, the elevator manufacturer, and a contractor …