Every year the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) adds new educational and event activities to it annual convention, the acknowledged premiere conference for the wireless construction and maintenance industry. This year is no exception as the organization introduces its free exhibit hall passes during the Feb. 19 through Feb. 22 NATE UNITE 2018 event at the Gaylord Opryland Resort …
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 …
NATE members enable networks to enjoy record Super Bowl LII data surge
All eyes will be laser-focused on Sunday’s Super Bowl LII kickoff, and it’s unlikely that they’ll even notice eyeball orbs above them containing dozens of cellular antennas improving coverage at ground level. Or Verizon’s antennas hidden in stairway handrails and under some seats. With the lowest asking price for a ticket on the secondary market going for $6,743 this afternoon …
Congressman Marsha Blackburn to headline NATE UNITE 2018 awards luncheon
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has been named as the inaugural recipient of the organization’s Legislative Champion Award. Blackburn will be presented with the honor and is slated to deliver keynote remarks at the NATE UNITE 2018 Awards Luncheon. The Awards Luncheon, sponsored by SBA Communications, is scheduled to take place …
Washington’s ‘Little Red Book’ could easily save tower tech lives
The State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries’ (L&I) extensive Safety Standards for Telecommunications became effective Jan. 1, 2018, and in order to get the rule into workers’ hands, the agency, at no cost to the individual or their company, is providing a downloadable copy of the 129-pages of rules in Chapter 296-32 WAC. The department is also providing …
Tower Family Foundation golf invitational set for February 18 in Nashville
You can get an early start to your 2018 golf season by hitting the links and participating in the inaugural Tower Family Foundation Golf Invitational. This fun event will take place the day before the annual NATE UNITE conference begins on Sunday, Feb. 18 at the Gaylord Springs Golf Club in Nashville, Tenn. The event is powered by NATE’s Wireless …
NATE offering free rigger awareness training throughout the country
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today the dates and locations for their 2018 Rigger Awareness Training Courses. Twelve courses will be hosted nationwide and will be offered free of charge to attendees due to a Susan Harwood Training Grant (SH-31235-SH7) from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Throughout 2018, NATE is planning to …
FCC gets serious about putting 4,200 ‘twilight towers’ in the spotlight
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) applauded the FCC’s significant vote to seek public comment on a plan to exclude from routine historic preservation review the collocation of wireless communications equipment on “twilight towers”. It has been estimated by the FCC that those structures total more than 4,200 nationwide. The affirmative vote from …
Four NATE Directors re-elected as Ray joins Board for the first time
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released the official results of the 2018 Board of Directors election, announcing that candidates Kevin Dougherty, President of MILLENNIA CONTRACTING, Inc. in New Castle, Del.; John Paul Jones, President of Tower & Turbine Technologies LLC in Austin, Tex.; Bryan Lee, President of Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc. in Hellertown, Pa and …
NATE highlights really remote tower site access
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today released a breathtaking video on the topic of operating snow tracked vehicles to access tower sites in remote locations. The video, the latest to make its debut as part of Volume 2 of the NATE Climber Connection series, is designed to emphasize the exciting opportunities available in the industry for those workers …
College football coaching legend Lou Holtz to keynote NATE UNITE 2018’s conference
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that legendary college football coach, prominent motivational speaker and best-selling author Lou Holtz will deliver the keynote address at the NATE UNITE 2018 Conference in Nashville, Tenn. NATE UNITE 2018 will take place February 19-22, 2018 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. NATE UNITE is widely regarded as the premier and most …
FedEx Ground’s safety chief is President Trump’s pick to lead OSHA
Scott A. Mugno, vice president for Safety, Sustainability and Vehicle Maintenance at FedEx Ground in Pittsburgh, Pa., has been nominated by President Trump to be assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. Whereas the former chief of OSHA, David Michaels, came from academia, Mugno comes from a safety-centric organization that has more than 100,000 fleet vehicles and more …
Tower Family Foundation highlights its incredible results
In an act of transparency, the Tower Family Foundation, a 501c-3 non-profit, today touted the organization’s strong financial management and stewardship track record in an industry-wide announcement. Independent certified public accounting firm Vilhauer, Raml & Snyder LP calculated that the Tower Family Foundation’s administrative expenses for the year ending December 31, 2016 as a percentage of total revenue was 3.36%. …
NATE’s STAR Initiative participants represent the gold standard for safety and quality
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today announced the member companies who have been formally approved to participate in the STAR Initiative program for the 2017-2018 year. The NATE STAR Initiative is currently entering its seventh year and is the Association’s signature program designed to help companies operate safely and recognize tower contractors, owners and carriers who voluntarily adhere to …
Copyright accusations fly as Washington adopts its extensive telecom safety standard
The State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted their Safety Standards for Telecommunications, Chapter 296-32, on Monday with a Jan. 1, 2018 effective date for the comprehensive 106 pages of rules. Industry associations had challenged some of the major inclusions, but the final version released yesterday saw mostly definition changes, and clarity revisions that do not require …
NATE unveils DAS video featuring Super Bowl LII venue at U.S. Bank Stadium
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today unveiled a Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) video as part of Volume 2 of the popular Climber Connection series. The video was released at the NATE Wireless Industry Network (WIN) Great Plains Regional Conference in Bloomington, Minn. The fast-paced video highlights the explosive growth of DAS and the essential role this technology plays …
Northeast wireless regional safety summit features all-star speakers
Turnkey Safety Solutions has announced the lineup for its exciting keynotes and panels for the Northeast Wireless Safety Summit (NEWSS). Many of the speakers are safety professionals, insurance experts and other prominent members of the wireless community interested in promoting the importance of safety, training and the most modern techniques for protecting workers from the inherent hazards. The event is …
Tower techs’ repack role and frontline disaster activities heralded before Congress
National Association of Tower Erectors Chairman Jim Tracy provided key testimony today before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing, taking the opportunity to stress the important role that tower technicians play in maintaining America’s communications. The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), conducted the hearing (video below) entitled “The Broadcast Incentive Auction: …
Hardened sites and resupply keep downed cell sites from Hurricane Harvey at 365
Even though flood waters are rising, there was only one additional cell site out of service today from yesterday as a result of Hurricane Harvey’s relentless rainfall in Texas and Louisiana. Carriers are attributing it to hardened cell sites and their disaster recovery plans that have intensified following previous hurricanes such as Sandy in 2012. There are 4.7% of the cell …
Tower climbers have the ideal opportunity for the greatest solar eclipse photographs
The total solar eclipse on Mon., Aug. 21, 2017 will be visible along a narrow strip of approximately 70 miles wide, spanning from Oregon to South Carolina. The first industry company where employees can walk outside their office and take in the first total solar eclipse to sweep the U.S. coast-to-coast in 99 years is Slatercom of Salem, Ore. beginning …
