The Women of NATE (WON) lit up Baltimore on Thursday, September 18, 2025, with the Fifth Annual Women’s Leadership Summit—a dynamic celebration of leadership, learning, and connection. With a record-setting 130 passionate attendees and the backing of 24 generous sponsors, the summit was nothing short of electric. From start to finish, the day was filled with high-energy programming that blended …
Two sides of the same coin: Why fiber contractors are rallying behind a new petition—and why NATE’s playbook matters
A new petition circulating in the fiber-construction community by PACTEL argues that conditions facing wireline fiber companies mirror the pressures long documented by wireless contractors—thin margins, take-it-or-leave-it MSAs, slow change-order approvals, and payment delays that cascade into layoffs, safety compromises, and business failures. Parallels to NATE’s campaign It’s a message that tracks closely with the themes NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors …
Tilson’s $22 million sale to ITG Communications underscores the deep discount of a distressed auction
Wireless Estimator’s early presumption that Tilson would ultimately sell at a “fire sale” price following its bankruptcy has proven correct. Despite the company’s July balance sheet superficially showing more than $361 million in assets, Tilson announced in a press release Friday that it had selected an offer from ITG Communications, LLC for approximately $22 million as the highest and best …
NATE’s Tough Tower video captures skill, safety, speed—and Verità’s win
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has released a new video that highlights the skill, safety, and teamwork on display at the 2025 Tough Tower Event in North Jackson, Ohio, held in June. The annual competition, built around real-world tasks in climbing, safety, rescue, rigging, installation, and speed, is designed to showcase the technicians who keep America’s communications networks running. …
Deadly consequences: NATE survey seeks to prevent rope-related incidents
Rope failure in the telecommunications industry isn’t just inconvenient — it can be deadly. Despite the critical role ropes play in rigging, fall protection, and rescue operations, the industry continues to see rope-related incidents, some with catastrophic consequences. Now, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, is sounding the alarm and calling on workers and leaders across the industry to take …
Brattle report: Big 3 carriers’ monopsony power squeezes U.S. wireless infrastructure sector’s contractors
A new economic report by The Brattle Group warns of “market failure” in the U.S. wireless infrastructure services industry, citing the outsized buying power of the nation’s three largest wireless carriers. Commissioned by NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, the report finds that Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile – which collectively control roughly 97% of the wireless market – wield monopsony …
PPE carabiner or rigging connector? New video shows why not understanding the difference could be fatal
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released a video shining a spotlight on the industry’s utilization of carabiners and quick rigging connectors. The video, the fourth to Debut in Volume 8 of the Association’s popular #ClimberConnection series, was filmed as part of the NATE Safety Equipment Manufacturers’ Committee (SEMC) annual testing event at the University of Dayton Research Institute …
Media spotlighted DEI rollback—but buried T-Mobile’s contractor rescue deal brokered by the FCC and NATE
As the FCC greenlit T-Mobile’s acquisitions of U.S. Cellular and Metronet on Friday, most headlines centered on T-Mobile’s abrupt halting of DEI programs—a move widely viewed as a strategic concession to win regulatory favor. However, buried beneath the coverage is a much more urgent issue: the survival of wireless contractors, who have been crippled by years of aggressive matrix pricing …
T-Mobile–NATE landmark agreement targets 1099 abuse, matrix pricing and subcontractor reform
A new agreement between NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and T-Mobile, signed on July 8, promises significant improvements for wireless contractors who have been struggling to maintain a semblance of profitability with current take-it-or-leave-it matrix pricing. Under the framework, T-Mobile will implement site-specific and regionally adjusted pricing, introduce a transparent “Scope to Quote” tool by September 1, and raise …
FCC Chair Carr: Real tower work deserves real wages, not 1099 exploitation by unvetted and foreign crews
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr returned to familiar ground last week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota—both literally and politically—to unveil what he’s calling the “Build America Agenda,” a sweeping deregulatory policy initiative aimed at accelerating infrastructure deployment, restoring U.S. leadership in wireless and space, and reforming the labor environment for America’s telecom workforce. Carr delivered the speech at VIKOR’s tower climber …
Trusty’s FCC confirmation signals pro-deployment shift for wireless infrastructure contractors
UPDATE – The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty for a full five-year term as commissioner of the FCC this afternoon in a 53–45 vote. The tally matched the Senate’s vote the night before, which approved Trusty to serve the remaining days of former Chair Jessica Rosenworcel’s term, ending June 30. Trusty was nominated for both the short-term appointment and the full term by …
NWSA and NATE announce strategic transfer of practical exam program to support workforce development
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) and NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association jointly announced today the strategic transfer of the NWSA Telecommunications Tower Technician (TTT) Practical Exam Program to NATE. Originally developed by industry subject matter experts, the TTT Practical Exam Program was a key component of NWSA’s certification process, designed to assess the hands-on competencies of tower technicians. …
‘Tough Tower’ climbers shine in 2025 Ohio showdown with Verità Telecommunications capturing the crown
The 2025 Tough Tower competition brought together seven teams of elite tower climbers from across the country last weekend in North Jackson, OH, each aiming to take the top spot—and a significant cash prize—in an event focused on safety, skills, and careers in the telecommunications industry. Preliminary challenges took place on June 5, with semifinal and final rounds on June …
Senator Cruz’s spectrum auction revival push aims to inject up to $88 billion into the U.S. economy
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to conduct spectrum auctions—central to deploying next-generation wireless networks—has expired. But a significant move by Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has energized efforts to reauthorize that authority and reinvigorate the U.S. spectrum pipeline. His proposal, included in the recently released budget reconciliation text, is now gaining powerful industry backing. Sen. …
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 …
A huge win for contractors is seen in AT&T acquiring Lumen’s mass markets fiber business for $5.75 billion
When AT&T’s $5.75 billion deal to buy Lumen’s Mass Markets fiber business, announced yesterday, closes in the first half of 2026, it won’t just turbocharge AT&T’s network footprint—it will also give tower crews a powerful new lever. Because the FCC must sign off on the assignment of Lumen’s interstate service authorizations, AT&T is almost sure to face the same kind …
Verizon answers NATE’s call: Turfing phased out, matrix pricing and other requirements will be overhauled
After NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association issued an urgent open letter warning that the contracting industry would implode without meaningful carrier reform, Verizon sprang into action, reaching out immediately to tackle contractors’ top concerns. Together, they forged a breakthrough contracting framework: the turfing model will be retired, and no contractor will be forced into unsustainable matrix pricing. This bold …
NATE’s Washington fly-in takes on ‘fly-by-night’ contractors and carriers’ take-it-or-leave-it rates
Nearly 90 representatives from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association member companies converged in Washington, D.C. last week to participate in the Association’s 2025 Member Congressional Fly-In event on Capitol Hill, where members demonstrated their grassroots prowess by participating in approximately 125 individual meetings with members of Congress and their respective policy staff. During the meetings, NATE members advocated for …
Tower techs take center stage today: Honoring the Backbone of Network Connectivity
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled a commemoration declaring, May 7, 2025 as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. For the 8th consecutive year, a day has been set aside by NATE and the industry to pay tribute to the vital work that communications infrastructure technicians conduct daily to enable a connected world. Tower Technician Appreciation Day coincides with the 2025 NATE …
NATE showcases TIRAP career pathways supported by WIA in a new video on National Apprenticeship Day
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released a video highlighting the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) as part of National Apprenticeship Day, being celebrated today. The video features an informative conversation between host Sean Gilhooley, Deb Bennett from WIA: The Wireless Infrastructure Association, and Joel Hightower, CEO of Hightower Communications of Kinston, NC, discussing the value of apprenticeships in the communications …
