COMMENTARY – The wireless infrastructure industry is in a state of emergency. For decades, tower contractors have been the backbone of the wireless network, building, upgrading, and maintaining the towers that connect the nation. But today, that backbone is buckling under the weight of unsustainable pricing, increasing compliance costs, and exploitative practices. Large and small contractors are bleeding out, and …
SpaceX and T-Mobile get green light to launch direct-to-phone connectivity, but held back on power boost
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX to use its Starlink broadband satellites to provide direct-to-phone service for T-Mobile customers. This marks the first collaboration between a satellite operator and a wireless carrier to receive FCC approval for supplemental cell coverage from space. “The Commission recognized that satellite-to-device connectivity can support critical public interest benefits, including ubiquitous connectivity, access …
DOJ wants the FCC to hit the pause button on the T-Mobile’s UScellular acquisition
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested a pause on the proposed acquisition of UScellular by T-Mobile, pending a national security review. In a filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dated November 19, 2024, the DOJ expressed concerns over potential foreign participation risks associated with the transaction. T-Mobile, led by CEO Mike Sievert, announced its intention to acquire …
CapEx climbs at big 3 carriers, offering the industry niche opportunities
By J. Sharpe Smith, Contributing Editor The major carriers appear to be healthy, generating strong cash flows, paying down debt and buying back stock. But will tower construction and maintenance companies be healthier in the coming year? That might depend on which services each company provides. Opportunities for growth in fiber, fixed wireless access, C-Band (and other spectrum), and private …
UScellular pleads its case before the FCC, stating if T-Mobile doesn’t acquire it, the future looks bleak
In a pivotal step toward finalizing T-Mobile’s acquisition of U.S. Cellular Corporation’s (UScellular) wireless assets, key representatives, including UScellular CEO Laurent C. Therivel, met with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials last week in meetings to discuss the transaction’s implications and anticipated benefits. The discussions, aimed at securing FCC consent for the transfer of control of licenses and authorizations, were held …
T-Mobile’s overtime calculation practices challenged in class action lawsuit initiated by Florida technician
T-Mobile USA, Inc., is facing a collective action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleging Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. The lawsuit, initiated by plaintiff Olvin Gomez from Palm Beach County, Florida, represents himself and similarly situated employees and claims that T-Mobile failed to calculate and pay the correct overtime rates …
Verizon’s nearly $2 billion severance charge sparks speculation of tower sale as financial pressures mount
According to a regulatory filing, Verizon expects to incur a severance charge between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion in the third quarter of 2024. This is part of a voluntary separation program the company announced in June, targeting select U.S.-based management staff. As a result of the program, approximately 4,800 eligible employees are expected to leave Verizon by the end …
Elon Musk confirms T-Mobile will get exclusive access to Starlink mobile internet for one year
Elon Musk’s Starlink and T-Mobile have partnered to expand mobile coverage by using Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. This collaboration aims to eliminate dead zones in remote areas, providing connectivity even where traditional cell towers don’t reach. The service is intended to extend T-Mobile’s network coverage to rural and isolated locations by enabling compatible T-Mobile devices to connect to Starlink …
SpaceX’s cellular service plans face strong opposition from AT&T and Verizon over interference concerns
SpaceX’s ambitious plan to offer cellular service in partnership with T-Mobile through its Starlink satellite system faces significant opposition from major telecom giants AT&T and Verizon. The two companies have submitted filings to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging regulators to reject SpaceX’s crucial waiver request. They claim that the satellite system could interfere with and degrade the quality of …
Court says workers’ compensation law provides SAC with immunity from tower site electrocution lawsuit
The Eleventh Circuit, a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, on Wednesday, declined to renew a lawsuit against SAC Wireless LLC by a crane oiler who was electrocuted and seriously injured while helping remove a crane from an American Tower site in Georgia. The court ruled that the worker was an employee …
Senators sound alarm on T-Mobile’s plan to acquire US Cellular, predict higher prices, loss of jobs
In a concerted effort to protect competition and consumers in the wireless market, a coalition of US Senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), has written a letter to Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), and Jessica …
T-Mobile may be first in line to take advantage of SCOTUS’s Chevron decision to vacate an $80 million FCC fine
On February 27, unaware that the following day, the US Supreme Court would decide to limit the broad regulatory authority of federal agencies such as the FCC, T-Mobile USA, Inc. filed a petition for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, contesting a substantial forfeiture order issued by the agency. The outcome of …
U.S. Cellular to retain tower operations amidst $4.4 billion acquisition by T-Mobile
In a strategic move within the telecom industry, T-Mobile has announced an agreement to purchase U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and select spectrum assets for $4.4 billion. This deal, which combines cash and up to $2 billion of assumed debt, is a significant step in T-Mobile’s ongoing expansion strategy, bolstering its position in the market following its recent acquisition of Mint …
Analyst Craig Moffett predicts Dish Network could face bankruptcy within six months
Craig Moffett, a senior managing director at MoffettNathanson, has issued a stark forecast for Dish Network, predicting potential bankruptcy within the next four to six months. This marks his first specific timeline following three years of warnings about the company’s financial health. The prediction followed EchoStar’s first-quarter earnings announcement on May 8, where the financial strain on Dish Network, despite …
Forget the filters: In earnings call Viavi CEO Khaykin delivers a dose of harsh reality about infrastructure builds
In a refreshing twist from the typical earnings call script, Viavi Solutions Inc.’s President and CEO, Oleg Khaykin, left analysts and investors buzzing with straightforward commentary during Thursday’s Q3 FY24 earnings discussion. Departing from the usually reserved tone of such calls, Khaykin’s blunt assertion, “Money talks and bullshit walks,” underscored his frustration with the prevailing cautious spending behaviors among Tier …
Maui Files lawsuit against Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Spectrum Mobile over failed alerts during deadly fires
Maui County has launched a lawsuit against several major wireless service providers, accusing them of failing to notify emergency management officials of network outages during the devastating wildfires on August 8, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of at least 101 people. The lawsuit was filed in Maui Circuit Court and details how the alleged communication failures hindered evacuation efforts …
Trey Pitts, EH&S manager at T-Mobile and Mike Young, CEO at ANCO, join NWSA’s Board of Governors
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced today that Trey Pitts, EH&S Program Manager at T-Mobile, and Mike Young, President & CEO at ANCO, have been appointed to the organization’s Board of Governors. In their new roles as a Board member, Pitts and Young will join representatives from a broad cross-section of the industry tasked with developing policy and overseeing …
FCC targets AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for illegal data sharing, fining them $200 million
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed fines totaling nearly $200 million on leading U.S. wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for unlawfully sharing customer location data without proper consent and adequately protecting this sensitive information. The fines stem from the carriers’ practices of selling access to this data to aggregators, who subsequently resold it to third-party service providers, …
Legal battle heats up as Bloosurf sues T-Mobile over alleged spectrum interference
In a high-stakes legal battle that could set a precedent for the telecommunications industry, Bloosurf LLC has filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile USA, Inc. and its subsidiary TDI Acquisition Sub, LLC. The lawsuit, lodged in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, accuses T-Mobile of purposefully interfering with Bloosurf’s fixed wireless broadband operations on the Eastern Shore, resulting in …
T-Mobile gets green light to appeal antitrust standing in Sprint class action lawsuit
This week, Illinois U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin has given T-Mobile the green light to appeal a potentially costly class-action lawsuit stemming from its $26 billion merger with Sprint, completed in 2020. The suit, brought forward by subscribers of AT&T and Verizon, alleges that the merger significantly reduced competition in the wireless market, compelling AT&T and Verizon to hike their …
