The Florence County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) is seeking public assistance in an investigation involving the theft of copper-bearing transmission line from a communications site at 2423 Walker-Swinton Road in Florence County, SC, where authorities say two individuals damaged and removed coaxial cable used to transmit radio signals to antennas. The site contains two guyed communications towers—one standing 620 feet tall …
Crown Castle says DISH defaulted on payments, terminates tower agreement claiming $3.5 Billion owed
Crown Castle Inc. issued a press release late this afternoon, stating that DISH Wireless has defaulted on its payment obligations, prompting the tower operator to terminate its wireless infrastructure agreement and seek recovery of more than $3.5 billion in remaining payments purportedly owed under the contract. The announcement came just hours after DISH filed its formal response Friday evening to Crown …
DISH files its response in Crown Castle’s MSA lawsuit, echoing its defense used against American Tower
DISH Network filed its formal response Friday to Crown Castle’s lawsuit, reinforcing a legal strategy it first deployed earlier this year in its answer to American Tower’s similar complaint. Together, the filings underscore a widening dispute between DISH and the nation’s largest tower owners over the interpretation and enforcement of long-term master service agreements (MSAs). At the outset, it is …
Appeals court upholds DISH lease ruling as Crown Castle tower payments remain in legal limbo
A Colorado appellate court has unanimously affirmed a jury verdict in favor of DISH Wireless in a $32 million lease dispute with Crown Castle, reinforcing how ambiguity in master lease agreements can carry significant financial consequences for both carriers and tower owners. The Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a Denver District Court jury’s finding that DISH did not breach its …
Verizon to pay $7.7 million to settle California environmental violations at hundreds of cell tower sites
Verizon Wireless will pay $7.7 million to resolve a statewide civil enforcement action alleging widespread violations of California environmental laws governing hazardous materials at hundreds of the company’s wireless cell tower sites, according to multiple district attorneys’ offices involved in the case. San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced the settlement, stating that violations dating back to January 2019 …
FBI raids, 340 towers, 65-year prison sentences: Why the viral YouTube story is fake
A viral YouTube video in industry circles is claiming that the Sinaloa Cartel secretly owned and operated hundreds of U.S. cell towers—using them to spy on federal agents and coordinate drug trafficking—is a fabrication, unsupported by any court records, government filings, or credible media reporting. The video, posted by the YouTube channel Truth America, which has professional narration but a …
Is It time for a sweet sixteen party, or is the SoftBank–DigitalBridge $16 acquisition deal still pending?
SoftBank Group’s agreement to acquire DigitalBridge Group, Inc., announced today, has quickly drawn attention across the digital infrastructure investment community, not only because of the transaction’s strategic importance but also because of how the $16-per-share price will be paid and whether that valuation fully captures the company’s long-term potential. How the $16 Per Share Will Be Paid According to the …
Local governments warn FCC expansion of permitting authority could trigger litigation
Local governments are warning the Federal Communications Commission that attempts to expand its authority over broadband and wireless infrastructure permitting could result in court challenges, according to the most recent filings in the agency’s ongoing “Build America” proceedings. In reply comments filed December 19, 2025, municipal organizations and local officials argue that the FCC lacks apparent statutory authority to impose …
Built for speed and performance: ConcealFab launches Side Enclosures for faster small cell rollouts
Valmont Telecom, the wireless infrastructure business of Valmont Industries, has introduced the ConcealFab Side Enclosure portfolio, a new family of RF-transparent, pole-mounted outdoor cabinets engineered to support the rapid expansion of 5G small cells, fiber networks, and private LTE/5G systems across North America. As U.S. operators deploy an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 small cells annually, and municipalities continue to tighten …
Gin pole failure claims a tech’s life on an Atlantic City tower, the 2nd fatality this week, the 6th this year
A 44-year-old tower technician died late yesterday afternoon in Atlantic City, N.J., after a gin pole reportedly failed while a crew was removing an abandoned FM pylon from atop a 347-foot self-supporting tower located off Murray Avenue, near the city’s water-treatment plant. Individuals familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity and declined to identify the technician or his employer pending …
South Carolina tower tech dies after 100-foot fall in Wisconsin, marking troubling fifth industry fatality of 2025
On Monday, December 1, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a tower technician fell from a cell tower and later succumbed to his injuries, according to the Douglas County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office in a brief statement. Sheriff Matt Izzard said his agency received a report that a male worker had fallen roughly 100 feet from a structure located off Industrial Park Road …
NATE and AT&T reach a landmark deal — What it means for the tower-contracting industry
In a move that could rewrite the business model for how America’s wireless infrastructure gets built and maintained, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and AT&T recently reached an agreement to overhaul longstanding contracting practices. According to NATE, the deal includes fundamental changes the association expects will “advance material aspects of the tower construction ecosystem,” including phasing out the “turf …
Crown Castle follows American Tower’s lead, suing DISH for attempting to walk away from its MSA
Crown Castle has become the second major tower operator to sue DISH Wireless after the carrier notified infrastructure partners of its intent to shed large portions of its wireless business through spectrum-sale transactions. Just weeks after American Tower filed suit demanding that DISH honor its long-term lease commitments despite the pending spectrum sale, Crown Castle has taken the same position, …
DigitalBridge secures $11.7 B for DBP III as demand surges for AI-era infrastructure, yet stock performance lags
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. announced a major financial milestone with the closing of its third value-added digital infrastructure fund, DigitalBridge Partners III, securing more than $7.2 billion in commitments. When combined with $4.5 billion in limited-partner co-investment commitments that accompany DBP III’s early portfolio, the firm now has amassed $11.7 billion dedicated to scaling the next generation of digital infrastructure. It …
Texas tower technician’s death leads to OSHA citation and reduced penalty of $4,500 to RB Telecom Services
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a “serious” violation and settlement fine of $4,500 to RB Telecom Services, LLC, following the fatal fall of a tower technician working on a T-Mobile build at an American Tower site in Cotton Valley, Louisiana. The incident occurred on February 17, 2025, when a 27-year-old Texas tower technician fell from a platform of …
From arbitration to Peppertree execs’ arrest warrants, Continental Towers dispute spreads across borders
A federal judge in New York has issued a civil contempt ruling against DT Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Terra Towers Corp., after the company failed to turn over documents related to an ongoing criminal investigation in Guatemala. The order, issued on November 6, 2025, is tied to efforts to enforce an arbitration award of more than $300 million issued …
Verizon and SBA Communications announce long-term tower lease agreement
Verizon and SBA Communications have announced a new long-term agreement, securing a favorable framework that will drive significant cost certainty and support the continued expansion of Verizon’s world-class 4G and 5G services. This new agreement provides the flexibility needed for Verizon to be more nimble in managing its current infrastructure asset portfolio and deploying new technologies, ensuring coverage where customers …
Boost turns to bust: American Tower sues to stop DISH ditching tower rent; towercos could lose $9 billion
American Tower has taken DISH Wireless to federal court, warning that the company’s recent multibillion-dollar spectrum selloff does not excuse its continued obligation to pay rent on thousands of cell towers across the United States—and that the financial fallout for the tower industry could be immense. In a declaratory judgment complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District …
The great telecom invoice factoring illusion: How New York financier Carriox Capital fooled the money men
New York-based Carriox Capital II LLC and its related companies — once presented as agile financing vehicles in telecom receivables — are now buried in Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings that reveal a staggering $552 million secured debt and almost no remaining assets. According to court documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York, HPS …
Tower technician fatally injured after fall from a 125-foot structure in Marion, Iowa
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Friday, October 10, the Marion, Iowa, Fire Department was dispatched to a reported tower accident at 3602 N. 10th Street in Marion, where an individual had fallen from a communications tower and was found unconscious and bleeding. Wireless Estimator was able to identify today that the deceased was tower tech Dane Eugene Picknell, age 38, of Cambridge, …
