Crown Castle’s first earnings report since outlining its transition to a “pure-play” tower operator delivered a sharp reset for employees and investors alike: the company said it will reduce its tower and corporate workforce by approximately 20%, tying the move to both its post-fiber operating model and the sudden loss of expected activity tied to DISH Wireless following the carrier’s …
Participation invited as Midwest Wireless Summit sets sail for its inaugural launch in Kansas City this August
A new regional gathering aimed at strengthening collaboration across the communications infrastructure ecosystem is preparing for its debut this summer, as organizers advance plans for the inaugural Midwest Wireless Summit, scheduled for August 17 through 19, 2026, in Kansas City. MO. Registration, sponsorships, accommodations, and panel discussions are available here. The event is being developed by members of the Midwest …
Net-90 terms surface as Verizon falls short on multiple commitments to the FCC and infrastructure contractors
Commentary — When Verizon submitted a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on May 15, 2025, it appeared—on paper—to mark a meaningful shift in how the nation’s largest wireless carrier would treat the contractors responsible for building and maintaining its network. Among the most significant commitments outlined in that filing was Verizon’s agreement to move to 30-day payment terms, a …
Verizon’s 4Q momentum supports ongoing tower and fiber work, with continued pressure on margins
Verizon’s fourth-quarter earnings, released Friday, delivered more than a financial beat—they offered several signals that matter directly to macro tower owners and the contractors who build, upgrade, and maintain Verizon’s network. Strong subscriber momentum, continued fiber expansion, and steady capital spending point to sustained field activity in 2026, even as the carrier maintains pressure on efficiency and cost control. The …
What AT&T’s 4Q results likely mean for macro tower owners and infrastructure contractors
AT&T’s fourth-quarter results and conference call yesterday were marketed as a fiber-and-convergence story. Still, the call also contained several macro-tower tells: continued wireless network modernization, spectrum deployment, and a multi-year service-revenue growth outlook that can’t be delivered without sustained macro performance. CEO John Stankey framed AT&T’s strategy as a durable blend of fiber and wireless, calling the convergence model “a …
Tower company executives urge FCC Chairman Carr to require escrow funds to cover Dish’s infrastructure debts
Executives from the nation’s largest tower companies and wireless infrastructure trade association met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr earlier this month to press for conditions on EchoStar’s multibillion-dollar spectrum transactions, according to an FCC ex parte filing submitted by the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). A January 12, 2026 termination notice sent by DISH Wireless to tower site lessors, asserting that …
Fern’s ice loading strains power and backhaul, towers remain upright under design standards
A January 26, 2026, Communications Status Report issued by the Federal Communications Commission provides a nationwide snapshot of how communications networks performed as Winter Storm Fern moved across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. The report is based on carrier submissions through the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), which the FCC activated and expanded as freezing rain and ice spread into additional …
Transmission line theft at SC site under investigation as authorities probe damage to one or more towers
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, …
