Global investment firm Carlyle announced that funds managed by its Global Infrastructure platform have committed up to $1 billion to partner with Tillman Global Holdings to accelerate its investments in Tillman Infrastructure, a leading privately held cell tower platform in the United States. Since its founding in 2016, Tillman Infrastructure has become one of the largest providers of build-to-suit tower …
Stainless marks a storied 75 years of pioneering leadership in the broadcast industry
FDH Infrastructure Services, LLC (FDH), a leader in engineering investigations of critical structures and developer of global technology solutions, is proudly commemorating the 75th anniversary of Stainless, its broadcast division. Officially incorporated on July 24, 1947, Stainless has been pioneering innovations in tower design, fabrication, erection, modifications, safety, and reliability – holding the longest and most distinguished history in the …
Tower titan Michael T.N. Fitch passes, leaving the industry with a more stable environment
Michael T.N. Fitch passed away on July 22, 2022, leaving behind a rich legacy of assisting towercos and carriers in advancing infrastructure siting. Fitch spent the first 20 years of his extensive career at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he advanced from Staff Attorney to Division Chief, Bureau Chief, and ultimately Senior Legal and International Advisor to the Chairman. …
Offering no standards guidance, CWA says safety bulletin ‘threat’ has the tone of an ‘irate boss’
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) Tower Climbers Union has jumped on the carabiner bandwagon of concern regarding a recent NATE advisory bulletin on July 20, 2022, that stated, “Carabiners are NOT intended for rigging applications involving material handling and overhead lifting,” after a LinkedIn article said that the ANSI A10.48 standard allows carabiners to be used if they are “specifically classified by the manufacturer …
Use of a carabiner for load lifting provided varied responses but client requirements still reign
NATE’s July 20, 2022 industry advisory bulletin that carabiners are not intended for rigging applications involving material handling and overhead lifting saw a slew of Facebook comments in the past six days that had some posters defending the use of carabiners for those purposes that are largely prohibited by major tower owners whose structures tower techs are erecting or providing …
Topping estimates, all Valmont segments are up in Q2 financial report but telecommunications shines
Shares of Valmont Industries (VMI) hit their highest level in more than a month, gaining 7.8% to $256.53 in noontime trading after the infrastructure and agricultural solutions provider reported Q2 2022 results that beat estimates and raised its FY guidance. In the past five days, the stock has seen a rise of $31.59, a 14.08% increase. Valmont said that it had record sales …
Contractors warned using carabiners for material rigging applications could suspend future work
Industry stakeholders have issued a warning that no matter how strong a carabiner is, companies using them for material handling and overhead lifting could see a loss of work when their jobs are shut down. NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association said today that on July 13, 2022, the organization became aware of an article titled “Rigging is a Dynamic …
Death of a tower worker falling off a 300-foot Crown Castle guyed tower proves to be incorrect
News reports on Monday described an industry fatality when a tower technician fell off a guyed tower that he was working on in Anderson, SC. However, the reporting was incorrect. TV station WSPA said a man working on a tower in Anderson County had been found dead and cited the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) as stating the man fell …
Tribute to tower technicians in a new NATE video is a well-deserved acknowledgement of their importance
Tower technicians are undeniably the indispensable linchpins that keep America’s communications networks operating. Without them, everything falls apart, and NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has released a new, animated whiteboard video that details the truly prominent role they perform in building out and maintaining the country’s wireless networks – from 1G to 5G and beyond. The tribute to the …
Placing pipe bombs at AT&T and Verizon locations could result in a ‘life’ sentence for Michigan man
A Whittemore, Michigan man might spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty yesterday to two separate criminal cases related to the placement of explosive packages outside cellphone stores in Cheboygan and Sault Ste Marie and threatening to destroy cell sites. John Douglas Allen pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington in Bay City, Michigan. …
Northleaf to acquire a 40 percent interest in Vodafone’s New Zealand tower business for $1.1 billion
Northleaf Capital Partners (Northleaf), a leading global private markets investment firm, today announced that funds managed by Northleaf will acquire a 40% interest in Aotearoa Towers Limited (Aotearoa) a mobile tower infrastructure business, from Vodafone New Zealand Limited (Vodafone). The completion of this transaction will create New Zealand’s largest independent tower company, with approximately 1,500 wholly-owned towers covering 98% of …
In an early morning fire, a Crown Castle tower gets ‘lit up like a Christmas tree’
A 162-foot self-supporting multi-tenant cell tower became engulfed in flames early this morning in Seattle, WA near the busy intersection of I-90 and I-5 south of downtown in the International District. According to Seattle Fire Department Chief Geoff Wall, the fire that was reported at 3:00 a.m. was in one place on the tower when firefighters arrived but then changed …
Majority interest in 40K of Deutsche Telekom’s towers acquired by DigitalBridge and Brookfield
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. announced this morning that together with Brookfield Infrastructure and its institutional partners the companies have reached an agreement to acquire a 51% ownership stake in Deutsche Telekom-owned GD Towers. The transaction values GD $17.5 billion, including the assumption of net debt. GD Towers is Germany’s largest tower company, owning and operating over 33,000 towers and communication sites in …
A reverse stock split is oftentimes cautionary, but DigitalBridge Group says it’s all part of the grand plan
A reverse stock split oftentimes signals that a company is trying to stay listed on major exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange, where a company’s shares are required to not trade below $1 for 30 consecutive days. NYSE-traded DigitalBridge Group announced yesterday that within the next three months the company expects to have a reverse stock split in …
New New York broadband map sports a high 78% coverage
The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has released a first-of-its-kind, interactive broadband map to provide the most detailed depiction of broadband infrastructure in New York to date. The map, available here, along with an accompanying report, is the result of months of field assessments conducted by the Commission in the state’s most remote areas, covering more than 80,000 …
Towerco stocks tank as Communication Services Sector declines 33% and REIT Index shaves 23%
Towerco stocks notched a slight increase on Friday, but they’re still way off their 52-week highs. All four of the publicly traded companies saw significant declines beginning in December 2021, with considerable losses last week. DigitalBridge Group is down a reeling 45%, while Crown Castle Int. Corp. declined 26%, and SBA Communications Corp. saw a 25% drop. American Tower Corp. …
After decades of leadership, SBA’s Bagwell and Hunt are retiring, Cane and Koenig to succeed them
SBA Communications Corporation (SBA) today announced that Kurt L. Bagwell, Executive Vice President and President – International, and Thomas P. Hunt, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, will retire from their current titles and roles effective January 1, 2023. Succeeding Bagwell and Hunt will be two long-time SBA officers and industry veterans. Richard Cane, currently Senior Vice …
Vodafone trials harvesting the wind with the UK’s first live ‘self-powering’ cell tower in Wales
Vodafone has switched on the UK’s first live wind- and solar-powered cell tower in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The mast will provide 4G coverage to the surrounding community The specially designed tower, which potentially removes the need for a connection to the national electricity grid, could provide connectivity to ‘not-spots’ in the UK’s most remote and inaccessible locations – helping the industry …
Telecom advocate Patrick Halley to lead WIA as its President and CEO
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today named communications policy veteran and association leader Patrick Halley as the organization’s incoming President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2022. Halley joins WIA from USTelecom – The Broadband Association where he serves as Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy and General Counsel and leads the association’s policy development and advocacy efforts before …
It’s official: Dish Network meets the FCC’s 20% U.S. coverage deadline as it turns on 5G in 128 cities
Yesterday morning, some media reports suggested that Dish Network might not be able to meet its FCC-mandated June 14 deadline to cover 20 percent of the US population with its 5G network. One report said that the nation’s newest carrier was “poised” to fail and could possibly see its spectrum licenses being revoked and feasibly have to pay fines of up to …
