NATE: The communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today officially released the 2022 Guide for Powered Ascender Use on Antenna Supporting Structures White Paper. This 10-page document is intended to address the use of Powered Ascenders in conjunction with a fixed synthetic rope for personnel ascending, descending and work positioning on telecommunications structures. There is not a recognized standard in the United …
From Davie to DC, Vertical Freedom premieres rev up excitement for its long-awaited November 1 release
With two premieres in a week, Vertical Freedom, an epic, feature-length documentary film highlighting the professional and personal lives of six communications infrastructure workers to be released on November 1 on 18 video platforms, gave attendees a first-hand look at their compelling stories. Last evening, coupled with a workforce development panel that included NATE President and CEO Todd Schlekeway, NATE …
Undocumented immigrant arrested for illegally setting Knoxville cell phone towers on fire
The Knoxville Fire Department said investigators arrested and charged a Knoxville, KY, man after there were numerous fires at cell phone tower sites. According to multiple news searches, none of them were reported in local news media since they started occurring in June of 2022. Gildardo Herrera Gonzalez, 36, was charged with one count of arson and one count of setting fire to …
Workforce shortages and last mile technology are concerns at WISPAPALOOZA
The industry’s workforce shortage and last-mile technology were critical topics during Wednesday’s virtual keynote interview between FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and WISPA CEO David Zumwalt at the Las Vegas trade show’s WISPAPALOOZA that ends today. The video can be viewed below. Noting the Biden administration’s preferences for union workforces, Carr questioned employment favoritism “when right now we have a workforce shortage,” …
Ruth Dowling will ably take over Ed DiSanto’s executive roles at American Tower
American Tower Corporation announced changes to its senior management team. Ed DiSanto intends to step down from his position as Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, and Secretary, effective January 1, 2023. Ruth Dowling, who has been with American Tower for over ten years, will succeed DiSanto in those roles. To assist in the transition of responsibilities, DiSanto …
Hopefully after his tower climb a 37-year-old felon will serve time
A 37-year-old man was arrested after fleeing officers, ramming his pickup into two sheriff’s vehicles, then climbing to the top of a 150-foot cell tower before finally giving up, the Yuba County (CA) Sheriff’s Office reported. Deputies said the incident began Saturday when they attempted a traffic stop in Marysville on a man named Michael Allan Williams. Williams stopped his Ford …
Ian’s Florida cell site outages still critical in some counties with a 28% average as deaths continue to mount
According to the FCC, the cell site outage average on Sunday dropped to 28% in the most affected Florida Counties that saw outages of 20% or higher. Although it’s a severe concern for residents and first responders still performing rescue missions, service had increased considerably since Thursday when half of the state’s cell sites were down. At least 89 people …
With 50% of Florida’s cell sites out, ‘deadliest hurricane’ prediction has loved ones on edge
“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history,” President Joe Biden said at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington on Thursday regarding Hurricane Ian. “The numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be a substantial loss of life,” Biden said. Although there have been 21 confirmed deaths reported, the deadliest hurricane on …
Liberty and Claro offer limited information regarding severe cell site outages in Puerto Rico
CORRECTION – An earlier publication of this article stated that AT&T had not issued a press release about their network’s resiliency and actions to keep the island connected following Hurricane Fiona. In 2020, AT&T sold its wireless and wireline operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to Liberty Latin America. Wireless Estimator apologizes for the misstatement. However, AT&T still …
The backstory of a teen tower climber rescue: It took a village
A Fox 8 News viewer yesterday afternoon sent Wireless Estimator an email with a link to an article on the Ohio TV station’s website that a 15-year-old boy had been rescued off of a 190-foot cell tower. With few details, it stated, “As the fire department’s ladder was not tall enough, rescuers had to put together a climbing crew, which took a …
As power is crippled by Hurricane Fiona, Puerto Rico cell service remains somewhat stable
Hurricane Fiona roared over the Dominican Republic this morning after knocking out power across all of Puerto Rico, causing damage that Governor Pedro Pierluisi said was “catastrophic.” In addition, many thousands of people were left without water service. No deaths had been reported. However, authorities said it was too early to know the full scope of damage from an expansive …
Fatal fall of a 29-year-old tower tech from a 300-foot Louisiana tower is industry’s first 2022 death
OSHA is investigating the death of a 29-year-old tower technician who fell from a guyed tower in Florien, LA, late Friday afternoon. According to multiple sources interviewed by Wireless Estimator, Jose Garcia, a resident of Mexico, fell from an unknown elevation off of a 300-foot tower owned by SBA Communications of Boca Raton, FL. The site is located off of …
Verizon signs lease deal with American Tower to boost 5G deployment
American Tower Corporation and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) announced today that they have signed a new overarching lease agreement, facilitating Verizon’s on-going 5G network deployment across American Tower’s extensive U.S. portfolio of communications sites, with over 11,000 of them on Verizon towers that American Tower acquired the rights in 2015 to lease and operate through 2045. The agreement …
Cell tower collapse kills seven children outside of a school in Jakarta
Police say at least ten people, including seven children, were killed in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, this morning after a truck crashed into a telecommunications tower near a bus stop and toppled the structure in a busy area where school children were on the street during a morning recess. The children’s ages ranged from 7 to 11 …
Harmoni Towers’ acquisition of Parallel’s structures raises them to U.S.’s second largest private towerco
Harmoni Towers (“Harmoni”), a portfolio company of Palistar Capital LP (“Palistar”), an alternative asset manager focused on mission-critical communications infrastructure, today announced that it has agreed to acquire Parallel Infrastructure (“Parallel”), a leading tower platform and build-to-suit provider, from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO) (“Apollo”). Terms were not disclosed. The transaction creates the seventh-largest …
NATE, American Tower Corporation and MILLERCO Host U.S. Senator Roger Wicker
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and member companies American Tower Corporation and MILLERCO hosted U.S. Senator Roger Wicker on a communications tower site visit in Gulfport, Mississippi yesterday. Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes also attended the event. During the site visit, Senator Wicker and Mayor Hewes toured the communications tower compound with event participants to learn about all the on-site …
T-Mobile and Starlink link up to ‘end mobile dead zones’
T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert and SpaceX founder Elon Musk said that their companies are working to “end mobile dead zones” and will launch a new mobile service enabled by Starlink second-generation satellites and T-Mobile bandwidth. Sievert and Musk announced coverage to bring cell phone connectivity everywhere. Leveraging Starlink, SpaceX’s constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, and T-Mobile’s wireless network, …
Newly minted tower techs will receive their training on IsoTruss’s carbon fiber towers
IsoTruss, Inc., an engineering, design, and manufacturing services provider, today announced the donation of two patented IsoTruss® carbon fiber cell towers to the Learning Alliance Corp. (LAC) center located in Tampa, FL. The donation will support LAC’s workforce development initiative in training cell tower climbers and technicians for the wireless telecom infrastructure industry. LAC partners with businesses in the wireless industry, which …
QualTek contests Washington regulators’ $12,000 fine for safety violations following employee’s death
QualTek Wireless LLC of Blue Bell, PA, is contesting two serious Washington State Labor and Industries (LNI) safety violations issued after an employee fell to his death in Arlington, WA, on December 4, 2021. Tower technician Michael Vasquez, 24, was working on an installation on a Crown Castle monopole when he suddenly fell from about the 140-foot level, according to authorities. The …
Vertical Bridge achieves carbon neutrality for third consecutive year
Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced that it has realized 100 percent carbon neutrality for the third consecutive year. The Company began a proactive review of its environmental footprint in 2020 which resulted in its initial CarbonNeutral® Certification that year and the subsequent renewal in 2021. “U.S. …
