Update: September 6, 2020 — The FCC has released its 40-page draft of its plan to streamline review of requests to add limited space at the bottom of existing towers for backup power, low-latency computing, and multiple providers to be housed at one site. September 5, 2020 — FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced this afternoon the next step in the FCC’s …
AM station totals are still declining as FM educational broadcasters continue to soar
At the end of the third quarter, according to statistics just released by the FCC, AM and FM commercial stations continued to close their doors with 41 AM stations going out of business and 24 FM stations going silent in the past 12 months. FM educational stations, however, boosted declining radio stations with a gain of 74. In its heyday …
FCC fines Sandwich Isles and its founder $50 million for fraud
The Federal Communications Commission has fined Sandwich Isles Communications, Waimana Enterprises, and Albert S.N. Hee of Hawaii $49,598,488 for violations of Universal Service Fund program rules that resulted in millions of dollars in improper payments. The agency issued the Notice of Apparent Liability in 2016. However, the fine might be more emblematic than enforceable against Hee, 67, who appears to …
Experienced tech dies from injuries after falling off a Connecticut 80-foot tower
UPDATE: September 29, 2020 – Services have been announced for Matthew Vincent Clark, 34, of Brooklyn, CT, who died Friday, September 25, 2020 in Manchester. He was the son of Bruce and Kathi (Robinson) Clark. Matthew was the beloved husband of LeAnn (Larrow) Clark. They were married on April 25, 2009 in Canterbury. He also his daughter, Ava Clark, age …
Mount Wilson’s towers appear to have been spared as Bobcat Fire becomes contained
American Tower Corp. and InSite Towers’ management, and dozens of broadcasters, breathed out a collective but cautious sigh of relief early this morning as controlled burns around Mount Wilson in California appear to have kept at bay the Bobcat Fire that had made a renewed push to destroy the Mount Wilson Observatory and 29 communications towers. As of 3:00 a.m. …
Towercos should consider a contribution instead of a pricey plaque
Unlike phony ego-boosting vanity award scams and paid articles, Wireless Estimator’s Top 100 Tower Companies in the U.S. is the real deal. It’s a list of the industry’s top tower companies who have successfully built or acquired 10 or more macro towers. Their achievements are well known and applauded in a challenging environment. However, a Connecticut wall plaque company is …
Family of man killed in Missouri TV tower collapse sues structure’s owner and design engineer
The family of the owner of a tall tower erection company killed when a 1,891-foot TV tower collapsed near Fordland, Missouri in 2018 has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Missouri State University Board of Governors (MSU) and South Carolina-based Tower Consultants, Inc. (TCI) who contracted with MSU to retrofit their structure as part of the FCC’s repacking effort. Steve Lemay, …
T-Mobile inks a 15-year tower deal with American Tower
T-Mobile and American Tower Corporation announced today that the companies have signed a new long-term agreement designed to drive significant value for both parties over its nearly 15-year term. The new agreement enhances T-Mobile’s access to American Tower’s U.S. sites while locking in synergies and facilitating T-Mobile’s continued rapid, efficient deployment of broad and deep nationwide 5G. The agreement also …
FCC’s full day full-court press to develop O-RAN sported key industry experts
The FCC convened the top experts in the field yesterday in a ground-breaking virtual event to discuss the benefits of an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), the challenges of implementing it, and the lessons learned from recent deployments. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai lead the all-day sessions that included aroster of public- and private-sector experts who discussed the current state of …
Dish gets green light for more time to build out its licenses, but must stay in 5G lane
The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) officially gave the green light to Dish Network to reset the clock to June 14, 2023 to meet build-out requirements for its AWS and lower 700 MHz spectrum holdings. The WTB has also changed the license terms so that Dish has waived its rights to use their licenses under the Commission’s flexible-use policies. Each …
Site developer sues over towers of Madison County rejection
In the 1995 movie Bridges of Madison County, Merrill Streep and Clint Eastwood fell in love at the Roseman covered bridge in rural Winterset, Iowa. A quarter-century later, AT&T and FirstNet wanted to erect a 300-foot guyed tower four miles away in an agricultural area that required cell phone coverage. However, Madison County’s board of adjustment on August 4 wasn’t …
CTI’s 1,150 towers acquired by Melody Investment Advisors for an undisclosed price
Melody Investment Advisors LP (Melody) today announced the entry into a definitive agreement to acquire CTI Towers, Inc., an owner and manager of wireless towers in the U.S. CTI Towers is majority owned by Comcast Ventures, Comcast Corporation’s venture investment arm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close later in 2020, subject to the …
Judge rules that a Massachusetts city was correct in denying ExteNet’s poles over power concerns
In a ruling yesterday, US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs dismissed a lawsuit by ExteNet Systems against the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts and its Pole and Conduit Commission over the commission’s decision to reject five of the ExteNet’s proposed small cell wireless installations in the city because its applications did not specify how the company would power the wireless devices …
Digital Colony is interested in Crown Castle’s fiber business – Reuters
Digital Colony Partners has contacted Crown Castle International Corp to signal interest in buying a minority stake in its fiber-cable business, according to three people familiar with the matter, according to a report by Reuters today. The exclusive article states that Marc Ganzi, CEO of Digital Colony , a major investor in data centers, cell towers, fiber networks and small cell networks, has spoken …
Sprint and T-Mobile settle Manhattan $2 million townhouse damage claim in a New York minute
Justice is said to be blind but no one ever said it was fast, especially in the COVID-19 era where lawsuits are causing the wheels of justice to move at glacial speeds. So a lawsuit that was filed by homeowners in June against Sprint and T-Mobile alleging that they installed 5G antennas on a Manhattan penthouse that caused damage to …
Elderly Vertical Bridge AM tower goes horizontal after being walloped by 130 mph winds
A 310-foot self-supporting tower owned by Vertical Bridge that broadcast WMT-AM radio’s signal throughout Iowa collapsed last week after tornado-type winds swept through Linn County. According to the National Weather Service, a powerful line of severe thunderstorms known as “Derecho” tracked across Minnesotta, eastern Iowa, and northwest Illinois in the afternoon of August 10. Straight line winds were estimated to …
Reward upped to $10K for information regarding shooting deaths of two cell site workers
Two months ago, two men were shot multiple times inside a Jacksonville, Florida AT&T cell site equipment building and police are no further ahead in the investigation of their deaths that appears to have been the result of a robbery while the men were working at night resupplying battery banks. Phillip Harley, 37, co-owner of Harley and Sibs Logistics LLC, …
Vertical Bridge acquires last big broadcast tower portfolio for $213 million: Cumulus Media
In February, Cumulus Media said that the company was considering selling its tower portfolio of 250 sites across 32 states to increase its liquidity and pay down debt. On Friday, the deal was inked with Vertical Bridge picking up the assets for $213 million. Previously, CFO John Abbot said that he believes that the multiples being paid as the tower industry …
Is Ganzi’s Colony Capital at $2 an opportunity for those who missed out on profitable towerco stocks?
SBA Communications stock price closed at $311.28 Friday with American Tower’s stock at $257.61 and Crown Castle trailing at $168.19, but it’s still a price that cautious investors might shy away from during uncertain times. However, well-known wireless infrastructure magnate Marc Ganzi has what he believes is a wise investment, a $2 stock which he’s convinced has huge potential — …
California city loses $50K in annual revenue, Yurok tribe gains cultural protection
For years, residents of the City of Trinidad, California have been objecting to cell towers located atop Trinidad Head, a scenic promontory instilled with deep spiritual and cultural importance by the Tsurais of the Yurok Tribe. Trinidad leased land to Verizon, which subleased space to AT&T and Sprint. The 20-year lease expired in 2018, but was extended to as Verizon …
