A Texas-based radio station network has been kicked off Vertical Bridge’s towers for ignoring its rent payments for years, forcing the company to take nine stations silent. In February 2018, Vertical Bridge, REIT Inc. purchased 43 towers and the underlying property from High Plains Radio Network, LLC of Texas (HPRN). The purchase price was not published but was likely $16 …
Industry leaders at Connect X foresee massive growth for indoor 5G networks
The wireless industry is abuzz with anticipation for the potential of bringing 5G technology indoors. This technology promises faster and more reliable connections, lower latency, and the ability to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously. During the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s (WIA) View From the Top session on Thursday at Connect X, moderated by Patrick Halley, President and CEO of …
Legal battle heats up as Bloosurf sues T-Mobile over alleged spectrum interference
In a high-stakes legal battle that could set a precedent for the telecommunications industry, Bloosurf LLC has filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile USA, Inc. and its subsidiary TDI Acquisition Sub, LLC. The lawsuit, lodged in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, accuses T-Mobile of purposefully interfering with Bloosurf’s fixed wireless broadband operations on the Eastern Shore, resulting in …
Industry influencers Adelstein and Borghei make strategic moves to new company leadership roles
Two seasoned leaders, Jonathan Adelstein and Bernard Borghei, have announced new positions within the digital infrastructure industry. Adelstein has joined TWN Communications as the new Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer. He was previously a managing director at DigitalBridge. Borghei will now be Symphony Wireless’s Chief Executive Officer. He formerly served as the Chief Revenue Officer of Tower …
Tillman Infrastructure lands $1 billion in funding to drive its growth
Tillman Infrastructure, LLC, a leading provider of wireless communication infrastructure, announced this morning the completion of a financing package totaling $1 billion. The proceeds will refinance existing loans and provide additional growth capital to support the infrastructure needs of its wireless carrier and wireless infrastructure service provider (WISP) customers. “The Tillman Infrastructure team continues to deliver industry-leading solutions for our customers,” said …
Russian missile successfully kayos a Kharkiv TV tower as tower tech warriors risk their lives to restore networks
On March 6, 2022, a Russian fighter jet attacked a television station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, releasing eight 1,100-pound bombs at the station’s 790-foot tower and the adjacent building. Despite substantial damage, the broadcasting infrastructure was quickly repaired, and operations resumed. However, a strike yesterday by a Russian cruise missile has now destroyed the upper portion of the fifth-tallest tower in Ukraine, achieving the …
NYC Comptroller Lander leverages pension fund clout for tower worker safety reporting, but is it necessary?
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, representing the five New York City pension funds, has successfully secured agreements with leading telecommunications infrastructure firms—SBA Communications Corporation (SBA), American Tower Corporation (American Tower), and Crown Castle—to improve their reporting on worker safety at communication tower sites. Lander emphasized the difficult conditions faced by tower workers, noting, “From dizzying heights to challenging …
Crown Castle’s $325 million cabinet door opening lease lawsuit against Dish is closed by a Denver jury’s verdict
A jury last Thursday found Crown Castle USA Inc. failed to prove Dish Wireless Inc. violated the parties’ 30-year master lease agreement (MLA) by taking up three extra feet of space on cell tower sites without paying an additional rent of approximately $8 million per year. Crown Castle said Dish owed $200 more monthly rent for approximately 3,339 sites. With …
Crown Castle snags Steven Moskowitz as its CEO, the second former American Tower executive onboarded for growth
Crown Castle Inc., a leading communications tower company, announced a significant leadership change that is effective today. Steven J. Moskowitz will take on the roles of President and Chief Executive Officer and join the company’s Board of Directors. This appointment concludes an extensive search led by the CEO Search Committee and the Board and facilitated by global executive search firm …
Everest’s defense in Vertical Bridge’s trade secrets theft lawsuit is they weren’t even close to trade secrets
In an April 3, 2024, Western District of Pennsylvania court filing, Everest Infrastructure Partners moved to dismiss an amended complaint filed by Vertical Bridge, arguing that the trade secrets Everest is accused of stealing and benefitting from were not secrets. Vertical Bridge filed a lawsuit against competitor Everest last June, alleging that it ran an unfair “multi-million dollar scheme to …
High 90 mph gusts collapse two West Virginia AM radio station towers
High winds with gusts reaching 90 mph struck Charleston, West Virginia, on April 2, causing significant damage by bringing down two of the four broadcast towers utilized by WCHS (AM) and impacting its sister station WSWW (FM). These towers are part of the infrastructure supporting WCHS, the flagship station of the West Virginia MetroNews network, which serves as a crucial …
Believing he’s a T-Mobile tech, Florida man climbs to their sector, causing up to $500K in damage
In an event that seems to increase in frequency throughout America, on Wednesday in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, Florida, 38-year-old Richard Smith was arrested after climbing a cell tower without safety gear, causing extensive damage and a significant service outage. The incident started between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. when Smith, who believed he was a T-Mobile worker, embarked on …
Over 3 feet, Dish and Crown Castle’s MLA marriage is on the rocks and a Denver trial will decide its fate
When Dish Wireless announced its infrastructure partnership with Crown Castle to lease space on up to 20,000 towers in 2020, it was an engagement arranged by Dish’s EVP of network development, Dave Mayo, that married the two companies to a 30-year commitment. However, marriage vows aren’t always everlasting, and Crown Castle has decided to move on – into a Denver …
Alabama contractor’s tower crews to share in an expected $120 million windfall from an unexpected fine art find
All 22 employees of a four-crew wireless contracting firm in Bessemer, Alabama, are about to get a financial windfall so huge that they wake up each morning rereading a letter from Sotheby’s to ensure it’s not a dream. Each is on the verge of claiming at least $5.45 million, thanks to the auction of an Edvard Munch masterpiece, “The Scream.” …
WTB grants exemption to Vertical Bridge and Drake Services for quarterly inspection requirements
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday granted Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, and Drake Services, Inc., an exemption from the mandatory quarterly inspections of antenna structure lighting systems stipulated under existing regulations (see below). The exemption specifically pertains to the requirements under 47 CFR § 17.47(b), which mandates owners of antenna structures to conduct …
DigitalBridge’s corporate move to downtown Delray Beach will provide an uptown setting for its employees
When a large corporation moves to a new headquarters, it’s often a problem for employees who have to relocate. Still, DigitalBridge’s announcement today that it is moving its entire staff north to a new mixed-use complex is being welcomed by employees since the move to Delray Beach from its Boca Raton, FL headquarters is less than six miles further or …
New Board members will help shape the future for the Tower Family Foundation’s worker support initiatives
“As an Executive Committee, we are excited to add the visionary leadership and philanthropic spirit of Ron, Eric, Jake, and Michael to the Tower Family Foundation’s Board of Directors,” said President Jim Tracy. The Tower Family Foundation announced the newest appointments to the non-profit organization’s leadership team. Ron Bizick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Bridge; Eric Dudek, …
‘Mentally stressed’ RF expert bails on Roswell, GA in the final days of a T-Mobile lawsuit costing $1 million-plus
This week, T-Mobile continued its 14-year battle with Roswell, Georgia, to erect a 108-foot monopine near Lake Charles Drive that was denied multiple times. The ongoing lawsuit is the costliest and most protracted siting litigation in the United States, with both parties shelling out well over a million dollars in legal fees since T-Mobile filed the complaint in 2010. It is also …
Crown Castle co-founder Miller says the company deserves better and needs ‘people who live and breathe towers’
Ted B. Miller, co-founder of Crown Castle Inc. and his investment vehicle Boots Capital Management, LLC, issued an open letter yesterday to the Crown Castle Board of Directors, the company’s employees, and its shareholders. Miller said he believes Crown Castle’s stock can be worth at least $150 in the next 18 months if the board takes immediate action to restore …
Former T-Mobile tech president Neville Ray elected to American Tower’s board of directors
American Tower Corporation announced that its Board of Directors had elected Neville R. Ray as a director. Ray most recently served as T-Mobile’s President of Technology until 2023. He joined T-Mobile (then VoiceStream) in April 2000, and from December 2010 to November 2019, served as its Chief Technology Officer. Prior to that, Ray served as Network Vice President for Pacific …
