For wireless infrastructure contractors who have spent the past three years watching carrier capex decline and work slow, this week’s FirstNet announcement deserves a close read. AT&T and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $2 billion agreement in principle to expand and upgrade FirstNet, America’s dedicated nationwide public safety broadband network, though only $1 billion represents new money from …
Mike Rowe quits PureTalk after learning its network is built on the backs of underpaid tower crews
Mike Rowe, the nation’s most recognizable champion of skilled trades and PureTalk’s lead spokesperson, has abruptly terminated his relationship with the mobile carrier after a Reddit post and a chance encounter with a tower crew exposed what he described as “two uncomfortable truths I can’t unknow” — one about the company he represented, and one about the industry that makes …
Kiss Cam love story ends the moment Verizon’s terms were unveiled last night
For approximately 12 seconds yesterday, the telecom contractors industry achieved something remarkable: everyone looked happy. AT&T and Verizon executives had invited NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association’s directors and administrators to a Washington Nationals game, a gesture of appreciation following the much-discussed framework agreement among the carriers, NATE, and the FCC. Under the stadium lights, it looked like progress had …
Verizon’s new sourcing model promises scale—but no guarantees; contractors call it a financial trap
Verizon’s latest push to consolidate its network construction and maintenance work into a handful of “preferred suppliers” is being pitched as a pathway to stability and scale. But contractors reviewing RFPs say the reality is far different: a system that most—and possibly all—qualified general contractors cannot financially meet, even if they win. At the center of the concern is a …
NATE’s carrier contracting framework: Where things stand and what’s coming
After more than a year of hard-fought negotiations, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has secured landmark framework agreements with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile — all three filed with the FCC. The association has released an updated infographic (March 21, 2026) summarizing the key commitments each carrier has made, and what NATE member contractors can expect as implementation continues to …
Shared infrastructure is reshaping stadium wireless—and redefining who gets the work
The Small Cell Forum is positioning its new stadium connectivity guide as a playbook for better fan experiences. But the substance points somewhere else entirely: shared infrastructure, neutral host control, and dense deployments are redefining who builds—and controls—modern wireless networks. For contractors and infrastructure providers, this isn’t really about stadiums. It’s a preview of how high-capacity environments will be designed, …
Missed permits, not merit, sink Verizon’s proposed Pennsylvania monopole
A Pennsylvania appellate court has sided with a local municipality in a zoning dispute that will prevent Verizon from constructing a proposed 100-foot monopole in Pleasant Hills, ruling that the borough acted within its authority when it revoked prior approval after the company failed to secure required permits. In a decision issued by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the panel …
Turnkey telecom TriStruX shuts down — subcontractors and vendors owed substantial sums
Multiple vendors at last month’s NATE UNITE 2026 gathering said the same thing: TriStruX’s wireless division was behind on substantial payments and running out of runway. With mounting debt owed to subcontractors and suppliers nationwide, many expected the Clifton, New Jersey–based company to shut down. Less than two weeks later, it did so with a tombstone message on its website. …
Carriers made promises to the FCC, but contractors are still waiting to be made whole
For the first time in recent memory, contractors working on America’s wireless infrastructure have commitments from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. These agreements address pricing, payment terms, audit practices, and the use of unlicensed crews that industry leaders say have long suppressed wages and undercut legitimate businesses. Although they are not binding, the agreements, secured over fourteen months by NATE: The …
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 …
Verizon sues Kansas City condo association over threatened interference with rooftop cell site
Verizon Wireless has filed a federal lawsuit seeking emergency injunctive relief against a Kansas City, MO condominium association, arguing that planned rooftop construction could interfere with a long-standing cell site and disrupt wireless service for thousands of customers across the city. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, available here, Cellco Partnership, …
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 …
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 …
Inside the $300 million contracting scandal—apparently linked to a major U.S. carrier—that brought down ASG
Indictment reveals years of bribery, forged invoices, shell companies, and concealed payments inside a telecom contracting giant When the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment against Allstate Sales Group’s (ASG) CEO Anthony Tepedino last week, the wireless infrastructure industry received its clearest—and most troubling—view yet into the corruption that led to the company’s dramatic …
FCC presses Supreme Court to combine Verizon and AT&T fights over massive fines that vacate jury trials
The Federal Communications Commission is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Verizon’s challenge to a $46.9 million location-privacy fine together with a parallel case involving AT&T’s vacated $57 million penalty, saying the Court should resolve—once and for all—whether the agency may impose large monetary forfeitures without offering companies a jury trial. The government told the justices that the two …
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 …
Verizon and SBA Communications announce long-term tower lease agreement
Verizon and SBA Communications have announced a new long-term agreement, securing a favorable framework that will drive significant cost certainty and support the continued expansion of Verizon’s world-class 4G and 5G services. This new agreement provides the flexibility needed for Verizon to be more nimble in managing its current infrastructure asset portfolio and deploying new technologies, ensuring coverage where customers …
Wireless Estimator’s Blue Book reinvents how the industry connects to contractors, services and suppliers
For more than 15 years, the Wireless Estimator Blue Book™ Buyer’s Guide has been the telecom industry’s go-to resource for connecting carriers, general contractors, and site owners with the right vendors and crews. Now, it’s not just keeping pace with change — it’s redefining what a directory can do. With 1.27 million ad clicks and counting, the Blue Book continues …
