DigitalBridge Group, Inc. announced a major financial milestone with the closing of its third value-added digital infrastructure fund, DigitalBridge Partners III, securing more than $7.2 billion in commitments. When combined with $4.5 billion in limited-partner co-investment commitments that accompany DBP III’s early portfolio, the firm now has amassed $11.7 billion dedicated to scaling the next generation of digital infrastructure. It …
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 …
Dan Schulman takes Verizon’s helm, but will he commit to tackling untenable wireless contractor pricing?
Commentary Verizon has named Dan Schulman, former PayPal chief and longtime Verizon board member, as CEO, succeeding Hans Vestberg. Vestberg will remain as a special adviser through 2026 to assist with the transition and integration of Frontier. In his first statement as CEO, Schulman said Verizon is “at a critical juncture,” pledging to “maximize our value propositions, reduce our cost …
RF Industries’ Q3 shows momentum: double-digit growth, fatter margins, and new wins in aerospace and 5G
RF Industries turned in a strong fiscal Q3 2025, notching year-over-year growth, improved profitability, and meaningful traction in newer end-markets. In the quarter ended July 31, net sales climbed to about $19.8 million, up 17.5% from the prior year and 4.7% sequentially. Gross margin widened to 34%—comfortably above management’s 30% target—powered by a richer mix and ongoing cost discipline. Operating …
Two sides of the same coin: Why fiber contractors are rallying behind a new petition—and why NATE’s playbook matters
A new petition circulating in the fiber-construction community by PACTEL argues that conditions facing wireline fiber companies mirror the pressures long documented by wireless contractors—thin margins, take-it-or-leave-it MSAs, slow change-order approvals, and payment delays that cascade into layoffs, safety compromises, and business failures. Parallels to NATE’s campaign It’s a message that tracks closely with the themes NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors …
Contractor ASG sued in federal court over WARN Act violations; execs named in New Jersey complaint
Just one week after broadband infrastructure company Allstate Sales Group, Inc. (ASG) abruptly froze operations and delayed paychecks, leaving an estimated 500 workers jobless, a federal class action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The complaint, brought by former ASG Vice President of Electrical Sales Joseph Horling on behalf of himself …
Infrastructure contractor ASG freezes operations and delays paychecks; roughly 500 workers laid off
UPDATE, Sept. 9, 2025 – A class action WARN Act lawsuit has been filed against Allstate Sales Group and two of its executives. Telecom infrastructure contractor Allstate Sales Group (ASG) has laid off roughly 500 employees who say they haven’t been paid and will soon lose health insurance, according to multiple individuals who shared internal emails with Wireless Estimator and …
New Mexico’s $40,433-per-doorstep BEAD fiber should face a tech-neutral sanity check
Commentary: Valley Telephone Cooperative is slated for $40,433 per passing (300 locations), the highest line item in New Mexico’s final BEAD proposal. Oso Internet Solutions isn’t far behind at $39,253 (729 locations). In parts of Valley’s footprint, the typical home value hovers near $100,000, so U.S. taxpayers are being asked to fund a single pass that approaches half—or more—of a …
DigitalBridge and Crestview to take WOW! private in $1.5 billion deal, offering a 63% premium to shareholders
WideOpenWest, Inc. (WOW!) has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by investment funds affiliated with DigitalBridge Investments, LLC and Crestview Partners for $5.20 per share in cash, valuing the transaction at approximately $1.5 billion. The all-cash deal, approved unanimously by WOW!’s board of directors on the recommendation of its special committee, represents a 37.2% premium over the unaffected …
Deepening the digital divide: Pew says cities will gain as rural towns lose in broken broadband rollout
Despite historic federal investments in broadband infrastructure, a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts warns that the United States may fall short of its universal connectivity goals—not because of insufficient funding, but due to inconsistent, outdated, and incomplete federal data that fails to capture where broadband is needed most and how well it works. Pew’s July 8, 2025 assessment, “To …
Domestic terrorism label used as attacks on Charter’s Missouri fiber disrupt 911, hospitals
A disturbing surge in deliberate attacks on the nation’s communications infrastructure is being likened to acts of domestic terrorism, with potentially life-threatening consequences. Charter Communications reported on Monday that its Spectrum network in Missouri has experienced a 200% year-over-year increase in felony attacks through July 2025. These disruptions sever vital connectivity for homes, businesses, and critical emergency services. “These felony, …
Wisconsin delivers a win to carrier and towerco owners with a tower tax exemption
In a breakthrough shift for the wireless infrastructure industry, Wisconsin has officially enacted legislation that fully exempts telecommunications towers from property taxation, aiming to modernize the state’s tax code in response to an evolving communications landscape. Signed into law by Governor Tony Evers as part of 2025 Wisconsin Act 15, the legislation removes both real and personal property taxes on …
From the field to the front office: NWSA survey aims to reflect real-world needs
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) is pleased to announce the launch of its 2025 Customer Experience Survey, inviting professionals from across the telecommunications and tower industry to share their feedback on NWSA’s certification process and related services. Responses will help shape future developments and ensure the organization continues to meet the evolving needs of technicians, employers, and industry stakeholders. …
Tower industry positioned for a potential windfall as BEAD map contracts and fixed wireless gains ground
A new analysis by researchers at New York Law School suggests a significant shift in the federal government’s $42.45 billion broadband deployment program, which could substantially benefit companies that build and maintain communications towers. As the number of BEAD-eligible locations declines and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) shifts to a cost-first grant model, states are expected to increasingly …
Supreme Court upholds the FCC’s Universal Service Fund, securing rural connectivity and other assistance
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to uphold the constitutionality of the Universal Service Fund (USF)—a multibillion-dollar initiative that subsidizes internet and phone access for rural communities, schools, libraries, low-income households, tribal lands, and rural healthcare providers. The Court rejected claims that Congress had improperly delegated tax-setting authority to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and allowed a private nonprofit, …
Monster, CareerBuilder file bankruptcy while Wireless Estimator’s telecom job board remains strong
In a world where the once-mighty Monster and CareerBuilder are being sold off for parts like rusted-out Buicks in a bankruptcy junkyard, there’s one job board that not only survived a highly competitive marketplace but also outperformed it. The Wireless Estimator job board has quietly, consistently, and effectively served the wireless infrastructure community for over two decades, and it remains a …
Tilson aims to sell its business at a bankruptcy fire sale auction, leaving creditors on the hook
Tilson Technology Management, once confident in its ability to emerge stronger from its recent financial struggles, has made a dramatic shift in course. After announcing a restructuring bankruptcy plan just weeks ago, the company has now decided to sell all of its assets, marking a stark contrast to the optimistic outlook shared in its May 29, 2025, announcement that the …
Trusty’s FCC confirmation signals pro-deployment shift for wireless infrastructure contractors
UPDATE – The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty for a full five-year term as commissioner of the FCC this afternoon in a 53–45 vote. The tally matched the Senate’s vote the night before, which approved Trusty to serve the remaining days of former Chair Jessica Rosenworcel’s term, ending June 30. Trusty was nominated for both the short-term appointment and the full term by …
‘Tough Tower’ climbers shine in 2025 Ohio showdown with Verità Telecommunications capturing the crown
The 2025 Tough Tower competition brought together seven teams of elite tower climbers from across the country last weekend in North Jackson, OH, each aiming to take the top spot—and a significant cash prize—in an event focused on safety, skills, and careers in the telecommunications industry. Preliminary challenges took place on June 5, with semifinal and final rounds on June …
Tech-neutral in name only? Fiber retains structural edge under NTIA’s new BEAD policy
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) June 6, 2025, BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice reframes the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program with a stated goal of “technology neutrality.” But a close read reveals that while the language has changed, the outcome is likely to remain fiber-centric. The notice formally eliminates the Biden-era “fiber preference” and other regulatory requirements …
