The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today announced the creation of a ground-breaking new conference and trade show dedicated to the rapidly evolving telecommunications ecosystem. Over three action-packed days, attendees will experience cutting-edge discussions, workshops and keynote speeches from leaders across multiple industries – from wireless infrastructure and automotive to smart cities and commercial real estate. The Connectivity Expo — known …
Violent Florida contractor charged in $16 million DOD bribery and kickback conspiracy
Oct. 12, 2017 – Update and Correction: Timothy Donelson, who was arrested on Oct. 4 for participating in a bribery and kickback conspiracy was employed by Level 3 Communications, according to his LinkedIn page, during the period when he allegedly co-conspired with three other individuals who are charged with the issuance of almost $16 million in fraudulent invoices. Donelson’s arrest record identified that …
FCC gives Project Loon a kickstart to keep Puerto Ricans communicating
Google received approval to deploy an experimental balloon-based web service to restore cell reception to Puerto Ricans still struggling after Hurricane Maria devastated the island’s cell service. Today, 81 percent of Puerto Rico’s cell sites were out of service, almost no change from yesterday. The FCC said Saturday that it granted an “experimental license” for Alphabet Inc.’s (Google’s parent company) …
FCC votes to give $77 million for telecom in PR; Governor’s outages differ from FCC
Update: Oct. 4, 2017 – The FCC unanimously voted today to immediately provide carriers with up to seven-months’ worth of support from the FCC’s Universal Service Fund, which helps lower the cost of deploying service in areas that are costly to serve. Any funds advanced under today’s action can be used to repair telecommunications infrastructure and restore service to customers …
Grant will provide hundreds of workers with rigger awareness training through NATE
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced today that it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Labor – OSHA to receive a $155,000 Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grant for the 2017-2018 program year. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program awards grants to nonprofit organizations on a competitive basis. Awards are issued annually based on Congressional appropriation. …
Lack of on-site generators, COWs, contributes to Puerto Rico’s still horrendous cell service
After Hurricane Maria’s catastrophic devastation of Puerto Rico’s cell sites, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai directed his staff last week to reach out to American Tower, SBA Communications and Crown Castle “to see how we can work together to address Puerto Rico’s communications needs,” However, according to over a dozen industry professionals interviewed by Wireless Estimator, the answers are already known …
NATE unveils DAS video featuring Super Bowl LII venue at U.S. Bank Stadium
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today unveiled a Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) video as part of Volume 2 of the popular Climber Connection series. The video was released at the NATE Wireless Industry Network (WIN) Great Plains Regional Conference in Bloomington, Minn. The fast-paced video highlights the explosive growth of DAS and the essential role this technology plays …
Rivada to testify at Pennsylvania Senate & House joint hearing on FirstNet
The Pennsylvania Senate and House Committees on Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness and the Senate Committee on Communications & Technology announced they will host a Joint Public Hearing at 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2017 in the North Office Building to review FirstNet in Pennsylvania. The hearing will focus on construction and interoperability of the Commonwealth Public Safety Broadband Network (CPSBN) through …
Not ready to opt in to FirstNet, Georgia becomes the 13th state to issue an RFP
Georgia recently issued a request for proposals (RFP) asking bidders to submit proposals to build and maintain an alternative LTE radio access network (RAN) for FirstNet under a potential “opt-out” scenario, making Georgia the 13th state with an active procurement for an alternative-RAN vendor. Georgia released the RFP on Sept. 22, and bids are due on Oct. 24. The proposed …
The world’s first all-wireless small cell just got its Sprint “wings”
Chief Operating Officer, Technology, Sprint, Günther Ottendorfer explains the new technology By Günther Ottendorfer Chief Operating Officer, Technology, Sprint There’s magic in the air for Sprint customers! Our newest technology innovation, Sprint Magic Box, has taken to the sky as the world’s first all-wireless aerial small cell. When we launched Sprint Magic Box in May, we hinted that this unique …
FCC says wireless carriers remain competitive, but not by building new cell sites
Carriers captured high grades for competitiveness, according to the FCC’s Twentieth Mobile Wireless Competition Report, an annual analysis of whether there is effective rate rivalry with wireless operators Although the 34-page report provides a wealth of additional information to support competitiveness, according to Jonathan Adelstein, President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), anybody who has turned on a …
HetNet Expo will focus on connected realty, densification and smart cities
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) has announced highlights for its annual HetNet Expo, Oct. 10-11, 2017 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. HetNet Expo brings together professionals from across the entire wireless ecosystem to share valuable information and opinions about the latest mobile communications technologies and the overall state of the wireless industry. HetNet …
Puerto Rico’s horrendous cell site outages complicated by generator/fuel theft concerns
Puerto Rico’s cell service is still devastated today with over 91% of its sites out of service, basically the same as yesterday. The horrific outages caused by Hurricane Maria are also being felt in the U.S. Virgin Islands where 60.4% of cell sites are out of service, slightly down from yesterday’s 61.3%. In San Juan, P.R., subscribers saw a poor, …
T-Mobile and Sprint marriage announcement is imminent according to romance reports
In February, Reuters broke the news that Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile U.S. was reportedly planning a renewed bid to acquire rival Sprint after a previous reverse attempt was thwarted by regulators. Joined by CNBC, Reuters is again reporting that the romance has fired up again and a deal could be expected by the end of next month. But it’s not …
Texas’ FirstNet agreement brings a total of 21 opt-ins to the network
Texas is making another major move to strengthen public safety and enhance emergency preparedness across the state. Governor Greg Abbott has announced his decision to partner with FirstNet and AT&T to deliver a wireless broadband network to the state’s public safety community. The FirstNet network will provide Texas with modernized devices, apps and tools for first responders to boost their communication abilities on …
Carriers’ cell site outages to the FCC will not match their marketing hype
Commentary Although the nation’s four major carriers are reporting cell site outages in affected areas of Hurricane Irma to the FCC, and the Commission is providing daily compilations for a snapshot in time, such as today’s outages in Florida of 13.4%, carrier public relations officials are beginning to spin their hardened site assets at speeds off the Saffir-Simpson scale. On …
Tower techs’ repack role and frontline disaster activities heralded before Congress
National Association of Tower Erectors Chairman Jim Tracy provided key testimony today before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing, taking the opportunity to stress the important role that tower technicians play in maintaining America’s communications. The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), conducted the hearing (video below) entitled “The Broadcast Incentive Auction: …
Photos proved to be elusive for most tower techs, but not the eclipse’s enjoyment
Taking eclipse photos with their beloved broadband structures in the foreground proved to be a daunting task for tower climbers yesterday as they tried to capture the first coast-to-coast total eclipse of the sun in the past 99 years. And using NASA’s suggestion to take your ISO certified sunglasses and put them in front of your smart phone camera’s lens …
Tower climbers have the ideal opportunity for the greatest solar eclipse photographs
The total solar eclipse on Mon., Aug. 21, 2017 will be visible along a narrow strip of approximately 70 miles wide, spanning from Oregon to South Carolina. The first industry company where employees can walk outside their office and take in the first total solar eclipse to sweep the U.S. coast-to-coast in 99 years is Slatercom of Salem, Ore. beginning …
Court tosses Tall Tower’s lawsuit filed after Vertical Bridge acquired Clear Channel’s towers
A lower court should have dismissed Tall Tower Capital, LLC’s lawsuit accusing Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, LP of breaching an agreement in a deal to buy Clear Channel’s 472 broadcast tower assets, a Florida appeals court ruled Friday, finding that the firm had not established personal jurisdiction in Florida. A three-judge panel for the Florida Second District Court of Appeals unanimously …
