Maumee, Ohio is the latest community to take action against Ohio’s “Petland Bill” that became effective March 21, that snuck in and set standards for tower siting in the state’s 938 municipalities’ rights of way. Maumee City Council members voted unanimously last night to file a formal complaint and request an injunction against the section of the bill relating to …
Ivanka puts in a hostile bid for 3M, wants crown jewel DBI-Sala
April 1, 2017 – Traders were turned topsy-turvy yesterday afternoon after The Wall Street Journal reporter Ryan Knutson, in an exclusive interview with Ivanka Trump, said she had made a hostile bid for Maplewood, Minn. industrial giant 3M, offering a 46% premium for the company’s stock which closed Friday at $191.33. “Thulin [Inge G., 3M Chairman and CEO] will be hard-pressed …
FirstNet and AT&T contract is inked creating 10,000 new jobs, $40 billion in spending by the carrier
At an award and signing ceremony this morning at the Department of Commerce, AT&T, although unofficially acknowledged as the winning FirstNet bidder, was officially announced as the winner of the private/public safety network contract by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Today is a landmark day for public safety across the Nation and shows the incredible progress we can make …
NATE spreads its wings with new technology membership category
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) announced that it is offering a new Technology membership category. The Association made the announcement at the 2017 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, Nev. this week. The NATE Technology membership category is classified for any company whose primary source of revenue is derived from the manufacturing, sales, design and use …
STAC’s second Canadian conference expands in attendance and offerings
Approximately 300 industry professionals attended the 2nd annual conference of the Structure, Tower & Antenna Council (STAC) yesterday in Toronto, Can., considerably exceeding last year’s event that saw 200 industry participants, including wireless carriers, broadcasters, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, landowners, safety equipment suppliers and safety trainers, according to STAC Program Manager Nicholas Kyonka. The conference also featured 29 exhibitors. STAC serves members …
Telecom proponent Jeb Bush teams up with Boca Raton’s Vertical Bridge
Vertical Bridge, the largest private owner and manager of communication towers and locations in the U.S., announced today the appointment of former presidential hopeful and Florida Governor Jeb Bush to its Board of Directors. Governor Bush will serve as an independent director. “Governor Bush understands and appreciates the need for greater wireless telecommunications infrastructure,” said Marc Ganzi, Executive Chairman of Vertical Bridge and co-founder …
WIA chair believes 50-foot small cells are reasonable, urges congress to remove barriers
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), Thomas A. “Tam” Murray, today urged members of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to continue its work toward streamlining the widespread deployment of wireless broadband in communities throughout the United States. He also informed the subcommittee that WIA was “tremendously in favor of long lease …
Public broadcasting stations take a huge hit in Trump’s budget lite
President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget cuts, released late last week, left the wireless industry basically unscathed except for some cuts to rural broadband efforts that are said to be duplicated elsewhere. But the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) took a huge hit on President Trump’s wish list, losing $445 million, which could result in a number of rural stations …
Wireless Infrastructure Association named national sponsor for TIRAP
The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) announced today that the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) was selected to serve as National Sponsor for the program, and that TIRAP had secured approval for four additional credentialed occupations. TIRAP is a joint venture of telecommunications companies, industry associations and the U.S. Department of Labor that develops DOL-credentialed apprenticeship programs available to qualified …
Tower tech in Kansas is injured after falling approximately 25 feet
Update: March 20, 2017 – The tower tech that was injured on March 15, 2017 while dismantling a tower in Salina, Kan. is still in the hospital, but recovering, according to an individual knowledgeable of the accident. Randy Smith was employed by his own tower company operating under the business name of Randy Smith Tower Services of Rolla, Kan. March …
Utility commissioners tell the FCC to ‘tread carefully’ with municipal streamlining petition
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) recently applauded the FCC and Chairman Ajit Pai for initiating the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, but came down hard on what it sees as the FCC’s desire to preempt the traditional authority of State and local authorities by replacing intrastate regulation of rights-of-way, pole attachments, and other telecommunications facilities or services of …
NYC says ‘we’re done waiting,’ and sues Verizon over fiber rollout
In correspondence sent to New York City on Friday, Verizon said they were looking forward to “constructive dialog” to resolve the City’s Fios build-out concerns. New York wasn’t as accommodating when it slapped Verizon with a lawsuit on Monday. In a complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court, New York City contends that Verizon is in breach of a …
Tower Program Insurance purchases workers comp tower business from All Risks
All Risks, Ltd. has announced that it has sold its tower program business to Tower Program Insurance Services, Inc. (TPIS) of Austin, Tex. Scott Hermesmeyer and Patrick Shea will return to Tower Program Insurance Services, Inc and continue to manage this book of business. Hermesmeyer and Shea have been managing the nation’s largest and most successful program dedicated to the …
Wireless infrastructure movers and shakers to converge in Fort Worth
NATE UNITE 2017, the National Association of Tower Erectors’ annual conference, to be held Feb. 27 through March 2 in Fort Worth, Tex., is expected to rival a record-setting number of visitors to the event that is clearly regarded as the largest and most comprehensive show in the U.S. for the wireless infrastructure industry. The exhibition is already breaking last …
Mobilitie’s DAS marketing illustrations are labeled as ‘quite deceptive’
Distributed antenna systems provider Mobilitie, whose national focus is to provide Sprint with sites in community rights of way to assist in densifying their network, recently made a presentation to local government telecom officials in Southern California at the States of California and Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunications and Advisors (SCAN NATOA). Mobilitie, in its presentation, provided …
CITCA, DTS team up to co-market industry training opportunities
The Communication Industry Training and Certification Academy (CITCA) and Dover Telecommunication Services (DTS) have formed an alliance that will allow both companies to market each other’s training at discounted rates. CITCA offers a complete line of college-based tower erection and safety training programs and services directly related to the communications and wind turbine industries, with training provided at the client …
Pence’s $260 million tower deal legacy for Indiana is terminated
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced today that the Indiana Finance Authority has terminated contract discussions with Agile Networks which struck a tentative deal last September with the state to lease its communications towers while Vice President Mike Pence was Governor. As reported at that time by Wireless Estimator, Agile and Pence said that negotiations had been finalized for an agreement …
Straight Path secures $17.5 million to help pay off FCC fines
Straight Path Communications Inc. announced it has secured $17.5 million in new debt financing, expanding the company’s options as it continues to explore strategic alternatives for the company. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau announced a settlement valued in excess of $100 million with the company to resolve an investigation of Straight Path’s failure to deploy wireless services …
WIA presses for small cells on pole facilities with its detailed primer
Attaching small wireless antennas and associated equipment – such as distributed antenna system (DAS) remote units, remote radio units and self-contained small cells – on existing poles or structures significantly improves the coverage and capacity of mobile networks, according to a new white paper titled “Small Cells on Pole Facilities: A Primer on How Utility Poles, Street Lights and Traffic …
FCC Commissioner Clyburn trashes newest Chairman’s actions in news dump
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, the remaining Democrat on the Commission, went head to head on the keyboard with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Friday, clashing over whether his actions were legal when he reversed a decision made late in the Obama administration to let consumers apply their telecommunications subsidies to broadband services. Clyburn, who served as the acting Chairman in 2013 …
