Matt’s Arm is the newest tool in the tower industry, and contractors say there is no other tool that is so versatile since it adapts to most all tower types and lifting needs. It’s quickly becoming an essential tool for contractors’ crews. For decades, there had yet to be a serious design change in an industry stalwart, the venerable but cumbersome …
QualTek Services files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with hopes that its debt can be cut almost in half
Wireless infrastructure developer QualTek Services warned earlier this month that it would need to obtain alternative sources of capital or otherwise meet its liquidity needs and/or restructure its existing indebtedness through the protections available under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania company filed for bankruptcy today in the Southern District of Texas, identifying that it had …
Towerco execs hint at a future slowdown, but for many wireless contractors the future is now
Last week at WIA’s View From the Top panel session at Connectivity Expo 2023, the top towerco executives hinted that they are aware of a dip in carrier capex and a turn towards fiber, possibly cutting into site builds. Still, they championed the industry and said 5G would be a constant and maybe a ten-year driver, although it would be …
A taste of 5G spectrum offerings is more easily explained using its constituent flavors
By John Paleski Mobile broadband businesses were eager to shell out over $120 billion during FCC auctions to acquire spectrum blocks to roll out 5G. That’s understandable since they needed it to lay the groundwork for fifth-generation wireless services. However, understanding what 5G is and the spectrums used to offer transformational speeds and capabilities that can open the door to …
Andrew Seybold, 77, passes, leaving a legacy of improving the nation’s public safety communications
In March, well-known and respected public safety and wireless communications consultant, advocate, and writer Andrew “Andy” Seybold was looking forward to speaking at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) – where critical communications technology professions have always labeled it as a must-attend conference. In an All Things FirstNet article, he said, “I hope to see many of you there. Please …
Over 5,200 infrastructure jobs are on the line as QualTek Services teeters on the edge of bankruptcy
UPDATE: May 3, 2023 – A spokesperson for QualTek said that the company’s employees’ jobs were not at risk, and the turnkey infrastructure provider will “continue to be a workplace of choice.” They issued the following statement: “QualTek is continuing to actively negotiate with our creditors and is progressing towards a resolution that will position us for the future with a stronger …
Eleven Senators say no to the NOFO prioritizing criminal hires for $42.5B BEAD infrastructure funds
In a joint letter to Alan Davidson, who heads the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a partisan group of 11 U.S. Senators were emphatic that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) overstepped its bounds when it wrote the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that addresses how $42.45 billion will …
TIA’s BEAD summit will thread the way for contractors and suppliers to take advantage of $42 billion in funding
Recent trade shows have explored opportunities that will become available through the Broadband Access and Employment Program’s (BEAD) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), providing States approximately $42 billion to deploy broadband in America where it is not located. However, they were typically 45-minute sessions that often scratched the surface, leaving many unanswered questions. Fortunately, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is …
Until there’s a consensus standard, industry experts provide initial hoisting grip guidance following fatality
When a 32-year-old tower technician passed away on December 15, 2022, in Weatherford, TX, while engaged in an installation project for Verizon, Wireless Estimator identified shortly after that that a secured cable grip failure might have caused the death. Huber+Suhner provided the hybrid cable and factory-installed hoisting grip, which was later identified as a FIOMA grip. OSHA investigated the accident and has not …
TESSCO will be partnered up with Alliance and GetWireless in an all cash deal valued at $161.4 million
TESSCO Technologies announced that the company has entered into a definitive merger agreement with entities affiliated with Lee Equity Partners and Twin Point Capital, which also own Alliance Corporation (“Alliance”), a value-added distributor of equipment for the wireless industry, and GetWireless, LLC (“GetWireless”), a value-added distributor of cellular solutions that connect the Internet of Things (IoT). Under the merger agreement’s …
After a month-long outage, PerfectVision’s website woes appear to be ending
A little over four weeks ago, PerfectVision’s website and its internal network went down, a failure frequently occurring in many companies when servers malfunctioned. However, a robust backup system can seamlessly recover data, and the system is back online, often with employees never realizing there was a problem. However, IT personnel quickly let management know that there were severe problems …
Texas court will likely give AT&T a hollow victory in its $1.44M lawsuit against former golden child Goodman
Contractors and suppliers that have had to sue clients, such as Nexius, for past due payments know that it’s an expensive legal and often fruitless process that can take a year or two since attorneys aren’t adverse to the defendant’s counsel delaying the process as long as possible as they pile up billable hours. So when AT&T’s attorneys filed a lawsuit …
Nexius crashes and burns its dedicated construction supply chain, stiffing them for millions of dollars
Selected by AT&T in 2016 as one of their eight suppliers of the year out of more than 5,000 companies, well-established Frisco, Texas-based network deployment firm Nexius cemented a relationship with the carrier that would see them become one of their leading suppliers and turfing contractors. Wireless infrastructure manufacturers, distributors, and contractors were eager to accept Nexius’s business and provide …
NATE UNITE 2023 breaks all-time attendee, exhibitor, and sponsor records
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that the recent NATE UNITE 2023 Conference in Orlando, Florida ascended to record-setting heights. The Association said that 2,843 individuals registered to attend NATE UNITE 2023. The total eclipses the organization’s all-time conference registered attendee total in its 28-year history, exceeding the previous attendance record from last year’s NATE UNITE 2022 in …
Dish Network’s ransomware attack enters its sixth day of affecting customers
Dish Network has confirmed that a ransomware attack was the cause of a multi-day network and service outage that started on Friday. The outages hit Dish.com, the Dish Anywhere app, Boost Mobile, and other websites and networks owned and operated by Dish Network. It has also been reported that the company’s call center phone numbers were not working. In an …
Victor Drouin is NATE’s new chairman, with leadership support of Randy Scott and Kevin Dougherty
NATE – The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that Board of Directors’ members Victor Drouin, Randy Scott and Kevin Dougherty were elected by their peers to serve on the Association’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year. The Association made the announcement on the first day of the NATE UNITE 2023 Conference and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. Victor Drouin, …
DigitalBridge steps slightly outside its digital lane with a $316 million infrastructure buy
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. has announced that its operating company, DigitalBridge Operating Company, LLC, has completed its transaction to acquire AMP Capital’s global infrastructure equity investment management business, which has been rebranded as InfraBridge in a transaction valued at $316 million. A considerable amount of InfraBridge’s assets are outside of DigitalBridge’s flagship digital infrastructure equity business. The deal was announced last …
Strand shatters Open RAN CAPEX savings myth, stating panacea for carrier capital isn’t ready for prime time
A fresh report from the well-respected research firm Dell’Oro Group states that the Open RAN (Radio Access Network) movement is being supported by stronger-than-expected O-RAN progress in North America. As a result, open RAN is now projected to account for 15 percent to 20 percent of global RAN by 2027. The paid research shows that preliminary data suggests that Open RAN …
Following a December fatality, Huber+Suhner issues an urgent notice prohibiting pre-laced hoisting grips
Huber+Suhner has issued an urgent notification not to use pre-laced hoisting grips installed on all Masterline Classic Hybrid 12×24 cable that came attached to the hybrid cable when reels were delivered to installers or may be sitting in stock at customer warehouses. The notice was prompted after a pre-laced hoisting grip on a Huber+Suhner hybrid cable failed on December 15, 2022, …
NATE UNITE 2023’s keynote speaker is undeniably unafraid of working at heights
Tower techs, rightfully so, are proud of the heights that they’ve climbed, some being able to put a desirable hash mark on their helmet if they’ve reached the coveted 1,900-foot level. NATE UNITE 2023’s keynote speaker, Mike Massimino, would have a considerably different marking for his helmet, representing he climbed – with an assist from a space shuttle orbiter — …
