A memorial mass followed by a celebration of life will be held on December 2, 2022, at St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia, at 10:30 a.m. for Alexander (Alex) A. Beiro, Jr., who passed away unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack on November 19, 2022, at his home in Alexandria. He was well known for his industry advocacy, serving …
Duke Energy heads back to court to reverse FCC’s slashing of rates for AT&T on utility poles
On November 17, 2022, in a unanimous vote, the FCC stood by its 2021 decision regarding utility pole attachment rates in a dispute between AT&T and Duke Energy Progress, denying Duke Energy’s bid to revisit a ruling that slashed the rates that AT&T pays to attach equipment to its utility. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel applauded the FCC’s resolution of the joint …
AT&T sues Liberal, Kansas after it nixes a second siting application that appeared to be a hole in one
The former Vice Mayor of Liberal, Kansas, allegedly informed AT&T’s siting representative that the City would support an ordinance allowing a special use permit for a 150-foot monopole on the property of the Liberal Country Club after the City denied a prior church location in 2021 due to resident opposition. However, the City Commissioners denied their request, and AT&T sued …
This Thanksgiving, consider recognizing wireless industry volunteers’ year-round efforts
For 18 years, Wireless Estimator has been privileged to reach your computer screen or smartphone daily, providing information and advocacy to an industry we proudly serve. For that, we are thankful. More importantly, we are thankful for those men and women who don’t look for thanks – our country’s volunteers, the spirited folks that genuinely make this industry great. Unfortunately, recognizing everyone and …
VIKOR expands geographic footprint to the East with acquisition of Noash Construction
South Dakotah-based VIKOR has announced its acquisition of Noash Construction, Inc., a tower construction company based out of Sebree, KY. In a statement, the company said the objective is to strengthen VIKOR’s reach and ability to impact the lives of its people, customers, and industry by adding the mutual strength and quality of Noash’s years of experience in the industry. …
Seasoned telecom expert Melissa Acosta acquires majority stake in Front Range Wireless
Front Range Wireless, a telecommunications infrastructure services provider, announced that wireless industry executive Melissa Acosta had acquired a majority stake in the company, transitioning Front Range Wireless to become a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) in 2023. Most recently from QualTek, Acosta will lead Front Range Wireless’ operations as President. Founded in 2001 by Aaron Kingstrom, Front Range Wireless started in Centennial, Colorado. …
‘Blue collar’ NEC acquires Eastern Communications to provide a serious industry presence
Pfingsten Partners portfolio company, NEC, has acquired Eastern Communications, LLC (“Eastern”). Headquartered in Bloomfield, CT, Eastern is a vertically integrated provider of maintenance, repair, and upgrade services to critical telecommunications infrastructure across the New England region. The company was founded in 1996. The transaction closed on October 31, 2022. NEC previously established its industry presence by combining three of the …
Crown Castle’s Reudink will help strengthen SCF’s support for multi-operator shared infrastructure
SCF (Small Cell Forum), the global organization supporting the evolution and adoption of low-cost, agile mobile infrastructure, announced its new Chair, Mark Reudink, Head of Technology Strategy at Crown Castle. Reudink is a highly regarded industry veteran who, prior to Crown Castle, worked at several of the world’s largest MNOs. He replaces Lockhead Martin’s Prabhakar Chitrapu, who steps into the …
The First Lady of tower tech compassion will sunset the Hubble Foundation next month
After assisting families of tower technicians who have passed away or were seriously injured over the past ten years, the Hubble Foundation’s Board of Directors regretfully announced that the non-profit Foundation would cease operation on December 30, 2022, the Foundation’s President, Dr. Bridgette (Gette) Hester, informed Wireless Estimator. Hester said that the organization’s inability to maintain dedicated volunteers to assist …
Industry mourns passing of Midwest Unlimited’s GM Eric Wellman
“It is with heartbreak and profound sadness to announce that Midwest Unlimited has lost an indispensable, beloved, integral member of our work family, General Manager Eric Wellman, who passed away Saturday,” said company owner Jim Krupicka. Wellman began working as a salesperson at Midwest Unlimited in June 2003 and quickly transitioned to vendor relations, product development, purchasing procurement to sales …
From Davie to DC, Vertical Freedom premieres rev up excitement for its long-awaited November 1 release
With two premieres in a week, Vertical Freedom, an epic, feature-length documentary film highlighting the professional and personal lives of six communications infrastructure workers to be released on November 1 on 18 video platforms, gave attendees a first-hand look at their compelling stories. Last evening, coupled with a workforce development panel that included NATE President and CEO Todd Schlekeway, NATE …
Undocumented immigrant arrested for illegally setting Knoxville cell phone towers on fire
The Knoxville Fire Department said investigators arrested and charged a Knoxville, KY, man after there were numerous fires at cell phone tower sites. According to multiple news searches, none of them were reported in local news media since they started occurring in June of 2022. Gildardo Herrera Gonzalez, 36, was charged with one count of arson and one count of setting fire to …
Installing networks right is VIAVI’s forte, and free webinar for tower techs and contractors will show why
If you want to install wireless networks right the first time, you’ll want to register for VIAVI Solutions’ best practices for testing cell sites during installation to increase efficiency and avoid revisits webinar presented by solutions expert Steve Gale on October 20, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. VIAVI Solutions, a leader in Fiber Optic and RF test and measurement …
FCC’s union shores up support for Gigi Sohn’s confirmation as the third Democratic FCC Commissioner
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents 800 FCC employees and thousands more, has come out in support of the nomination of Gigi Sohn for the still vacant fifth seat — and third Democrat — on the Federal Communications Commission. In a letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, which failed to successfully report …
Cell sites out of power are expected to rise steeply following Hurricane Ian’s devastating damage
The FCC’s communications status report released yesterday afternoon identifies that Florida’s cell sites weathered Hurricane Ian’s devastating thrashing of Florida. Of the 13,832 total sites, only 188 were out of service, representing a statewide average of 1.4%. Today’s report is expected to be a crushing comparison as the real outage figures come in. Added in the new outages will be …
North Carolina-based NWS awarded the coveted No. 3 spot in Mid-Market Fast 40 Ranking
Grain Management-backed Network Wireless Solutions (NWS), a fast-growing solutions and logistics provider to carriers and telecommunications contractors, has earned the No. 3 spot on the 2022 North Carolina Mid-Market Fast 40 ranking. Sponsored by Business North Carolina magazine in partnership with the accounting firm Cherry Bekaert LLP, which verifies the results, the Mid-Market Fast 40 ranking recognizes companies based in …
New iPhone 14 provides emergency services everywhere and lets them know if you crash
Apple unveiled its new iPhone 14 devices yesterday, promoting a new emergency service via satellite feature starting in November that enables the phones to connect and send messages when the devices are in areas with no cell phone coverage. The emergency service hardware requirements are built into all iPhone 14s sold worldwide, although the service will currently only be available in …
AT&T sues T-Mobile over false senior discount ad campaign that could impact sales
When carriers are concerned that their competitors have misleading ads, the normal way to resolve it is to file a complaint with the National Advertising Review Board. However, AT&T is suing T-Mobile in Texas’s Eastern District Court, accusing the Uncarrier of uncaring about accuracy and publishing false advertising. They’re demanding that they are awarded T-Mobile’s profits earned through its advertising …
Verizon to take switches off commercial power to prevent CA rolling blackouts
Verizon is taking extraordinary steps to help prevent rolling blackouts in California as temperatures rise to extreme levels this week. The carrier said in a statement the following actions will provide meaningful relief to reduce the impact on the state’s power resources while minimizing the risk to their customers and employees. In a rare move, during today’s Flex Alert from …
Carr comes out swinging as he slams the FCC’s Starlink funding reversal
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr attacked a move by the FCC earlier in August to deny Starlink $885.5 million it won in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, stating: “I am surprised to find out via a press release – while I am on a work trip to remote parts of Alaska – that the FCC has made this significant …
