As Wireless Estimator recently reported, calls are growing to eliminate or consolidate federal broadband programs over concerns of duplication and oversight—but a newly filed fraud case tied to a tribal broadband project in South Dakota shows the problem may run deeper than program structure alone. The complaint centers on a broadband project on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation—about 150 miles southwest …
Calls grow to eliminate USDA broadband programs as critics cite duplication and delays
A mix of fiscal watchdog groups, former regulators, and some policymakers are calling for the elimination or consolidation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s broadband programs, arguing they’ve become redundant, inefficient, and out of step with today’s funding landscape. The roots of that debate go back more than a decade. From stimulus solution to structural problem In 2009, Jonathan Adelstein, …
AT&T points to organized crime behind copper theft surge as losses top $80 million
AT&T is no longer describing copper theft as a nuisance; it’s calling it something far more coordinated. In a recent corporate blog post, the carrier said it is seeing “clear evidence of organized crime” behind a growing wave of copper theft incidents impacting its network infrastructure across the United States. The shift in language signals that what was once viewed …
Is SBA Communications in play? Report says Boca Raton tower giant is exploring a sale after takeover interest
SBA Communications, the Boca Raton, FL-based tower owner that has long stood as one of the industry’s “Big Three” REIT landlords, is reportedly exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, after receiving preliminary takeover interest. Bloomberg News, reported Thursday that SBA is working with advisers as it evaluates that interest. If the process advances beyond the “exploring options” stage, it …
AT&T’s capex surge coupled with FirstNet signals where the real infrastructure build is in 2026
For wireless infrastructure contractors who have spent the past three years watching carrier capex decline and work slow, this week’s FirstNet announcement deserves a close read. AT&T and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $2 billion agreement in principle to expand and upgrade FirstNet, America’s dedicated nationwide public safety broadband network, though only $1 billion represents new money from …
Starlink’s rise is putting fixed wireless providers on notice
For years, fixed wireless providers have filled a critical gap in rural broadband, building networks where fiber doesn’t pencil out and carriers won’t invest. Now, that model is facing a new kind of competition—one that doesn’t rely on towers, permits, or backhaul at all. A competitor that bypasses the tower model entirely Starlink is changing the equation by bypassing terrestrial …
Mike Rowe quits PureTalk after learning its network is built on the backs of underpaid tower crews
Mike Rowe, the nation’s most recognizable champion of skilled trades and PureTalk’s lead spokesperson, has abruptly terminated his relationship with the mobile carrier after a Reddit post and a chance encounter with a tower crew exposed what he described as “two uncomfortable truths I can’t unknow” — one about the company he represented, and one about the industry that makes …
Kiss Cam love story ends the moment Verizon’s terms were unveiled last night
For approximately 12 seconds yesterday, the telecom contractors industry achieved something remarkable: everyone looked happy. AT&T and Verizon executives had invited NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association’s directors and administrators to a Washington Nationals game, a gesture of appreciation following the much-discussed framework agreement among the carriers, NATE, and the FCC. Under the stadium lights, it looked like progress had …
Verizon’s new sourcing model promises scale—but no guarantees; contractors call it a financial trap
Verizon’s latest push to consolidate its network construction and maintenance work into a handful of “preferred suppliers” is being pitched as a pathway to stability and scale. But contractors reviewing RFPs say the reality is far different: a system that most—and possibly all—qualified general contractors cannot financially meet, even if they win. At the center of the concern is a …
$13M lawsuit threatens rural broadband network as American Tower seeks equipment removal
A federal lawsuit filed in January, winding its way through court filings, is exposing financial cracks in a rural broadband expansion story that had been celebrated as one of telecom’s most promising buildouts. American Tower LLC and its acquisition affiliate SpectraSite Communications filed suit on January 16, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma against …
NATE’s carrier contracting framework: Where things stand and what’s coming
After more than a year of hard-fought negotiations, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has secured landmark framework agreements with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile — all three filed with the FCC. The association has released an updated infographic (March 21, 2026) summarizing the key commitments each carrier has made, and what NATE member contractors can expect as implementation continues to …
Shared infrastructure is reshaping stadium wireless—and redefining who gets the work
The Small Cell Forum is positioning its new stadium connectivity guide as a playbook for better fan experiences. But the substance points somewhere else entirely: shared infrastructure, neutral host control, and dense deployments are redefining who builds—and controls—modern wireless networks. For contractors and infrastructure providers, this isn’t really about stadiums. It’s a preview of how high-capacity environments will be designed, …
Missed permits, not merit, sink Verizon’s proposed Pennsylvania monopole
A Pennsylvania appellate court has sided with a local municipality in a zoning dispute that will prevent Verizon from constructing a proposed 100-foot monopole in Pleasant Hills, ruling that the borough acted within its authority when it revoked prior approval after the company failed to secure required permits. In a decision issued by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the panel …
Veteran tower tech rescued after water tower medical emergency; officials credit rapid technical response
A 63-year-old tower technician is expected to be okay after suffering a medical emergency while working 80 to 100 feet above ground on a water tower-mounted cell site in Florence Township, NJ on Wednesday. The worker, who was on site with a coworker, experienced chest pains while on the platform and called for help, according to officials. Authorities did not …
A defining moment for the nation’s contractors: Protecting the backbone of the industry
By Gershwyn Fortune, CEO & COO, Ritel Incorporated When I stood before industry leaders at NATE UNITE 2026, my intention was not to deliver a ceremonial address. It was to speak plainly, candidly, and urgently about what many of us are experiencing but few have articulated at scale. I spoke as a General Contractor. As an operator. As someone responsible …
Blakeslee named President as Tower Family Foundation sets 2026 leadership team
The Tower Family Foundation has announced that Board of Directors’ members Kenny Blakeslee, Patrick Murphy, and Mark Muzzana were appointed by their peers to serve on the non-profit organization’s Executive Committee for the 2026 term. Kenny Blakeslee, Founder and CEO of Apex Site Solutions in Elk Gove, California, was appointed to serve as President of the Board of Directors; Patrick …
Turnkey telecom TriStruX shuts down — subcontractors and vendors owed substantial sums
Multiple vendors at last month’s NATE UNITE 2026 gathering said the same thing: TriStruX’s wireless division was behind on substantial payments and running out of runway. With mounting debt owed to subcontractors and suppliers nationwide, many expected the Clifton, New Jersey–based company to shut down. Less than two weeks later, it did so with a tombstone message on its website. …
Nearly $65B, 158,500 towers, and a shrinking workforce: What WIA’s 2025 ‘By the Numbers’ reveals
The Wireless Infrastructure Association’s fourth annual By the Numbers report documents a sector investing heavily in 5G, AI, and fixed wireless — but with a workforce that contracted by more than 26,000 jobs in a single year, raising serious questions about the pipeline of workers needed to build what comes next. The Wireless Infrastructure Association released its 2025 Wireless Infrastructure …
The sustainability question facing wireless infrastructure
The wireless infrastructure industry has accomplished something remarkable. In just a few decades, an ecosystem of carriers, tower owners, engineers, manufacturers, and contractors has built one of the most important physical networks in modern society. These networks power communication, commerce, emergency response, and public safety across the United States. Behind that infrastructure is a workforce that often operates out of …
Pay the towercos, crews and vendors first: Think tank tells FCC to hold EchoStar’s $40 billion until everyone is paid
The Bull Moose Project has filed with the FCC, arguing that approving EchoStar’s spectrum sales without an escrow to pay unpaid contractors, vendors and tower companies would betray American workers, and poison every future wireless buildout. The conservative think tank has entered the fight over EchoStar’s $40-plus billion spectrum selloff, telling the FCC it should not approve the deals until …
