Due to NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association’s advocacy, carriers have established reporting hotlines for unsafe and uncertified crews and companies, but using them comes with risks, and not all hotlines are created equal. It would be foolish to think that the three major carriers — at the infrastructure build management level — are unaware of the flagrant workforce abuses …
Carriers made promises to the FCC, but contractors are still waiting to be made whole
For the first time in recent memory, contractors working on America’s wireless infrastructure have commitments from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. These agreements address pricing, payment terms, audit practices, and the use of unlicensed crews that industry leaders say have long suppressed wages and undercut legitimate businesses. Although they are not binding, the agreements, secured over fourteen months by NATE: The …
Industry leader Dave Mayo joins Ontivity’s Board at a time of accelerated expansion of 250 crews
Ontivity, a leading national provider of digital infrastructure services, with more than 700 professionals and 250 field crews, today announced the appointment of Dave Mayo to its Board of Directors. The company said his appointment comes at an exciting time in the company’s evolution as it enters the next phase of national expansion. Many of the company’s executives are attending …
From gold medal grit to Iron Cowboy guts: NATE’s keynote speaker momentum builds
NATE is once again betting that powerful stories of grit and perseverance resonate with the tower workforce — and if last year’s hockey hero set the tone, this year’s keynote speaker is prepared to push the concept of endurance even further. The world-renowned ultra-endurance athlete James Lawrence — better known globally as the Iron Cowboy — will deliver the keynote address …
Meet many of the NATE volunteer committee members who power the association from the inside
Most attendees at NATE UNITE 2026 this week will see the education sessions, the packed exhibit hall, and the high-profile speakers. What many don’t see are the men and women working quietly behind the scenes all year long. They are typically humble about their contributions — and that’s part of their culture — but their impact on the telecommunications infrastructure …
At NATE UNITE 2026, one Las Vegas climber’s calling embodies the industry’s enduring spirit
When the doors open this morning at NATE UNITE 2026 in Las Vegas, the crowd will span generations — from first-time 18-year-old tower technicians eager to soak up safety training and new ideas, to seasoned executives guiding the nation’s largest tower portfolios. And somewhere among the thousands of attendees, moving with the quiet familiarity of someone who’s seen it all …
From contractor grumblings to “Rumble on the Tower,” NATE UNITE 2026 packs a full agenda
From addressing contractor grumblings over workforce, compliance, and pricing pressures to a new event, “Rumble on the Tower,” NATE UNITE 2026 this week is delivering one of its most wide-ranging programs in recent memory, blending hard-edge operational education with a growing emphasis on workforce wellness, safety, and community support. Their show guide is available here. Set at Caesars Forum, the …
NATE locks in 2026 executive team, re-upping Drouin, Scott and Young
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today announced that Board of Directors members Victor Drouin, Randy Scott, and Mike Young have been selected by their peers to serve on the Association’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year. The announcement was made on the opening day of the NATE UNITE 2026 Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Victor Drouin, …
Beyond wall thickness: What ANDREW will explain at NATE UNITE 2026 for optimal performance
One of the more technical discussions scheduled for NATE UNITE 2026 will focus on a structural detail that is often simplified in telecom construction: the relationship between wall thickness, material grade, and real-world performance. During the session “Beyond the Wall: Understanding Material Grades for Optimal Performance” on Monday, February 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in rooms 204-206, ANDREW …
NATE UNITE 2026 promises innovation and networking for the nation’s infrastructure companies
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association will host its annual NATE UNITE show in Las Vegas from February 23 to 26, bringing together communications infrastructure contractors, climbers, and suppliers for what organizers promise will be the event’s biggest year yet. Amanda Stegall, chair of NATE’s trade show committee, and Stephanie McCall, Director of Events and Marketing, outlined key highlights during …
Contractors are under pressure—and a new peer-to-peer model will be introduced at NATE UNITE 2026
Wireless infrastructure contracting companies are operating in one of the most difficult environments the sector has faced in decades. Matrix pricing, extended payment terms, margin compression, workforce instability, and increasingly rigid carrier and tower-owner requirements have left many privately held contractors squeezed from all sides. What makes these pressures more acute is that most owners and executives are confronting them …
Industry veteran Bernard Borghei launches Connected Infra Group with $1 billion backing from TPG Peppertree
Bernard Borghei, one of the wireless infrastructure industry’s most recognized executives, is back with a new platform — and this time he comes armed with serious capital. TPG Peppertree has committed up to $1 billion to Connected Infra Group, a South Florida-based telecom and technology infrastructure company founded by Borghei focused on owning, operating, and managing telecommunications real estate assets, …
Vertical Bridge, the 4th largest towerco, secures $1.94B in tower financing, approaching SBA’s $2.07B record
Although Vertical Bridge’s $1.94 billion may be the largest single-tranche tower securitization in the industry, SBA Communications raised $2.07 billion on the same day in October 2024 through two separate series, making it the industry’s largest single-closing total. Vertical Bridge, the nation’s largest privately held cell tower company, closed its $1.94 billion asset-backed securitization on February 13, 2026, backed …
Senator Kennedy questions BEAD math: Why not use $600 satellite instead of $4,000 fiber per home?
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just slashed the $42.45 billion BEAD program in half. But that apparently wasn’t good enough for Sen. John Kennedy, the folksy Louisiana Republican whose Pelican State just got handed a check for $498.2 million from NTIA—down from an original $1.355 billion allocation. Kennedy vented during a brief but pointed exchange with Lutnick, who was testifying Tuesday …
Pennsylvania’s $793 million broadband win came at a price: Stripped labor protections leave all U.S. workers vulnerable
After five months in federal limbo, Pennsylvania finally received approval for its $793 million broadband deployment plan yesterday, but the Commonwealth’s hard-fought worker protections didn’t survive the journey. The February 9 approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) chief, Arielle Roth, marks the end of a process that required Pennsylvania and dozens of other states to eliminate labor standards, …
FCC fast-tracks Comcast pole dispute, issuing “first-of-its-kind” order in 60 days to protect BEAD buildout
The FCC says it has just proven a new enforcement tool can do what broadband builders have asked for years: resolve pole-attachment disputes quickly enough to keep construction moving. In what the agency is calling a “first-of-its-kind” action, the Commission used its new Accelerated Docket process—run by the FCC’s Rapid Broadband Assessment Team (RBAT)—to resolve a pole attachment complaint in …
As fiber pay continues to rise, tower hiring falls across U.S. telecom construction to a 20-year low
A Wall Street Journal report this week highlights a stark labor imbalance in the broadband construction sector; while demand for high-speed fiber deployment is surging nationwide, contractors are struggling to recruit sufficient qualified workers to build the networks. Record federal broadband funding, expanding data-center connectivity needs, and the push for universal high-speed internet have driven intense hiring for drillers, linemen, and …
Crown Castle to cut tower and corporate workforce by 20% as DISH fallout accelerates restructuring
Crown Castle’s first earnings report since outlining its transition to a “pure-play” tower operator delivered a sharp reset for employees and investors alike: the company said it will reduce its tower and corporate workforce by approximately 20%, tying the move to both its post-fiber operating model and the sudden loss of expected activity tied to DISH Wireless following the carrier’s …
Levi’s Stadium Super Bowl LX becomes real-world stress test for U.S. wireless infrastructure
Beyond public-safety coordination, carriers and venue engineers are preparing for another massive surge in consumer data traffic surrounding Super Bowl LX this Sunday. With roughly 65,000 fans expected inside Levi’s Stadium, projections indicate spectators and nearby tailgaters could generate tens of terabytes of wireless and Wi-Fi traffic through social posting, livestreaming, and multi-device viewing. Engineers supporting the event have planned …
House subcommittee presses ahead on FirstNet reauthorization
The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee this week examined the future of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as its statutory authorization approaches a 2027 sunset, mirroring recent Senate scrutiny of the nationwide public-safety broadband system. Lawmakers framed the hearing as both an oversight review and an opportunity to refine governance, accountability, and long-term investment before reauthorization moves forward. Subcommittee …
