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 Carlson, Lyman honored for their service at NATE UNITE 2014
The National Association of Tower Erectors honored Bill Carlson, President and CEO of Tower Systems, Inc. and Gordon Lyman, Vice President of Safety at WesTower Communications, during the keynote speaker luncheon at NATE UNITE 2014 in San Diego, Calif. Both professionals have a long history of dedication to advancing climber and construction safety. Please see: Honored |
 Help bring a severely injured tower tech home to his family
A tower technician fell 80 feet last Thursday and only suffered a sprained ankle, and returned home the same evening.Unfortunately, after falling 50 feet from a tower last June, a Sacramento, Calif. tech can’t even come home from therapy on weekends until the funds are raised for an access ramp to his home and to purchase a bed suitable for his convalescence. But you can make that happen. Please see:Thomas |
 Wireless task force launches its 100% Tie-Off 24/7 campaign
The Wireless Industry Safety Task Force has launched its 100% Tie-Off 24/7 awareness campaign at the NATE UNITE 2014 conference in San Diego, Calif. The task force consists of top safety and operations executives representing wireless carriers, tower owners, OEM’s, turnkey/construction management firms and the National Association of Tower Erectors. Please see: NATE |
 Tower tech gets up after an 80-foot plunge off of a self-supporter
A 20-year-old Coxsackie, N.Y. tower technician fell 80-feet off of a self-supporting tower in Harriman, N.Y. and is home now, resting comfortably. The man, employed by Advanced Network Services of Albany, N.Y. can probably thank two feet of snow for saving his life. Please see: N.Y. Fall |
 OSHA pulls out all of the stops following multiple deaths
From a new tower industry-focused web page to a veiled threat by OSHA's chief, the federal agency is charging hard in numerous directions to end the spiraling accident and death rate in the wireless construction and maintenance industry. Willful violations are now the agency's first choice for this industry. Please see: OSHA |
 Three dead after W. Va. tower collapses; fourth man dies in Tex.
Two Oklahoma tower technicians and a Nutter Fort, W. Va. firefighter died after a cell tower in Clarksburg collapsed while workers were reinforcing the structure to increase its capacity. It was the contractor's second fatality accident. Another tower technician died when he fell from a tower in Tex. Please see: Tower Collapse |
 ATC’s seven year savings itch is to ditch its lighting inspections
If the FCC agrees with American Tower Corporation’s request, the Boston-based tower owner will not be required to inspect over 7,000 of its towers throughout the country each year to ensure that their obstruction lighting systems are working properly. The savings could be approximately $2 million per year. Please see: ATC |
 Velocitel might be out $3.2 million following a five-year jail term
A New York wireless manager has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for defrauding more than $3 million from Velocitel, Inc., his Syracuse employer. He was also required to reimburse Velocitel $3.2 million, but it’s doubtful that they’ll ever see the repayment. Please see: Velocitel |
 NATE expecting high attendance spike in San Diego Feb. 24-27
Stop inside NATE’s headquarters and you’ll find their personnel abuzz with the essential pre-show jitters, but there is a communal smile as they tie up last minute details for their conference in San Diego – knowing that it will probably be one of the most significant shows in the trade group’s history. Please see: NATE |
 Details into tech’s shooting death quashed by $700,000 payment
A lawsuit was expected to provide answers to a Charlotte, N.C. tragedy where a tower tech might have been a victim of an overzealous or frightened police officer who shot him to death. However, the city of Charlotte, N.C. will pay $700,000 to the estate of Anthony Wayne Furr,ending further information: Please see:Furr |
 Mount failure caused climber’s death, but who is to blame?
Last January, a 32-year-old veteran tower technician climbed a Crown Castle International monopole in Mount Vernon, Wash., to perform an antenna installation for Clearwire’s network when he fell and died. A year later the question remains: who is to blame? Please see: Mount |
 ROHN™ Products appoints two new regional sales directors
Bob Tannery (left) and Steve Larkin have joined ROHN™ Products as newly appointed regional sales directors. Tannery will head the company's Southwest region, and Larkin will manage the Northwest. Both men are well-known industry professionals, said Mark Allen, the firm's Vice President. Please see: Directors |
 Former FCC chief joins Carlyle, CommScope's former owner
Julius Genachowski, who left as Federal Communications Commission Chairman in May, has joined Carlyle Group's U.S. buyout unit. He joins a team with a fresh $13 billion fund at its disposal to carry out corporate buyouts and minority investments in the U.S. Please see: Genachowski |
 Workers gear up for this week’s brutal Arctic blast
Tower construction and maintenance companies are preparing for brutal weather from a dangerous Arctic blast that could send US temperatures plummeting to their coldest in 20 years. Some workers are accustomed to the cold, but tech transplants from warmer states might find it unbearable. Please see: Polar Vortex |
 Fraud charge, 1099 dispute and lawsuits trail the passing of techs Claiming that a tower erector fraudulently represented the scope of work it was performing on a Verizon upgrade, insurance carriers have denied workers comp and indemnity coverage to a Texas contractor, although they acknowledge that there was a policy in force when two men were killed in Mississippi. Please see: Lawsuits |
 Sprint/T-Mobile merger could be tough on towercos, contractors
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Sprint is considering a merger with T-Mobile and could place a bid within six months in a deal that could cost more than $20 billion. Sprint could face opposition from antitrust regulators, who might register their concerns about having one less national carrier. Please see: Sprint |
 NATE announces 2014 Board of Directors election results
The National Association of Tower Erectors released the results of the 2014 Board of Directors election. Successful candidates were: Pat Cipov, Bryan Lee, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Miller, and Don Train. They will officially begin their two-year terms on Feb. 23, 2014 at the trade group's conference in California. Please see: Election |
 Tower crew gets to ensure troupe’s safety in sidewalk spectacle
Techs often state that one of their true enjoyments is the varied projects and sites that they are able to assist with. However, a crew from Wireless Network Group had a truly unique rigging challenge. Safely drop a dance troupe from the top of a Fifth Avenue, Manhattan department store. Please see: WNG |
 Two companies cited by OSHA following three climber deaths
A Florida contractor is contesting two serious OSHA violations it received after two of its men were killed when a gin pole’s rigging failed, and a Louisiana company has until Dec. 19, 2013 to contest its $50,400 willful fine for not ensuring that its climbers were using proper fall protection equipment. Please see: Citations |
 Talley tackles the Atlanta market with its 10th distribution center
Talley Inc. has announced the opening of its new facility in Atlanta, GA on Dec. 9, 2013. This new sales and distribution facility will be Talley’s tenth location and second facility to open in 2013. Talley opened its Denver, CO facility on June 3, 2013. Please see: Atlanta |
 Safety One featured in central Ohio newscast on climbers
Identifying tower climbers as a dedicated group of individuals,Ohio’s WBNS Channel 10 ran a special on tower technicians after filming a number of them being trained by Colorado-based Safety One Training. According to one climber in the broadcast, this was his first training after two years. Please see: Climbers |
 Storm cuts into T-Day weekend time off for many techs
A severe storm laden with ice collapsed two Texas towers. The storm's march up the East Coast is affecting travel plans of many technicians on their way home for the long Thanksgiving Day weekend. The Weather Chanel is calling the storm Boreas. You just might have another name. Please see: Boreas |
 Crown's employees warned to be vigilant following data breach
Normally during the holidays workers are vigilant about their spending and oftentimes check their bank accounts and credit cards. A payroll data breach at Crown Castle will require its employees to also check for fraudulent activity after their Social Security numbers and other information were hacked. Please see: Breach |
 Tech succumbs from severe injuries sustained after Kansas fall
A 27-year-old tower technician has died as a result of injuries he received when he fell off of a 340-foot self-supporting tower in Wichita, Kan. The tiger team crew member was reportedly climbing down at the end of the day when he fell. A fellow worker said he had been attached to a safety climb cable. Please see: Kansas |
 Huge tower tech commitment will create thousands of new jobs The White House and Warriors 4 Wireless announced that it has made a commitment to connect veterans with jobs, and many of the 5,000 positions anticipated to be filled by 2015 will supplement tower climber technicians in the workforce. PCIA and others are assisting in the effort. Please see: W4W |
 Ten executives seeking election to five NATE board seats
With three directors opting to retire after long years of service on the National Association of Tower Erectors Board of Directors, and two directors up for re-election, NATE could see its biggest ever leadership shift in 2014 when the new board is seated in San Diego next February. Please see: NATE Board |
 Tower tech’s 100% tie-off saves his life in Virginia Beach
A Virginia Beach Fire Department crew practiced rope rescue training on their city-owned tower on Saturday, probably thinking that it might be some distant time before they were able to apply those skills, if ever. Approximately 48 hours later they were called upon to help save a tower technician’s life. Please see: Virginia Rescue |
 Injury reports will be public if OSHA’s initiative is approved
OSHA has issued a proposed rule to improve workplace safety and health through improved tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses that will most likely require the tower construction industry to abide by if it’s approved. The information is expected to be made available online where it could be misused. Please see: Reporting |
 Hiring a vet would provide a great thank you and a good choice Veterans Day is an ideal time to thank America’s men and women who have served our nation with honor and courage, it’s also the opportunity to think about the benefits of hiring former military members for a number of reasons. A primary benefit observed is the military’s culture of loyalty to the team. Please see:Military |
 Don’t bet on your 911 jobsite call getting an immediate response Here's a sobering thought for workers who sometimes grouse about providing directions, maps and other safety information for their crews: There’s a good chance first responders will be incapable of locating an injured co-worker, especially in Texas where there is a two-thirds failure rate in tracking locations. Please see: 911 |
 Selling at SBA’s high could have provided a handsome profit
If you had ignored frequent rumors that tower companies were going to go bankrupt in 2002 and invested $10,000 in SBA Communications and sold it at its all time high of $91.83, you would have seen a hefty profit of $4.8 million. For similar American Tower and Crown Castle profitable results, please see: SBA |
 Site acq worker avoids jail, but his bosses could get 23 years
A former Velocitel site acquisition specialist was sentenced to three years’ probation for not reporting to the IRS an additional $221,150 he was paid for moonlighting for a company that received money fraudulently in a conspiracy with a Velocitel manager.
However, his bosses could get 23 years in prison. Please see: Velocitel |
 MPR charges it was swindled out of $315,000 in a co-location deal
Had Minnesota Public Radio gone to the 12th floor of the Acme building and asked private eye Guy Noir from their signature program, A Prairie Home Companion, if they were getting a fair deal on a co-location partnership, they might not have had to wait almost three decades to find out. Please see: MPR |
 An 8% tower tax could cripple tower owners in India
Last year, India’s government passed legislation that requires tower owners to migrate 50% of all cell towers in rural areas and 20% in urban areas to hybrid power by 2015. They're now looking for an additional 8% tax on annual revenues. Its impact could be devastating for some tower companies. Please see: India |
 New Louisiana entrant in Tower Climbers Hall of Shame
Oftentimes media outlets take a photograph of a tower climber hard at work, not realizing that they've captured unsafe working practices. Here's an owner of a Louisiana company that should know better, or should leave the business if he doesn't. Please see: Hall of Shame |
 At $4.85 billion, Crown announces the AT&T tower deal is official
At the PCIA conference it was widely discussed that Crown Castle was going to be the successful suitor for AT&T’s 10,000 towers. Crown made it official, announcing that AT&T has agreed to sell or lease 9,708 of their structures. Please see: AT&T |
 Fatality causes to be identified as comp carriers take big hits
When key wireless infrastructure companies meet at the Telecommunications Safety Summit, amongst other areas of concern they’re going to discuss leading indicators to identify root causes and trends. Please see: Safety Summit |
 Tower tech tats take on a wide spectrum of art and industry pride
Reasons for getting industry-related tattoos vary as much as pricing. They are oftentimes a work in progress and a chronology of experiences, sometimes tragic memorials. For many people they're now must-have inkings. Please see: Tats |
 Players challenged to achieve sustainable safety improvements
Key industry company executives will meet in Dallas, Tex. to begin the task of establishing work groups to develop and execute an action plan that will help to reduce an alarming spike in industry accidents and fatalities. Please see: Safety Challenge |
 OSHA doesn't care if your pedicurist galvanized your toenails
Ad agencies and marketing personnel have a singular mindset: use an appealing graphic accompanied by a clever turn of phrase or a message that resonates with and motivates their audience. And sometimes they step on their toes. Please see:Toes |
 106 companies demonstrating a higher commitment to safety
The National Association of Tower Erectors' signature program, the NATE STAR Initiative, designed to help companies operate safely and adhere to higher safety standards. For a list of participating companies,please see: STAR |
 New PIM Master options for top of tower testing in key bands
Anritsu Company has introduced three frequency options for its industry-leading PIM Master MW82119A Passive Intermodulation (PIM) high-power, battery-operated, portable PIM test analyzer. Please see: PIM |
 PCIA conference in full swing as the industry awaits an AT&T sale Although it’s expected that AT&T’s anticipated tower sale will be a subject at a tower CEO roundtable, there will only be generalizations offered by the panelists at PCIA’s Hollywood, Fla. conference until the sale is announced. Please see: Moreland |
 Stainless announces closing of its Pennsylvania fabrication plant
Stainless, the U.S.’s largest and most prominent tall tower fabricator, has closed its fabrication shop, and its equipment as well as its buildings and land will go on the auction block Oct. 10. Please see: Stainless |
 Tech killed when crane without outriggers out flips lifting a gen set
A 25-year-old tower technician died in Indianapolis when the crane he was operating tipped over and crushed him. Initial reports indicate that the man was moving a 5,000 pound generator, but didn’t put out the crane's outriggers. Please see: Crane |
 Anatomy of a $38 million tower erection bid reeks of fraud
West Virginia lawmakers found out that a Lewis County bid for a 340-foot self-supporting Homeland Security tower awarded for $192,318, morphed into an illegal mega-deal for 16 additional towers at a cost of $38 million. Please see: Fraud? |
 Towerco’s quarterly transcript mirrors a Nigerian get rich scheme
Tower company earnings or blockbuster deal analysts' call transcripts oftentimes mirror an urgent email request for you to share in the funds of a seductively lucrative $35 million Nigerian contract. Although you might find a dusting of reality in it, here’s a humorous look at a Q3 earnings call. Please see:Towers “R” Us |
 True cost of AT&T towers may never be known
It’s known that the major towercos are shopping AT&T’s towers and an announcement might be in the wings. What is not known, and may never be known is the cost per tower site for analysis with other recent large portfolio buys. Please see: AT&T |
 Army trains its soldiers as it weans itself from tower contractors
While the wireless industry is courting former military members to become tower technicians, the military is now training their personnel in Ft. Drum, NY, to do the tower work previously assigned to the private sector. Please see: Army Techs |
 Check Your Six is an opportunity to prevent climber complacency
Michael Graham could have bannered his office with a number of hackneyed safety slogans such as Tie off or fly off, but he’s selected a military phrase, Check Your Six, and he’s coupling it with real time relevancy for his employees. Please see: CYS |
 Arizona tech crushed by 30-ton boulder in rockslide
Authorities say that a tower tech was attempting to move a boulder that blocked his crew’s route to a tower site when another 30-ton boulder became dislodged in a rockslide and crushed his legs and pelvis in northern Arizona. Please see: Rockslide |
 AM’s newcomer tower rules defined in new FCC order
AM radio appears to be dying, but the FCC has at least promulgated new rules to let it finish its golden years with a clear signal following the agency’s introduction of a streamlined process to assist with new tower construction. Please see: FCC Rules |
 Talley's new Denver location is an instant hit
Just three months after its opening, Talley Inc.'s new Denver facility has outpaced company projections, according to Mark Talley, President and CEO. The new facility is Talley's ninth location. Please see: Talley |
 Armed copper thieves provide a new concern
Copper and other metal thefts are a daily occurrence at tower sites, but two men in Kansas added a new wrinkle to a nationwide concern as they entered a compound with one thief wielding a scoped long rifle to protect his partner. Please see: Copper |
 Antenna misalignments adding to contractor and carrier expenses
A leading RF engineer says that nearly 50% of all LTE sites are misaligned to the level in which they need to be corrected and the costs are reaching astronomical levels for general contractors and carriers. Please see: Alignment Concerns |
 $4.8 billion deal puts most of GTPs assets into ATC's portfolio
American Tower Corp. has agreed to pay approximately $4.8 billion to acquire Global Tower Partners 5,400 towers in the U.S. and 500 sites in Costa Rica as well as other assets. They didn’t buy 620 sites in Mexico. Please see: ATC |
 Contractor had been cited three months before tech's death
Services were held for David Huynh, 31, of Gresham, Ore. who passed away after he was severely injured when the aerial lift he was using fell over in Eugene. His employer had already been on Oregon OSHA’s radar screen. Please see: Oregon |
 OSHA’s “close look” into climber fatality factors isn’t necessary
Based upon the industry’s high death rate this year, OSHA’s chief, Dr. David Michaels, said he wants to focus upon fatality factors. He doesn’t have to, they’re already known. He needs to, however, get competent inspectors. Please see: OSHA |
 Welding fire cripples service from Florida monopole
Blistered panel antennas and charred remote radio heads topped out a Sanford, Fla.
monopole owned by Crown Castle International this afternoon after welders working on the tower set the transmission lines on fire. Please see: Sanford monopole seared |
 Weekend accident takes the life of a tenth climber this year
Mississippi OSHA Area Director Clyde Payne has confirmed that a tower technician fell to his death Saturday morning in Louise, a small community of approximately 300 residents. Please see:Mississippi |
 Anger over her husband’s death is channeled to assist climbers
Bridgette Hester has never climbed a tower, might not know the difference between a D ring and an O ring, and could possibly think that pulling tension is related to stress management. So how did she quickly become the Mother Jones-type advocate for climber safety and enforcement? Please see: Anger |
 General Dynamics’ death notice proves to be incorrect, tech is alive
A tower tech had been on a man lift when it fell over, requiring emergency workers to transport the non-responsive tech to the hospital. Two days later, General Dynamics sent an email stating that the man had passed away. It's not true. Please see: Oregon |
 Three Michigan tower technician deaths’ rumor is baseless
Three people reportedly died while they were on a guy-wire change-out project in Michigan, according to one Facebook post which went viral to other groups as well as to company safety directors. The good news is it isn’t true. Please see: Climber Canard |
 Tower technician dies following 200-foot North Carolina fall
An unconscionable tenth death this year occurred last evening when a Georgia man fell approximately 200 feet to his death off of a monopole near Coats, N.C. It appears that he was not 100% tied off. Please see:N.C Death |
 nTelos requested to assist in investigating green card tech’s death
The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry is investigating the death of a 37-year-old who fell from an nTelos tower in Waynesboro, Va. The green card worker from Iran had only entered the U.S. three weeks prior to the accident. Please see: Virginia |
 Global Tower Partners rumored to have put the for sale sign out
Global Tower Partners of Boca Raton, Fla., the largest privately held operator of cell towers in the nation, is being shopped to its larger rivals, according to The Wall Street Journal and other media. The price tag could be $4 billion. Please see: GTP |
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