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Recent News
Family of man killed in Missouri TV tower collapse sues structure’s owner and design engineer
The family of the owner of a tall tower erection company killed when a 1,891-foot TV tower collapsed near Fordland, Missouri in 2018 has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Missouri State University Board of Governors (MSU) and South Carolina-based...
President Trump proposes NTIA official Simington as new FCC Commissioner
The White House announced yesterday President Donald Trump’s intent to nominate Nathan A. Simington, of Virginia, to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission to replace current Republican Commissioner Michael O’Rielly. Simington, a Senior Advisor in the National...
T-Mobile inks a 15-year tower deal with American Tower
T-Mobile and American Tower Corporation announced today that the companies have signed a new long-term agreement designed to drive significant value for both parties over its nearly 15-year term. The new agreement enhances T-Mobile’s access to American Tower’s U.S....
FCC’s full day full-court press to develop O-RAN sported key industry experts
The FCC convened the top experts in the field yesterday in a ground-breaking virtual event to discuss the benefits of an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), the challenges of implementing it, and the lessons learned from recent deployments. FCC...
Dish gets green light for more time to build out its licenses, but must stay in 5G lane
The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) officially gave the green light to Dish Network to reset the clock to June 14, 2023 to meet build-out requirements for its AWS and lower 700 MHz spectrum holdings. The WTB has also...
Feds want dangerous Florida contractor to be kept off streets while awaiting retrial
Prosecutors informed a Virginia federal judge Tuesday that a former government fiber optic design and installation firm contractor also providing cell site services is a danger to his Florida community and should remain in jail. They said the defendant...
Tower Family Foundation Endowment Committee welcomes industry execs Moras and Haldane
The Tower Family Foundation announced today two leadership appointments to the non-profit organization’s Endowment Committee. Shylesh Moras, Senior Vice President, Operations, Development & IT at Phoenix Tower International in Boca Raton, Florida and Andy Haldane, Co-Founder & Chief Executive...
After falling over 200 feet off of steel, high school junior is preparing for the 300-foot gridiron
Last year, Uriah King was a standout running back for the Brownwood, Texas Freshman Lions and looked forward to a junior year of equally outstanding achievements. But on June 1, while the tower tech was at approximately the 225-foot...
Site developer sues over towers of Madison County rejection
In the 1995 movie Bridges of Madison County, Merrill Streep and Clint Eastwood fell in love at the Roseman covered bridge in rural Winterset, Iowa. A quarter-century later, AT&T and FirstNet wanted to erect a 300-foot guyed tower four...
FCC dings a New York ISP with a $164K fine for allegedly popping its subscription numbers
The FCC has proposed a $163,912 fine, the maximum amount allowed by law, against Internet service provider Barrier Communications Corporation (BarrierFree) for apparently reporting inaccurate information that significantly inflated its broadband subscription numbers, failing to file required deployment data, making false statements...
Maine station engineer dies after falling from a ham radio tower
The Knox County, Maine Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a Bangor resident fell from a ham radio tower in a residential area of Union. Authorities said that at approximately 1:00 p.m. yesterday, James Larner, 74, was on the structure when...
NARB: Verizon should nix “Building the most powerful 5G experience for America”
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), a division of BBB National Programs, has recommended that Verizon Communications, Inc. discontinue the claim that “Verizon is building the most powerful 5G experience for America.” This claim appeared in...
CTI’s 1,150 towers acquired by Melody Investment Advisors for an undisclosed price
Melody Investment Advisors LP (Melody) today announced the entry into a definitive agreement to acquire CTI Towers, Inc., an owner and manager of wireless towers in the U.S. CTI Towers is majority owned by Comcast Ventures, Comcast Corporation’s venture...
U.S. ends up in last place in the race for 5G download speeds
Compared to other countries, the U.S. has lost the race to 5G regarding download speeds offered, so much so that in some countries 4G speeds are faster than two of the three major carriers that are touting their 5G offerings....
FCC axes domestic coverage rule for NGSO satellite networks
Satellite constellation operators no longer need to provide nationwide broadband coverage to be in compliance with FCC regulations after the agency voted to change the rule Wednesday, releasing the report and order on Friday. The FCC eliminated the requirement...
Update: 8/31/20: Laura thrashes Louisiana’s broadcasters and mobile networks
UPDATE – August 31, 2020 – Louisiana’s cell sites that were out of service continued to improve since yesterday, with 5.5% of the cell sites out of service in the affected parishes. However, hard-hit Cameron Parish still had 72% of...
Judge rules that a Massachusetts city was correct in denying ExteNet’s poles over power concerns
In a ruling yesterday, US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs dismissed a lawsuit by ExteNet Systems against the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts and its Pole and Conduit Commission over the commission’s decision to reject five of the ExteNet’s proposed...
Digital Colony is interested in Crown Castle’s fiber business – Reuters
Digital Colony Partners has contacted Crown Castle International Corp to signal interest in buying a minority stake in its fiber-cable business, according to three people familiar with the matter, according to a report by Reuters today. The exclusive article states that Marc Ganzi,...
Providing no details President Trump touts a new 5G network
Just before the election for his second term, Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the interstate highway system in 1956. In President Donald J. Trump’s campaigning for his second term on Monday he floated his idea for establishing “a...
T-Mobile advised to stop some of its 5G claims but gets selected NAD marketing support
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that T-Mobile US, Inc. supported claims that its 5G service is faster than a competitors’ 4G, as well as its own 4G, but recommended it discontinue express and implied...
NATE video highlights new wireless infrastructure technician program at Southeast Technical College
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled a video shining a spotlight on the new Wireless Infrastructure Technician Program at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The video’s release is timely as community college and technical...
Sprint and T-Mobile settle Manhattan $2 million townhouse damage claim in a New York minute
Justice is said to be blind but no one ever said it was fast, especially in the COVID-19 era where lawsuits are causing the wheels of justice to move at glacial speeds. So a lawsuit that was filed by...
Elderly Vertical Bridge AM tower goes horizontal after being walloped by 130 mph winds
A 310-foot self-supporting tower owned by Vertical Bridge that broadcast WMT-AM radio’s signal throughout Iowa collapsed last week after tornado-type winds swept through Linn County. According to the National Weather Service, a powerful line of severe thunderstorms known as...
Elliott alleges Crown Castle ‘seems to know there is a problem, but refuses to acknowledge it’
After Activist investor Elliott Management Corporation (Elliott) last month registered its concerns about the operation of Crown Castle’s fiber business, the company appeared to have yielded to its pressure and unveiled a mandatory Board retirement policy of age 72,...
Environmental consultant’s concern dings Georgia towerco with a $16,000 FCC fine
The FCC issued a $16,000 fine against a Georgia vertical realtor aligned with an FCC licensee on Friday, after its site development contractor’s environmental consultant firm informed the agency that a new tower was erected prior to completing environmental and historic...
In Iowa storm’s wake, communications have rebounded but 240K still without power
After a powerful series of thunderstorms with 100 mph winds roared across the Midwest earlier this week, downing trees, damaging structures and knocking out power to more than a million people and disabling communications, the FCC is reporting this...
Coalition of industry organizations advocate for wireless workforce development
A diverse coalition of influential communications industry organizations, whose members depend on a properly trained and highly skilled workforce, sent a letter to key congressional leaders in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives requesting support for industry-specific...
Reward upped to $10K for information regarding shooting deaths of two cell site workers
Two months ago, two men were shot multiple times inside a Jacksonville, Florida AT&T cell site equipment building and police are no further ahead in the investigation of their deaths that appears to have been the result of a...
3M Recalls DBI-SALA Self-Rescue Descent System
3M Fall Protection issued a Product Advisory on June 10, 2020 to address a potential cracking issue that may occur after repetitive descents of the training model of the 3M™ DBI-SALA® Self-Rescue Descent Systems, specifically P/N 3320037. The notice...
Vertical Bridge acquires last big broadcast tower portfolio for $213 million: Cumulus Media
In February, Cumulus Media said that the company was considering selling its tower portfolio of 250 sites across 32 states to increase its liquidity and pay down debt. On Friday, the deal was inked with Vertical Bridge picking up the...
Is Ganzi’s Colony Capital at $2 an opportunity for those who missed out on profitable towerco stocks?
SBA Communications stock price closed at $311.28 Friday with American Tower’s stock at $257.61 and Crown Castle trailing at $168.19, but it’s still a price that cautious investors might shy away from during uncertain times. However, well-known wireless infrastructure...
SBA is doubling down on data centers after successful Chicago edge experiment
SBA Communications jumped into edge computing almost a year ago with the purchase of Chicago data center New Continuum to learn how to maximize their interest in the growing field that their competitors were taking an active role in,...
California city loses $50K in annual revenue, Yurok tribe gains cultural protection
For years, residents of the City of Trinidad, California have been objecting to cell towers located atop Trinidad Head, a scenic promontory instilled with deep spiritual and cultural importance by the Tsurais of the Yurok Tribe. Trinidad leased land...
Trump kayos O’Rielly’s nomination, possibly because he didn’t support conservative media reform
President Donald Trump has rescinded his renomination of FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly to serve another five-year term at the FCC. The reversal issued late Monday came just days after O’Rielly gave a speech in which he indicated his opposition...
Helicopter cell site project crash kills pilot and passenger
Update: August 3, 2020 – The passenger who died in a helicopter crash last Wednesday has been identified as LaDonna Stroud, a longtime friend of the pilot, James “Jim” Robinson, the owner of St. Louis Helicopter (SLH), who also...
Two dead in a small plane crash in Utah that collapsed a Crown Castle tower
A single-engine North American Navion plane crashed in Iron County, Utah on Sunday morning, killing its pilot and passenger, authorities confirmed. The plane struck a 397-foot Crown Castle guyed tower about eight miles southwest of the Cedar City Regional...
Yielding to investor pressure, Crown Castle unveils a 72 skidoo board of directors plan
After pressure from major investor Elliott Management, Crown Castle said Tuesday it will begin a mandatory Board retirement policy of age 72, with several directors, including its founding chairman J. Landis “Lanny” Martin, 73, not being renominated for their...
NATE’s survey initiates conversations to fix troubling compliance company concerns
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled the results of the Association’s 3rd Party Compliance Company Experience Survey. NATE conducted the survey in May of 2020 in order to assist the Association in identifying many of the onboarding...
SBA Communications heralds 100 injury-free days milestone
In 1989 when SBA Communications was the nation’s first company to actively build and acquire towers the company entered unchartered waters but was fully aware of the 1986 requirement to maintain their OSHA 200 log of recordable injuries and...
Complī takes on industry giant Avetta to provide a risk management compliance alternative
World-wide vendor management leader Avetta which appears to have the oil and gas and other industries locked up now has a formidable competitor in wireless, Complī, a platform available from ABIS Solutions, a leading technology firm that has made...
Thriller in Manila: American Tower to get all nationwide permits in 16 days, but telcos could be seized
Philippine government officials threw the nation’s towercos a sweet sixteen party last week with the signing of an Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) joint memorandum circular (JMC) titled Streamlined Guidelines for the Issuance of Permits, Licenses, and Certificates for the...
Arrest made following theft of Sprint network routers that took down carrier’s service in Texas
A Texas man, possibly a Cisco certified technician, who appeared to have codes to enter cell tower sites and keys to access Sprint equipment that permitted him to steal routers from dozens of compounds was arrested Monday in Fort...
Critical defects on low-stretch kernmantle ropes is ‘near zero’ but Petzel is requesting inspections
Petzl is providing the industry with an inspection notice regarding their Petzl low-stretch kernmantle ropes. Although only one client found two critical defects, and to date, no other client has reported similar defects, and no accident or injury is...
Video challenges industry to look at suspension trauma response from a new perspective
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released a video on the topic of suspension trauma. The video is the third to debut in Volume 5 of the Association’s popular #ClimberConnection series. The video includes important information that all...
Compound expansion agreement will streamline 5G build and protect historic properties
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr today announced that the Commission, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) have reached an agreement that will support wireless infrastructure builds while continuing to...
A safe out of plumb monopole is most likely caused by the thermal ‘Sunflower Effect’
Many of us have seen and experienced the Sunflower Effect. Most of us remember the first time we pulled up to a monopole and saw a severe case of it. It seems as if the pole is leaning or...
Tower techs put their life in danger if they accidentally disable a cartel’s ‘parasite’ antenna in Mexico
A tower tech in Mexico turned off the power to an American Tower site to perform routine maintenance and within minutes three armed men in fatigues embroidered with a prominent drug cartel logo braced him in the site’s compound since...
Tower crews who had the ‘hard part’ in the nation’s successful repack singled out by FCC chief
On yesterday’s 39-month repack deadline date, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai expressed sincere thanks to broadcasters, wireless and tower companies, tower crews, Congress and his staff for making the broadcast spectrum repack a success. During remarks he made during a...
Alphabet’s beaming over its successful Internet coverage Loon launch in Kenya
Loon’s airborne armada of balloons started delivering internet service to Kenya on Tuesday, ensuring online service to tens of thousands of people in the first commercial deployment of high-altitude cell sites. Loon expects to have 35 or more balloons...
Internet speeds increase 15.8% on mobile with AT&T winning best in show in Q2
The reliable Q2 2020 Speedtest United States Market Report by Ookla, based upon data from over 1.6 million unique mobile user devices and 18.9 million fixed broadband devices, shows that AT&T is the fastest and most consistent mobile network, but...
No more guessing, Georgia clearly identifies where broadband isn’t available
A new tool that will bring more transparency about the internet marketplace and clarify which Georgia households do not have access to high-speed internet is getting high traffic after it was officially introduced last week. The Georgia’s Broadband Availability Map enables...
NWSA to develop Spanish language telecommunication tower technician assessments
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved proceeding with the Spanish language translation of assessment tests for the Telecommunications Tower Technician 1 (TTT-1) and Telecommunications Tower Technician 2 (TTT-2) trade certifications....
Shaving $1.7 million from AT&T’s cell towers’ value upheld by Missouri tax court
The Missouri State Tax Commission (STC) affirmed a $1.7 million assessment reduction for 23 AT&T Mobility LLC cell towers, rejecting arguments from five county assessors that a hearing officer last year erroneously applied a “revenue procedure” rather than a depreciation...
Major stockholder activist blasts Crown Castle’s fiber line of attack
Although Elliott Management Corp. doesn’t make Crown Castle International Corp.’s top ten list of institutional investors, a $1 billion investment in the Houston, Texas-based communications infrastructure giant could allow the tail to wag the dog, especially when Elliott pounds...
Environment oftentimes weaves dangerous webbing, a Planning Advisory Notice explains why
Equipment exposed to the environment can have an effect on technician safety, effective use, and longevity. The focus of this Planning Advisory Notice (PAN), published with permission by the Telecommunications Industry Foundation, is: Best safety practices for slings, ropes,...
Huawei and ZTE officially designated ‘national security threats’ by the FCC
The FCC has formally designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats to the United States, moving to disrupt the Chinese tech firms’ American operations by declaring that federal subsidies from the Universal Service Fund won’t cover their equipment....
Arson ruled out after Virginia church’s shrouded bell tower goes up in flames
Members of the New Highland Baptist Church attended drive-in services yesterday and were visually reminded of the burnt out hull of their 125-foot bell tower that was set ablaze Thursday night in Mechanicsville, Virginia in their parking lot off...
Double homicide cell site victims identified; deceased company owner’s partner puts up a $5,000 reward
For the three team members of Harley and Sibs Logistics LLC of Thomaston, GA, last week’s scopes of work required them to install power plants, batteries and equipment at three AT&T cell sites, a project that the company has...
Two cell site electricians shot to death while performing an AT&T upgrade in Florida
UPDATE: June 22, 2020 – The two cell site workers that were shot to death have been identified. They were found by the mother of a co-owner of the logistics company that was killed. Additional information is available here....
Thousands of carrier layoffs will not impede 5G buildouts and might increase contractor opportunities
This week it was announced that AT&T plans to cut 3,400 jobs, according to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and T-Mobile is laying off hundreds of Sprint employees, as reported by TechCrunch. However, the wireless infrastructure sectors of the...
Cyber attacks are ruled out as T-Mobile struggles to return nationwide call and internet service
UPDATE: June 16, 2020 – Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s president of technology tweeted at 1:03 a.m. that voice and text services are now restored. “Thank you for your patience as we fixed the issues. We sincerely apologize for any and all inconveniences,”...
VIAVI and 3Z deliver comprehensive fiber toolkit for wireless contractors
As Viavi Solutions Inc. completes the one-year anniversary of its acquisition of 3Z Telecom, the company has unveiled a unified solution set to address the critical needs of wireless contractors in North America. Adding to the well-known RF Vision Antenna...
Cops collar the nation’s first cell tower terrorist accused of setting fire to two California sites
Police arrested a Riverside, California 27-year-old man last week for allegedly torching two cell towers in Fontana and trying to burn a third structure using “homemade incendiary devices”. The Fontana Police Department said that Bryan Uriel Guzman was arrested...
NATE reaches a record high membership of 1,000 companies
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced today that it has established a new all-time record for member companies, reaching the 1,000 member mark for the first time in the organization’s 25-year history. Oddville Communications, Inc., a Cynthiana, Kentucky-based...
Prestigious ANSI accreditation accorded NWSA and its proud Tower Technician 1 & 2 cert holders
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced it has been awarded accreditation by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), a wholly owned subsidiary of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), for its Telecommunications Tower Technician 1 and Telecommunications Tower...
All Quiet on the Western Wireless Front as the infrastructure industry enjoys a peaceful weekend
Concerns about the possibility of Saturday’s Global 5G Protest Day bringing out anarchists bent upon setting fire to cell tower sites or vandalizing them in other manners were well-founded but failed to materialize this weekend. Picked up by major...
Sprint’s unauthorized use of NYC townhouse’s wall should be worth over $2 million lawsuit claims
A New York City husband and wife filed a lawsuit against Sprint and T-Mobile on Monday, alleging that they installed 5G antennas without their permission and violated the terms of a contract they made with Sprint eight years earlier....
An Alabama miracle: Two men are alive after a rigging failure collapses the 349-foot tower they were on
UPDATE: June 15, 2020 — OSHA has identified that the company decommissioning an AT&T sector in Seale, Alabama when the structure collapsed was Strong Tower Enterprises of Brownwood, Texas. According to individuals knowledgeable of the incident, the tower techs...
Wireless workers asked to be vigilant Saturday due to possible attacks against infrastructure
Some activist groups have declared Saturday, June 6, 2020 as Global 5G Protest Day, resulting in associations and carriers as well as contractors warning the industry to be extra vigilant to ensure worker safety and protect the nation’s infrastructure. One...
U.S. Cellular appoints new CEO Laurent Therivel from AT&T
U.S. Cellular has announced that Laurent C. Therivel (“LT”) will be appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2020. Kenneth R. Meyers will be appointed to “Senior Advisor to the CEO” until his retirement on September 4,...
NATE’s 5G video highlights government and industry collaboration
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled a News Bulletin video highlighting how collaboration between the wireless industry and stakeholders at the federal, state and municipal levels can expedite the 5G deployment process in communities across the United...
Court will ask two to untangle why crew lead wasn’t paid overtime
A Park Hill, Oklahoma crew leader has filed a lawsuit stating that a staffing firm stiffed him because his employer refused to pay for overtime work and would not reimburse him for expenses he incurred while building 4G installations...
Rig operator dies after falling into a 35-foot drilled pier foundation for a Verizon monopole
A foundation drill rig operator died yesterday morning in South Lake Tahoe, California while in the process of completing a drilled pier foundation for a 115-foot Verizon monopole to be erected off of Al Tahoe Boulevard just south of...
Access to critical infrastructure authorization expires, extension expected shortly
The National Communications Coordination Branch’s leadership is aware that their current access letter for critical communications infrastructure facilities issued March 16, 2020 is expiring today and they are working to finalize the details and distribution process of an updated...
OSHA levies largest fine in its history involving a tower tech’s death: $141K
With one Willful and two Serious violations, OSHA has cited Pegasus Tower Co. for exposing employees to falls after a fatality at a Starkville, Mississippi, worksite. The tower erector faces $140,720 in penalties, the highest fine ever issued by...
Another Telus Communications cell tower is torched in Quebec
Another Quebec cell tower was the target of an arsonist on Monday. Firefighters were called to the scene on Carillon Street near Notre-Dame, in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough, at around 3:45 a.m., authorities said. The fire was brought under control, but...
Attorney’s lawsuit claims Verizon’s contractor put him at risk and a 5G pole cheapens his realty by $128K
An Atlanta attorney representing himself and 110 of his neighbors in a class action has filed a lawsuit against Verizon Wireless claiming that the carrier sent unmasked contractors to his City of Sandy Springs, Ga. home, in a “corporate...
Top towerco execs enthusiastic about the industry’s future
Executives gave upbeat assessments of the tower industry on the “View From the Top: Tower Executive Roundtable,” moderated by Jonathan Adelstein, President and CEO of the Wireless Industry Association during its virtual Connect (X) All Access conference yesterday afternoon....
Connect (X) All Access is a resounding success as the industry eagerly awaits familiarity
In a sampling of 16 attendees and two exhibitors at yesterday’s Connect (X) All Access virtual conference that replaced the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s (WIA) COVID19-cancelled Miami Beach event that was to begin on Monday, they all gave rave reviews...
FCC Commissioner Carr announces order to upgrade wireless infrastructure, reduce bottlenecks
Yesterday at the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s (WIA) free, virtual conference, Connect (X): All Access, Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Brendan Carr announced the FCC’s plans to clarify its rules to promote network upgrades on existing towers and other wireless sites. His comments are...
AT&T has ad group recommending that Verizon should throttle its faulty 5G message
The advertising industry’s self-regulatory organization has suggested that Verizon should stop claiming that it has America’s first 5G network, but Verizon claims that its “first to 5G” commercials are not misleading and is appealing the decision. The National Advertising Division (“NAD”) determined...
Feds warn of attacks against towers and techs that maintain them
The nation’s telecommunications companies are being warned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that extremists, fueled by a conspiracy theory linking 5G cellular networks and the coronavirus, may escalate attacks against employees and infrastructure. “We assess conspiracy theories...
A fourth Crown Castle tower is torched by arsonists in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee police and the city’s fire department are investigating a cell phone tower fire that occurred Monday night that is currently being considered to have been set by vandals. The structure, a 300-foot self-supporting tower located behind 3513...
Next week’s keynote starting lineup for Connect (X): All Access outlined
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced its keynote lineup and its annual View from the Top: Tower Executive Roundtable for Connect (X): All Access – a free, global, virtual conference launching May 19 that is taking the place of...
T-Mobile plans for 15,000 new macro sites and $60 billion in CAPEX over the next five years
Even with COVID-19 constraints, T-Mobile is upgrading 1,000 existing sites per month and will be expanding its nationwide macro base station footprint by 15,000 towers during the coming years, said Neville Ray, the carrier’s president of technology during a J.P....
If found to be “essential” workers, tower techs would get a $13 hourly pay boost under HEROES Act
Yesterday, House Democrats unveiled their coronavirus assistance bill, which will include measures to keep families online through the duration of the pandemic and possibly provide a huge pay increase to telecom field workers. It will also provide a new...
Melody picks up over 500 of Uniti’s towers for $220 million
During their Q4 earnings call in early March, fiber and tower owner Uniti Group announced that it was selling 486 of its 672 towers for $190 million to an unnamed company. At yesterday’s Q1 call, CEO Kenny Gunderman announced improved...
Model and rapper charged with Canadian cell tower fires will get world-wide sentencing attention
A Quebec couple in their twenties, a model and a novice rapper, were arrested Thursday morning in Sainte-Adèle, a town about 50 miles outside of Montreal for allegedly setting fire to seven cell sites in Canada. Quebec provincial police...
Terrorism Task Force investigating collapse of 382-foot ATC guyed tower in Nevada
A 382-foot American Tower Corp. guyed tower collapsed early Tuesday morning in Nye County, Nevada, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO). Authorities said the tower fell just before sunrise at approximately 5:00 a.m and the NCSO believes...
Legacy’s tower techs lauded in video that can be applied to all of the nation’s techs
With yesterday being Tower Technician Appreciation Day, Legacy Telecommunication went the extra mile to thank their technicians by airing an excellent tribute to tower techs video that was introduced during an all hands safety call. The company has over...
NATE sets aside May 6 for the nation to appreciate and thank tower technicians
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association unveiled a commemoration declaring Wednesday, May 6, 2020 as Tower Technician Appreciation Day. For the fourth consecutive year, a day has been set aside by NATE in order to pay tribute to the important...
Lawsuit challenges FCC’s C-band reorganization, broadcasters want COVID-19 costs considered
Video programming provider PSSI Global Services LLC (PSSI) is taking the FCC to court over the agency’s controversial reorganization of the C-band spectrum, arguing that the agency is crippling an entire industry. In February, the FCC adopted new rules...
Labeled as ‘suspicious’, two more cell towers set ablaze in Quebec
Police are investigating two more cell tower fires that occurred early this morning in towns near Montreal, Canada. Wireless Estimator reported on Friday that a multi-tenant Rogers Communications monopole was completely destroyed, possibly by anarchists protesting misguided beliefs that...
FCC debuts new ‘safer’ seal that is more representative of current technologies
In anticipation of its upcoming move to Washington’s NoMa district, the Federal Communications Commission has adopted a new FCC Seal. The redesigned seal is the product of an agency-wide contest that solicited proposals from Commission employees and contractors. The winning design...
Officials unsure whether Canadian cell tower fire was the work of anarchists industry was looking for
Fire officials in Laval, a city north of Montreal, Canada, have not yet identified whether a multiple-tenant Rogers Communications monopole was purposely set on fire early Friday morning by anarchists protesting misguided beliefs that 5G transmissions are dangerous, although it...
High winds blamed for Texas tall tower collapse, but corossion appears to be the culprit
A 988-foot TV broadcast tower collapsed in Robstown, Texas yesterday morning as a result of a rusted guy wire that detached near its anchor. No tower techs or station personnel were on site when the structure failed. A transmitter...
American Tower expects accelerated T-Mobile work beginning in Q3, manages COVID-19
American Tower Corporation reported steady financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, emphasizing how the company is responding to the ever-changing coronavirus landscape. Tom Bartlett, American Tower’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19...
Tested across the country, FirstNet’s Push-to-Talk arrives with high marks
Developed from the ground up specifically with and for public safety, FirstNet Push-to-Talk (PTT) is the first-ever nationwide mission-critical standards-based push-to-talk solution to launch in the U.S. The agency said they tested the FirstNet PTT solution with public safety agencies across...
NATE releases wire rope safety climb document, announces Jeremy Buckles as SEMC’s Chairman
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released the Safety Equipment Manufacturers Committee (SEMC) Guide for Wire Rope Safety Climbs on Antenna Supporting Structures – 2020 consensus document. This 15-page, manufacturer consensus document is intended to address use...
Delay denied in Windstream’s false ad campaign trial against Charter
New York Southern District Bankruptcy Judge Robert D. Drain refused yesterday to delay the start of a bench trial over what he can order Charter Communications to pay for false advertising over rival Windstream Holdings’ Chapter 11 filing last...