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Recent News
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...
False alarm for ‘leaning’ Roswell, Georgia 180-foot monopole
A Roswell, Georgia police official said last Thursday night that a tower that had a sinkhole 10 to 20-feet deep next to it put the structure at risk of falling and it appeared to him that it was leaning....
Remembered by wireless contractors for his crippling DirecTV buy, AT&T chief steps down
After 38 years with the company and 13 as its top executive, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, 60, is retiring. He’ll officially step down as chief executive on July 1 and will be replaced by John Stankey, CEO of AT&T...
AT&T gains a network edge through its five-carrier aggregation: RootMetrics
With RootMetric testing efforts currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they thought it would be an ideal time to take a look at how the carriers have performed across the 55 markets they’ve tested so far in...
T-Mobile wacked with a $14 million contract lawsuit over stolen franchise agreement
In a lawsuit filed Friday, a former Illinois T-Mobile franchise owner who will be released from a federal prison halfway house on June 10 after serving almost two years on a tax evasion conviction, is alleging that his former...
FCC moves closer to creating a $9 billion rural 5G fund a reality, contractors to benefit
The Federal Communications Commission today adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on establishing the 5G Fund for Rural America. 5G represents the next leap in mobile wireless technology, bringing significantly increased speeds, reduced latency, and better security...
Twitter targets panicking tin hat conspiracy theories stating 5G causes coronavirus
Twitter has added conspiracy theories to their ever-increasing list of unverified coronavirus claims that are grounds for removal. “We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in harmful activity, could lead to the destruction...
AT&T acknowledges permitting and work force shortages as it builds out FirstNet, 5G
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, while discussing the carrier’s Q1 earnings with analysts yesterday said the company is still building FirstNet and enhancing their 5G network’s density, but he echoed the general concern of all carriers, their inability to get...
UK’s FCC counterpart Ofcom and Vodafone take a tough stance on 5G coronavirus misinformation
Earlier this month it was reported that in the UK there were approximately five cell sites that were set on fire by individuals falsely linking 5G to COVID-19. That number has seen a dangerous increase to over 60 and...
Dr. Frock to lead NATE’s workforce development initiatives
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced that the organization has entered into a professional consulting services agreement with Gemma Frock, PhD from GKF Consulting Services. In her consulting role, Dr. Frock will be tasked with implementing the year...
Coalition asks Congress to not use COVID-19 recovery money to fund T-Mobile’s merger commitments
The Communications Workers of America (CWA), New America’s Open Technology Institute, the Rural Wireless Association, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, the American Economic Liberties Project, and Free Press Action sent a letter yesterday calling on Congress to ensure...
FCC approves Ligado’s 5G network over strong protests about GPS concerns
The FCC has approved, with conditions, Ligado’s application to deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-band that will primarily support 5G and Internet of Things (I0T) services. The Democratic and Republican leaders of both armed services committees...
AT&T corrects 3,579 false broadband-coverage data filings it provided in 20 states
Admitting to the FCC that it offered no broadband in 3,579 census blocks that it had previously reported as having broadband deployment in those blocks at speeds of at least 25Mbps downstream/3 Mbps upstream, AT&T filed a report identifying...
CTIA issues best practices for permitting issues during pandemic
To keep Americans connected and meet the increased demand for wireless—from first responders, patients and doctors, children learning remotely and employees fortunate to work from home—the industry needs to continue deploying network infrastructure and CTIA has offered its best...
Infrastructure contractors and suppliers largely unscathed by Frontier’s bankruptcy
In Frontier Communications’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing late Tuesday, the company said it expects to continue providing “quality service to its customers without interruption and work with its business partners as usual throughout the court supervised process.” The company...
Trenton, NJ council chief joins Kool-Aid crowd and buys into coronavirus 5G conspiracy hoax
Trenton, New Jersey City Council President Kathy McBride appears to easily accept a hoax and her most recent foray was falling for a 5G conspiracy deception along with other city council members that reportedly prompted them to draft a...
NATE shows raptors on towers a danger to techs in newly released “Birds of Prey” video
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released a video titled “Birds of Prey” focused on the topic of raptors nesting on communication towers. The video is the second to debut in Volume 5 of the Association’s popular #ClimberConnection...
Contractors not being compensated for added expenses during pandemic
Commentary – Craig Lekutis, Editor After an overview was published last week, of how the COVID-19 virus was affecting wireless infrastructure work conditions, dozens of updates were received by Wireless Estimator by the nation’s contractors with a key concern...
Residents bite the hand that feeds them; judge doesn’t swallow test track tower denial wisdom
A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled that the Township of Brighton, Michigan overstepped their authority in denying a Verizon application for two cell towers on General Motors’ 2,000-acre Milford Proving Ground complex that accounts for approximately 10% of...
NATE’s contractor COVID-19 Impact Survey provides an excellent snapshot of concerns
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today unveiled the results of the Association’s Member COVID-19 Impact Survey. The survey provides some interesting details such as 24% of their members stating that they pulled tower crews from the field. The...
Connect (X): All Access will satisfy the industry’s pent-up thirst for knowledge – virtually
Connect (X), a leading 5G infrastructure annual conference in North America, originally scheduled to begin May 18, 2020 in the Miami Beach, Florida Convention Center has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, and in its place, the Wireless Infrastructure...
NATE webinar will help contractors understand CARES Act as they navigate troubled financial waters
Wireless contractors and other infrastructure businesses scrambling to determine how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act applies to them will welcome a webinar scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. EDT to be presented...
UK 5G towers still being torched amid bogus coronavirus theories supported in the U.S.
United Kingdom wireless operators and government officials strongly condemned acts of violence by individuals incorrectly linking 5G to COVID-19 after vandals set fire to at least five cell sites, the very infrastructure that is keeping people connected and safe...
Employees with coronavirus and other wireless workforce/permitting issues could cause a Q2 slowdown
Twenty-three industry contractor and vertical realtor executives interviewed in confidence by Wireless Estimator in the past six days said that they’ve seen a marked decrease in their normal workloads and schedules but are weathering the effects of COVID-19 and...
T-Mobile/Sprint merger is a done deal as Legere gives reins to Sievert
T-Mobile announced this morning that it has officially completed its $26.5 billion merger with Sprint to create, what they are calling “a supercharged un-carrier that will deliver a transformative 5G network”. The enhanced scale and financial strength of the...
Shocking 5G study: Tower techs and nearby residents are a minimum of 8.7% smarter than general public
CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker is being heralded throughout the world for her courage in funding a multi-million-dollar, multi-nation study of 5G and in the process, the peer-reviewed report found that it actually increased the IQ of individuals...
Verizon joins AT&T in hiking its employees’ pandemic pay, but doesn’t disclose increase
Verizon announced today that it’s immediately implementing a significantly enhanced compensation plan for the company’s employees who must deploy outside their homes to meet critical customer needs. These mission-critical employees are unable to work remotely as they fulfill and repair...
Even if you don’t climb, safety sleeve testing report is a must read
The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today officially released the NATE Safety Sleeve Testing Final Report. This in-depth, 62-page white paper describes the overall scope, methodology and results from the NATE sponsored Safety Sleeve Testing events that were performed at...
Radiation guidelines panel finds 5G safe while tin-hatters embrace MD’s YouTube nonsense
A panel of international experts has identified that 5G does not pose a health risk, after updating its radiation exposure guidelines. The organization responsible for assessing health risks, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), has updated its...
DOL releases coronavirus response act notice to be posted by employers
The Federal poster regarding employee rights in reference to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that takes effect on April 1, 2020, has been released by the Department of Labor. The (Non-Federal Employee) family leave poster is available...
CWA captures an additional 20% COVID-19 pay boost for AT&T field technicians and other workers
Following negotiations with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, AT&T announced that it will pay a 20% bonus above its regular hourly base pay rate to all of its union employees starting yesterday and until further notice due...
Connect (X) still weighing its best options for the May 18-21 Miami Beach show
UPDATE: March 27, 2020 – The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), updated the status of their May 18 through 21, 2020 Connect (X) 2020 show to their exhibitors, attendees and sponsors on their web site Wednesday, as the planned dates for Connect...
NATE’s legal eagles address ever-changing COVID-19 regulations impacting employers/workers
A live NATE webinar this morning presented by attorneys Edwin Foulke, Jr. and Howard Mavity, partners in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips LLP, enabled almost 200 registrants to obtain the latest information regarding the serious issues facing...
WIA report says CBRS spectrum will play a pivotal role across many industries
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) published a new report: “The CBRS Opportunity: New Spectrum, Stakeholders, Networks and Devices.” Written by members of WIA’s Innovation and Technology Council, the paper highlights the benefits, impact, and opportunities for commercial-use shared spectrum...
DHS steps in with letters to assist contractors as ‘essential’ workers maintaining wireless infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued two letters valid through May 28, 2020, to help wireless contractors maintain access to critical infrastructure. The letters are from John O’Connor, Director of the National Communications Coordination Branch of...
Sprint merger ready to roll despite COVID-19 fears says T-Mobile CEO John Legere
In a message to investors today, T-Mobile announced that it is financially prepared to close the merger with Sprint and the COVID-19 crisis will not delay the deal. The carrier said that 16 banks are involved in the merger...
Fall protection succumbs to the need for virus protection as Washington State-based Gravitec closes
Since the initial reports of the COVID-19 outbreak, Washington State-based fall protection training company Gravitec had been coordinating their efforts and strategies to protect their clients, students and employees to sustain their operations, but yesterday evening North America’s largest...
Flash Technology launches Vanguard High Product Series with infrared / night vision compatibility
Flash Technology, a global leader in aids-to-navigation solutions, announces the launch of the Vanguard High FTS 270 LED lighting system. The system is appropriate for broadcast towers, skyscrapers, smokestacks, bridges and other applications requiring high intensity obstruction lights. Engineered...
Satellite messaging to a normal cell phone is now a reality, says Lynk
Lynk today announced that it has successfully connected a satellite in low-Earth orbit to an ordinary mobile phone on Earth. The technical breakthrough enabled Lynk to send the world’s first ever text message from space to a mobile phone....
IWCE reschedules it’s expo to August, WIA’s May show is still a go
In a there’s light at the end of the tunnel announcement, the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) announced that IWCE 2020 will take place on August 24-28, 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada. ETA’s Education Forum...
Coronavirus takes its first contractor toll in the repack lane, FCC extends deadline
In what appears to be the first instance of COVID-19 directly halting a tower erection and antenna installation’s company’s obligation to perform contracted services for its broadcast client, the FCC said today that they are aware of and accept...
Contractors cautioned: Don’t underreact in protecting wireless field workforces against COVID-19
By Michael Devers and Jim Tracy The wireless communication industry we work in is as dynamic and fast-paced as it is critical. Over the past week, we’ve been witness to history as the dynamic, fast-paced, and extraordinary development of...
Primus and Site Pro 1 mitigate virus concerns as LBA provides free COVID-19 safety training
Primus and Site Pro 1 are eliminating non-essential visits to their locations and our reemphasizing the need for best practices for sanitation policies including frequent hand washing to minimize exposure to COVID-19. Both organizations are allowing all employees who...
Uniti offloads three-quarters of its towers for $190 million, Phoenix picks up 197 towers in separate deal
Fiber and tower owner Uniti has announced that it is selling 486 of its 672 towers located across 32 states to an unnamed buyer for $190 million, 30 times annualized tower cash flow. During a Q4 analysts call last...
American Tower’s Taiclet to leave the tower space and go back to his roots in aerospace
American Tower Corporation today announced that Jim Taiclet, President, Chief Executive Officer and executive Chairman of the Board, will be leaving the company to become President and CEO of Lockheed Martin, where he currently serves on the company’s Board of...
Wireless contractor’s bookkeeper says she’s not guilty of pilfering $3.6 million to buy properties
A 47-year-old Osburn, Idaho woman accused of stealing millions of dollars from a Rathdrum, Idaho wireless construction company pleaded not guilty Wednesday in U.S. Magistrate Court in Coeur d’Alene. Trina M. Welch pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of...
DISH’s ‘badass’ tower climber Martha Ramos leads Fast-Forward Friday news
Meet Martha: DISH’s ‘badass’ tower climber When Martha Ramos climbed her first cellular tower, it wasn’t so much being up high that made her nervous, it was learning to let go. “If you’re working on equipment on a tower,...
Tower techs still road warriors as COVID-19 cancels industry’s shows and non-essential travel
Last week, most wireless infrastructure companies were supporting a mostly “business as usual” mentality regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, but they’re now reassessing their preventative plans daily as the industry finds itself struggling to keep abreast of the almost hourly...
Weekend decision shutters IWCE’s 2020 Las Vegas conference due to COVID 19 concerns
The International Wireless Communications Expo’s IWCE 2020 conference scheduled to take place March 30 – April 3 in Las Vegas has been cancelled due to concerns about attendees traveling and networking at a conference with the inherent possibly of being exposed...