The
New York State Public Service Commission has moved to kick the largest
cable provider, Charter Communications, out of the state, citing
Charter’s “repeated failures to serve New Yorkers and honor its
commitments,” reported Fortune. A search of the Inside Towers database showed
Charter had 48 constructed towers registered, two of which were in the
state of New York; one in Plattsburgh and one in Chatham.
The Commission voted Friday to rescind approval of Charter’s merger with Time Warner Cable. The
Commission previously authorized the deal in 2016; The most recent
action effectively ends its ability to do business in the state.
Charter also provides internet
services in New York. Since 2016, Charter has failed to meet milestones
related to an intended expansion of service to 145,000 homes within four
years, with a focus on rural areas, according to the account. In June
2018, the Commision fined the company $2 million for failing to meet
commitments and with this recent ruling, the tally is now up to $3
million. The state has given the company 60 days to come up with a plan
to hand over its customers to other providers—that is, to sell its
assets in New York, according to Fortune. Charter has said it will contest the order, calling the state’s actions “politically motivated.” Continue Reading
Controversy is bubbling up over the FCC’s draft plan to vote this week on allowing “one-touch make-ready”(OTMR) for most pole attachments and further reform its pole attachment policies. The concept is, the
new attacher or an approved contractor would perform all work to
prepare the pole, rather than each attacher performing the work
separately. More than 1,000 public comments have been filed to the
Commission on the issue so far.
Utilities, carriers and their infrastructure groups pushed for the changes. The
Power and Communication Contractors (PCCA), for example, says the
updates would avoid multiple truck rolls, expedite the attachment
process and reduce service disruption to consumers. “The OTMR option
would apply only to ‘simple’ make-ready work and would not be available
for ‘complex’ work involving electric-supply facilities that poses
greater safety threats or is more likely to cause an outage or damage,” PCCA told the Commission.
The Wireless Infrastructure
Association said removing the barriers to deployment will bring
“much-needed predictability and clarity” to deployment in a recent
lobbying visit to the agency. Continue Reading
UPDATE Inside Towers is hearing from readers about our top story on Wednesday titled: “The Check Is Not in the Mail as Payment Delays Could Threaten 5G Deployment.”
Sitetracker
executives agree the problem of site developers who stretch out
payments, often with no notice, is getting worse. Sitetracker’s project
and asset software platform enables users to manage many jobs at once,
from site acquisition, to obtaining ground leases, to construction, and
network modification. Their customers range
from large carriers to towercos and small contractors, so they’re
seeing the payment issue from all sides.
Sitetracker CEO Giuseppe Incitti said
they’re seeing a lot of 90-day payment terms turn into 120-days. He
agrees with NATE members who have voiced concerns to their association
that there’s little or no negotiation on payment terms that can often be
changed while the work is in-progress. Continue Reading
While 5G networks hold the promise of
speeds that will be 100 times faster than today and enable 100 times
the number of devices, carriers and stakeholders providing wireless and
wireline infrastructure, as well as the satellite industry, say they
need access to more spectrum.
Noting that 5G will enable
technologies like telehealth, autonomous cars and precision agriculture,
President/CEO of CTIA, The Wireless Association, Meredith Baker, told
the Senate Energy & Commerce Committee yesterday it’s imperative the
U.S. get going on an action plan to free-up more spectrum. She cited an
Accenture report that said if the U.S. can speed up 5G deployment by
one year, that would add about $1 billion to the economy. But more importantly, she said, other countries like China and South Korea are ahead of the U.S. in clearing spectrum for 5G.
Qualcomm SVP
Spectrum Strategy & Technology, Dean Brenner, said it’s important
that its chips and related components support as much technology
possible. While still enhancing 4G capabilities, his company is also
looking ahead to 6G. But everything “depends on one key component
controlled by the government — spectrum.” Continue Reading
La
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”), one of North America’s
largest institutional investors, and global investment manager AMP
Capital announced Monday, they will provide US$500 million of financing
to Tillman Infrastructure, an American developer and owner of
telecommunication tower infrastructure. “This initial investment will
help finance the construction of new telecommunications towers across
the United States,” the announcement stated. Under this agreement, the
investment could reach up to US$1 billion, based on future growth needs.
Inside Towers reported in November
on the agreement between Tillman, a virtual newcomer founded in 2016,
and AT&T and Verizon, to bypass traditional tower developers and
vertically integrate their buildout process. Tillman began construction
on its first sites in late 2017, and is actively building in over three
dozen states across the U.S. Continue Reading
AT&T
announced they have been actively deploying public safety’s Band 14
spectrum as part of their FirstNet build. So far, Band 14 has been added
to more than 2,500 sites across the country – with the process for
10,000+ more currently underway. And the first FirstNet-dedicated
deployable network assets are ready for use.
“Since getting the green light to
deploy Band 14 in March of this year, we’ve been moving quickly in order
to bring first responders the additional coverage and capacity that
only their network can provide,” said Chris Sambar, senior vice
president, AT&T-FirstNet. “What’s more, the FirstNet build is based
off direct feedback from the states and public safety community. So,
each current or new site to get Band 14 helps to meet public safety’s
specific network needs.”
Band 14 is
nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the government
specifically for FirstNet. Once Band 14 is fully deployed over the next
several years, it will cover 95 percent or more of the U.S. population. Continue Reading
The
FCC is tackling the nitty-gritty aspects of the proposed T-Mobile
acquisition of Sprint. The telecoms asked for agency permission to
transfer Sprint’s licenses, authorizations and spectrum leases to
T-Mobile. They’d also like the agency to okay the pro forma transfer of T-Mobile’s licenses, authorizations and spectrum leases to the combined company, should the deal be approved. Interested parties must file petitions to deny by August 27, to Docket 18-197.
T-Mobile asked the Commission for a
ruling to allow foreign ownership in the U.S. company higher than the
current 25 percent threshold. This concerns the proposed transfer to
T-Mobile of common carrier wireless licenses and leases, and common
carrier fixed satellite earth station licenses, held by Sprint
subsidiaries. The companies have said the combined entity would occupy
about 85,000 macro tower sites and roughly 50,000 small cells. Continue Reading
“We
delivered another terrific quarter of results, and remain on track to
generate attractive growth in cash flows and dividends per share for the
full year 2018,” said Jay Brown, Crown Castle’s Chief Executive
Officer. “Over the past two decades, we have built and acquired an
unmatched portfolio of more than 40,000 towers and 60,000 route miles of
dense, high capacity fiber in the top U.S. markets, where we see the
greatest long-term demand from multiple customers. With the positive
momentum we continue to see in our towers and fiber segments, we remain
dedicated to investing in our business to generate future growth while
delivering near-term dividend per share growth of 7 percent to 8 percent
per year,” Brown said. Crown executives will discuss the report at this morning’s web conference at 10:30 a.m. (EDT).
Highlights for the quarter from yesterday afternoon’s announcement:
- Site rental revenues.
Site rental revenues grew approximately 35 percent, or $300 million,
from second quarter 2017 to second quarter 2018, inclusive of
approximately $49 million in Organic Contribution to Site Rental
Revenues plus $231 million in contributions from acquisitions and other
items, plus a $20 million increase in straight-lined revenues. The $49
million in Organic Contribution to Site Rental Revenues represents
approximately 5.6 percent growth, comprised of approximately 8 percent
growth from new leasing activity and contracted tenant escalations, net
of approximately 2.5 percent from tenant non-renewals. When compared to
the prior second quarter 2018 Outlook, site rental revenues benefited by
approximately $9 million of additional straight-lined revenues
primarily resulting from term extensions associated with leasing
activity.
- Continue Reading
From left: Tom Stroup, Claude Aiken
Experts from several industries told
lawmakers yesterday it will take several solutions to bridge the digital
divide in rural areas, but they have one thing in common — they need
access to more spectrum. Broadband can be delivered through a variety of
technologies, including fiber, cable, mobile or fixed wireless,
satellite, or any combination. Macro towers and small cells are an
integral part of broadband delivery, witnesses testified.
House Communications Subcommittee
Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is looking to consolidate several rural
broadband proposals, and held a hearing to re-examine them. Main themes
emerged such as how to structure the Citizens Broadband Radio Service
(CBRS) band and C-band to enable more sharing and how to improve the
FCC-NTIA broadband map so small carriers can be eligible for government
subsidies to deploy rural broadband. Continue Reading
“From an installer standpoint we are overwhelmed,” says Vertical Technology Services
CEO Owen Garland, referring to the TV channel repack. His company is
one of the few that have the expertise to climb tall TV towers and
handle their large, heavy antennas.
As the September 14 testing period
for those stations in Phase 1 of the repack creeps closer, and planning
and construction for Phases 2 and 3 is underway, Garland said last week,
“the worst tower case” is working with a wraparound panel antenna.
In some cases, that type of antenna can be the same length as a gin
pole. His company is “looking at four sites where we’re going to have to
dismantle somebody’s antenna” to get it up the tower, slowing down the
pace of the work, he told attendees of a Chapter 37 meeting of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Continue Reading
While
Cumulus Media emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 4, with $1
billion less debt on its balance sheet, some creditors claim they are
still owed money. Vertical Bridge tells the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for
the Southern District of New York it’s still owed several thousands of
dollars for unexpired tower leases.
In an objection to “Debtor’s Second
Notice of Satisfaction of Claims,” filed by CM WIND DOWN TOPCO, INC. and
its affiliates, Vertical Bridge told the court: “The Debtors represent
they have paid the ‘cure’ necessary to assume certain leases and
therefore the claims or scheduled amounts identified should be
expunged.” But the towerco says regarding
its radio tower leases, the “cure” has not been paid and the relief
sought by the Debtors should not be granted. Continue Reading
SBA Communications will pay Lower Makefield township $2 million upfront under a restructured lease agreement, reported Bucks Local News.
Under the agreement, the township will receive a lump sum payment of
$2,020,000 from SBA and a 35-year lease on the site. Currently, the
township receives annual lease payments in addition to a share of the
revenue from the carriers that have co-located on the tower.
“What we’re getting here is 18 years
worth of rental fees right up front today,” said Township Manager Terry
Fedorchak. “There are pros and cons to that, but I would think that
would be a very attractive play for us to make at this time.”
Fedorchak, a strong proponent of the deal, added “It’s guaranteed,”
whereas the current lease arrangement is not.
The township first signed an
agreement with SBA Communications in 1999, allowing the company to
construct a cell tower on township-owned land, according to Bucks Local. Continue Reading
As an editor I have a soft spot in my
heart every Independence Day for one Thomas Jefferson. The 33-year old
delegate from Virginia was asked in the summer of 1776, to bang out a
quick paper on, oh, Everything America Stands For based on pure
conjecture. “And, yo, Tommy, we need it by Friday,” was likely the sum
total of his instructions. So Jefferson secludes himself in the
second-floor room of the two-room apartment pictured above (a ‘must see’
if you come for a visit) located in a building on the southwest corner
of 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia. He
rolls up his sleeves…it was hot…fills up his inkwell, sends his
manservant Bob (true!) down to the corner for a couple of cheesesteak
hoagies with fried onions and goes to work. (That last part is still
undocumented historically speaking, but his rough draft does show some
unexplained grease stains.)
A copy of that rough draft shows
how he agonized over every word making it not just a legally viable
document but one of the great works of prose in the english language. Continue Reading
