Malicious Ghost Callers Torment Erie

For five hours last weekend, Erie County's emergency services line was under cyber attack. As GoErie.com reports, the northwestern Pennsylvania county endured a distributed-denial-of-service attack that prevented legitimate callers from successfully contacting the 911 call center. Automated bot calls flooded the phone lines with spoof calls, ringing in every seven seconds to keep communications jammed.

"It's unfortunate," said Erie County Public Safety Director, John Grappy. "Ultimately, someone who truly needs that service that's having some type of an emergency ... is unable to call us. That's a concern for all of us." Continue Reading

American Tower Sees Long Term Growth Despite Short Term Dips

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

American Tower (NYSE: AMT) reported steady returns for 3Q22, despite economic headwinds in some countries and some customer churn. Property revenues grew 10 percent year-over-year to $2.6 billion for the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA grew to $1.6 billion, a six percent YoY increase, resulting from both top-line revenue growth and cost controls. Organic leasing increases along with newly built towers contributed to the growth. In the quarter, AMT constructed nearly 1,600 new sites, 1,200 in India alone, making it the ninth consecutive quarter of over 1,000 builds worldwide. At the end of 3Q22, the company reported a base of 221,132 towers in 24 countries, an increase of two percent compared to 3Q21. AMT remains the largest independent tower company in the world. The company has a positive outlook for the next several years despite what it deems to be some short-term headwinds. Importantly, at the end of August, it signed a new comprehensive MLA with Verizon that is expected to allow Verizon to efficiently accelerate its 5G network deployment over a multiyear period. The Big 3 accounted for 46 percent of AMT’s global property revenues in 3Q. With all the MNOs in full 5G deployment mode, AMT does not expect any slowdown in its site leasing revenue streams for a number of years. The company points out that even with overall U.S. wireless capex declines expected in 2023, as Inside Towers reported, demand for mobile data keeps escalating so the MNOs have to keep building their networks, both on towers and with small cells. Continue Reading

FAA Wants 5G C-Band Operation Limits Mandated

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

UPDATE Earlier this month, Inside Towers reported that several airlines and aviation manufacturers sought to make the temporary restrictions AT&T and Verizon agreed to for 5G operations on C-band (3.7 GHz) near airports permanent. Now, the FAA seeks that outcome, too, plus restrictions for smaller telecoms as well. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said in a letter to the FCC and NTIA he wants the restrictions mandated for 19 smaller telecoms and other spectrum holders. "Aviation safety would be compromised if the U.S. government does not codify certain additional operating limits in the 5G C-band environment,” wrote Nolen, according to Reuters. He raised the specter of flight disruptions if the FCC doesn’t mandate the mitigations. It’s unclear if the Commission has the authority to retroactively impose conditions on companies that purchased spectrum at auction. The issue is fear about 5G operations on C-band possibly interfering with aviation radio altimeters. The devices give data on a plane’s height above the ground and are critical for bad-weather landings. Continue Reading

Repurposing the 4.9 GHz Public Safety Band

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

In a departure from its original public safety mandate, the 4.9 GHz band is the latest mid-band spectrum being eyed for public and private network use. Escalating demand for high-speed, low latency broadband connectivity is the main reason. In 2002, the FCC allocated 50 MHz of spectrum in the 4.9 GHz (4940-4990 MHz) band for fixed and mobile services, specifically for public safety support. Non-traditional public safety entities such as utilities and federal agencies could negotiate 4.9 GHz band sharing agreements with eligible public safety entities. However, restricting usage to public safety entities was intended to enhance 4.9 GHz transmission reliability and avoid potential interference experienced in other unlicensed, heavily used bands like 5 GHz or 900 MHz. Key questions: Should 4.9 GHz be shared for non-public safety uses? If so, how should spectrum sharing be managed? The ‘Yes’ argument is that 4.9 GHz band usage has not evolved as originally envisaged and remains underutilized. Commercial wireless operators could leverage part of the 50 MHz bandwidth for mobile data use. New or established entities could manage the spectrum allocations. The ‘No’ argument is that public safety communications, especially for in-building applications, is too important for both first responders and building occupants, to be shared, even on a priority or pre-emptive basis. Continue Reading

Charter Urges FCC to Mandate Cost-Sharing for Utility Pole Upgrades

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) is urging the FCC to quickly make a decision regarding the cost of replacement utility poles. Currently, utility pole owners usually offload the replacement cost onto telecoms that want to attach equipment onto the poles, according to Charter. The FCC has an open proceeding on whether and how such costs should be shared, Inside Towers reported.   In a meeting with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington and his wireline advisor, Charter representatives asked the agency to act “promptly” and require pole owners to share “proportionately” in pole replacement costs. This would help promote the fast and fair deployment of broadband to unserved rural areas, according to Charter. Continue Reading

Verizon Navigates Choppy Waters

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Verizon (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) is hanging tough after a down performance in 2Q22. In its 3Q22 earnings, the company reported progress on its wireless and wireline network build outs and maintained its guidance for a strong finish to 2022 with growth momentum carrying into 2023. It’s not clear sailing yet though; its profits declined in the quarter. Consolidated revenues grew four percent year-over-year to $34.2 billion but Adjusted EBITDA declined slightly. Cash flow from operations dropped 10 percent to $28.2 billion in the first nine months compared to the same period a year ago. Free cash flow through that period was $12.4 billion, down 28 percent. Year-to-date capital expenditures were $15.8 billion, up 14 percent YoY. Continue Reading

AT&T Shows Steady Growth

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

AT&T (NYSE: T) reported solid progress in the third quarter on its two strategic initiatives – 5G and fiber. Its 5G mid-band coverage, mainly in C-band, now extends to 100 million people. The company expects to cover 130 million POPs by year-end 2022. That figure is nearly double the expectations it had at the beginning of the year. AT&T grew its wireless postpaid and prepaid subscriber base to 102.8 million, up almost 4 percent from 3Q21, with nearly 964,000 postpaid net adds in the quarter, bringing year-to-date net additions in 2021 to three million. The company also reported 102 million connected devices making it the largest IoT service provider in the country.  Wireless service revenues for the quarter grew 5.6 percent YoY to $15.3 billion while wireless EBITDA increased to $8.5 billion, up 5.5 percent from 3Q21. The company said the 3Q22 marked its highest wireless service revenue growth year-over-year in more than a decade, and now expects to achieve 2022 wireless service revenue growth at the upper end of the 4.5 to 5 percent range. Continue Reading

Lawmaker Warns FCC Not to Exceed Its Authority

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

If the Republicans win control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections next month, Rep. Kathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), now the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, could be Chair. She wrote to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently, signaling the agency should stick to its marching orders from lawmakers, and not stray from that, even if the Commission seats a third Democrat during the lame-duck session of Congress.   “As the committee of jurisdiction overseeing the FCC, I assure you the committee and its members will exercise our robust investigative and legislative powers to not only forcefully reassert our Article I responsibilities, but to ensure the FCC under Democrat leadership does not continue to exceed Congressional authorizations,” Rodgers warned. She noted that “in recent years the FCC has taken it upon itself to misinterpret its authority to initiate rulemakings with ‘economic and political significance’ that fit the chair’s political leanings.”  Continue Reading

The Real Story on U.S. Wireless CapEx

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Capital expenditure is one of the most closely watched financial metrics in the wireless infrastructure business, and understandably so. Capex is a forward indicator of planned network investment among the mobile network operators. Importantly, it’s how we all (suppliers, contractors, consultants and yes, publishers) get paid.  This chart is an excerpt from our quarterly Intelligence 2022 Vol 2 market analysis report. The data are a compilation and interpolation of full-year 2022 U.S. mobile network operator capex guidance provided in their respective 1Q22 earnings call and investor presentations. The data shows the actual and projected aggregate U.S. wireless capex among MNOs from 2019 to 2025. Continue Reading

Sohn Supporters Urge Senate to Confirm Her to FCC

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Though the White House nominated longtime public interest advocate and former Democratic FCC official Gigi Sohn as an FCC Commissioner nearly a year ago, her nomination failed to get a vote out of the Senate Commerce Committee and a floor vote. As the midterm elections approach and Democrats’ ability to retain their narrow control of the Senate remains uncertain, Sohn’s supporters are warning Congress the clock is ticking to lock in a majority at the agency.  Nearly 250 industry and public interest groups wrote a letter to top Senate leaders on Friday calling for a vote on Sohn’s nomination before Congress adjourns at the end of the year. “The FCC needs a full commission as it begins to deliberate on upcoming critical decisions that will have profound impacts on the economy and the American people,” wrote leaders from groups such as DISH, NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, INCOMPAS and the Rural Wireless Association. Citing Sohn’s work to provide broadband to rural areas and other telecom-related advocacy efforts, they added: “Her life’s work is the embodiment of the FCC’s mission, and we simply cannot have a less-than fully functioning FCC to persist any longer.” Continue Reading

CBRS Market Evolves

By Martha DeGrasse, Inside Towers Contributing Analyst (Part 2 of 2) See Part 1

CBRS has the potential to democratize parts of the wireless industry by giving non-operator entities the ability to deploy and operate their own networks, if they’re game. The analysts at SNS Telecom project that by next year 90 percent of new smartphones sold in the U.S. will support the CBRS band, but that does not mean they will automatically connect to private CBRS networks.  The OnGo Alliance, an industry consortium formed to promote CBRS use cases and deployments, has defined several ways to enable CBRS roaming.  One scenario is called the service provider use case, meaning that a mobile or cable network operator deploys a CBRS network and provisions devices to roam between a public network and a private network with a separate core.  Verizon, DISH Network, Comcast, Charter and Cox are well positioned to do this because they were the biggest buyers of CBRS spectrum licenses in FCC Auction 105. Comcast has tested a private CBRS network at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, but so far the other big license winners seem more focused on using their CBRS spectrum in their public networks. Continue Reading

Fiber Network Upgrades Accelerate

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Fiber is not a homogeneous business. Rather, fiber network operators serve different customers with different fiber infrastructure. Think about the fiber business in two main categories: access and transport. This is somewhat akin to old telephone company local and long-distance services. Access involves fiber-to-the-home that connects residences and small businesses to the wireline network, or fiber-to-the-antenna in wireless, at connect speeds of 1 gigabit (1G) to 10G. High-speed (read, 100G to 800G), long distance fiber transport networks connect central offices or data centers to each other, domestically and internationally, and is the backhaul (10G to 100G) between the RAN and Core in wireless. Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) and Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FYBR) are two U.S.-based fiber carriers that seem similar but have quite different networks and growth strategies. Lumen is primarily in the long-haul transport business while growing its access business. Continue Reading

Rip & Replace Status Reports Due Today

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

UPDATE Recipients of Rip and Replace reimbursement funds must file a status update with the FCC today, October 13. The agency recently reminded telecoms their obligation began on the date the Wireline Competition Bureau approved their applications, which in this case was July 15. It continues every 90 days, notes Telecommunications Law Professionals. Because of a $3.08 billion shortfall between the $1.9 billion Congress initially allocated and the $4.7 billion the FCC says recipients need, lawmakers directed the agency to give first priority to applicants that have two million or fewer customers. A total of 85 entities are considered “first priority” in the program. Because of the shortfall, the FCC said the first Rip & Replace reimbursements would be about 39.5 percent of demand, Inside Towers reported. Eighteen wireless carriers and stakeholders urged lawmakers to fully fund the program. Congress has yet to do so. Continue Reading

Aviation Industry Asks FCC to Make Carrier 5G Limits Near Airports Permanent

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Several groups associated with the aviation industry are asking the FCC to make the carriers’ voluntary restrictions on using 5G on C-band near airports permanent. That’s the gist of a summary of a meeting between aviation groups and staff from the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, Office of General Counsel, and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. “During the meeting, the aviation industry participants summarized the extensive steps the industry has taken, and continues to take, to harden radar altimeter hardware in thousands of aircraft to ensure more robust performance when faced with adjacent C-band wireless operations. This includes a phased approach coordinated with the FAA and the wireless operators to modify aircraft equipment groups to ensure ever increasing interference rejection for current and future radar altimeters,” wrote Stephen Rosen, of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, counsel for Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc. (ASRI).  ASRI manages and coordinates radio communication licensing for the U.S. aviation industry. Continue Reading

UScellular Revamps Its 5G Supply Chain

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

UScellular (NYSE: USM) is streamlining its 5G deployments by improving its supply chain capabilities. In a recent presentation to the Association for Supply Chain Management, the company outlined measures it is taking to increase the efficiency and lower the costs of equipment warehousing and delivery of materials needed for its 5G cell site build, Forbes reported. Network Supply Chain Restructure UScellular historically has operated on a regional basis to focus on its local markets. The company found, however, that its regional operations were creating duplications and inefficiencies that it believed a centralized approach can help mitigate. The company established at its Chicago HQ in 2000, a centralized supply chain organization responsible for logistics and coordination with vendors. It added a supply chain planning function this year.  Continue Reading

White House Adds More Limits on Chip Exports to China

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

UPDATE The administration placed new restrictions on China’s access to U.S. semiconductor technology. It added measures aimed at stopping Beijing’s push to develop its own chip industry and advance the country’s military capabilities.   The Commerce Department added more names to a list of companies that it regards as “unverified,” meaning it doesn’t know where their products end up being used. The 31 additions are all Chinese. That means U.S. suppliers will face new hurdles in selling technologies to those entities, Bloomberg reports. Continue Reading

Huawei Suspected of Trying to Bypass U.S. Sanctions

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Huawei remains blacklisted by the U.S. government as a communications security risk. But that apparently hasn't stopped it from attempting to bypass sanctions to access advanced chips for 5G smartphones, reports PCMag. Huawei used to produce Kirin chipsets designed by HiSilicon and manufactured by chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co before the U.S. tightened restrictions, reports the Financial Times.  Huawei is believed to be “providing support” for a local Chinese company founded in 2021. Pengxinwei IC Manufacturing Co. (PXW) is run by a former Huawei executive and is close to Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen. PXW is ordering chip making equipment in order to build a semiconductor fab, a manufacturing plant in which raw silicon wafers are turned into integrated circuits. Those orders include foreign suppliers, which Huawei no longer has access to, notes Bloomberg. Continue Reading

Orange Plans Reduced Power Use Ahead of European Energy Crisis

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

UPDATE  French telecom giant Orange has outlined several power-saving measures as the company looks to combat the growing energy crisis that is set to grip Europe this winter, according to Data Center Dynamics. Orange’s position follows recent assessments highlighting that European wireline and mobile network operators likely could face a bleak winter with blackouts as energy producers ration supplies, as Inside Towers reported.  These potential power issues have been fueled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Russia deciding to halt gas deliveries via Europe's key supply route in the wake of this conflict. Orange has responded by confirming that it will cut 5 to 10 percent of its instantaneous electricity consumption for one hour per day. It says that switching to battery backup for that interval at several thousand fixed network sites can help to save up to 20 megawatts. Continue Reading

Senate Passes Small Business Broadband Bill

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation that directs the Small Business Administration (SBA) to designate a senior Office of Investment and Innovation employee as the broadband and emerging information technology coordinator. It also establishes measures to help the competitiveness and productivity of small businesses through broadband access and other emerging information technologies.   Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and John Kennedy (R-LA), sponsored the measure. “Small businesses are engines of economic growth in New Hampshire and across the country,” said Shaheen. She said she looks forward to the House taking up and passing the legislation, “which will help small businesses in New Hampshire and around the country.” Continue Reading

Under Four Percent of Cell Sites in Florida Not Working After Ian

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The number of people killed in Florida by Hurricane Ian topped 100 on Monday, days after the storm made landfall at Category 4 strength, decimating coastal towns and leaving rescue crews searching for survivors while communities face the daunting task of rebuilding, according to CNN.   Nearly 600,000 homes, businesses and other customers in Florida still did not have power as of early Monday afternoon, noted PowerOutage.us. Many are without clean tap water, with well over 100 boil-water advisories in places around the state, according to the Florida Health Department.   Some residents and businesses in storm-damaged counties may not be back on the grid for “weeks or months” because of the structural damage caused by the hurricane, said Florida Power and Light President/CEO Eric Silagy. “The amount of water that we received and the height of the surge affected a lot of the infrastructure,” Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar told CNN. “So there are transformers that are fried. It is not simply rehanging lines. There are things that may need to be replaced.” Continue Reading

Bill May Exempt Companies from Taxes on Broadband Infrastructure Grants

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act. If passed, the measure would change the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that funding directed for broadband implementation from the Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan will not be considered taxable income.     Grants awarded to industry for the purposes of broadband deployment are currently factored into a company’s income and will soon be subjected to additional taxes due to scheduled changes to the corporate tax code that kick in beginning next year – unless Congress acts now to address the problem, according to the lawmakers.  That ensures all federal dollars awarded to companies for the purpose of deploying broadband can be used wholly for that purpose, rather than making their way back to the government through taxes, say bill sponsors Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS). Co-sponsors are: Tim Kaine (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Continue Reading