T-Mobile Wants to “Decimate” Verizon’s Tower Map Campaign

We’ve all seen the advertisements where Verizon shows the map of their coverage compared to AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The map is supposed to illustrate the number of towers Verizon has equipment on, proving they have the best, most-reliable coverage in the nation. This map makes T-Mobile angry. “I want to decimate that ad campaign from Verizon,” T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said to CNET in an interview Thursday. The company is taking legal action against Verizon, claiming that the campaign doesn’t accurately reflect T-Mobile’s network. Verizon’s coverage map only shows LTE capabilities of the company. Since Verizon and AT&T are almost complete with their rollouts, they have the advantage over Sprint and T-Mobile. “We prefer to compete in the marketplace, not in the courts. Our customers know what a true nationwide 4G LTE network experience feels like, map or not,” said a Verizon representative. But Ray argues that the map suggests that those few T-Mobile dots on the map represent all of the carrier’s coverage, and excludes its 2G Edge network, as well as its HSPA+ coverage, which T-Mobile considers 4G. (Source: CNET) T-Mobile has a goal to cover 250 million people by the end of the year, but Ray said he wants to push it to 280 million sometime next year.

What Data Do Authorities See When Conducting Cell Tower Dumps?

Cell tower data dumps have been all over the news these past few days—made a topic of conversation during the investigation of 10-year old Jessica Ridgeway’s murder. Jenna Lee of Fox News spoke to David Kennedy, CEO of TrustedSec, about what the government sees when they take the data received from a cell tower. “They would see everything you did on your phone in those local cell tower areas. They would see everybody you called during those specific times, possible SMS data or your text messages, and GPS locations. All of those can be triangulated and grabbed from those cell towers in a tower dump,” Kennedy said.While not too many people disagreed with the way authorities used this data in the investigation of Jessica Ridgeway’s murder since it led to her killer in a roundabout way, many people are wondering what else this data is being used for. “All of this is being done without a warrant, which means they can go out and pull as much information as they want to with little rhyme or reason to why they need to do it and I think that’s the major concern,” Kennedy explains. When it comes to finding a missing child or locating a criminal, dumping cell towers doesn’t seem too extreme but Kennedy does point out that there should be major oversight on what this data is being used for and who is using it before they can have access to it.

Read more at InsideTowers.com.

Florida Cell Tower Battle Lands in Federal Court

 Vertical Assets, a communications tower construction company based in Atlanta, was denied a permit to construct a cell tower in Panama City, Florida. The 150-foot tower was planned to be erected on West 19^th Street and Florida Avenue. However, the Panama City commission unanimously rejected the proposal for the tower saying that there were safety and neighborhood compatibility issues.

Vertical Assets has taken this matter to the federal court because they believe the city discriminated against their proposal and they violated the federal Telecommunications Act. Another company was permitted to construct a similar tower three years ago without having to get the city commission to approve it. Vertical Assets’ tower would have AT&T as its main carrier but they would allow emergency agencies to use the tower at no cost. 

The Need for More Spectrum and Cell Towers Is Apparent During Natural Disasters

When a natural disaster strikes, whether it’s a hurricane, wildfire, tsunami, or earthquake, they all have devastating repercussions. Among the effects caused by these tragedies are the family members desperately trying to reach their loved ones to see if they were alright. When Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast coast, the FCC reported that nearly 25% of the cell towers had been knocked out. USA Today noted that the limited technology and access to satellite networks inhibited the rescue efforts.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti also showed how not having a well-developed wireless infrastructure can be detrimental. Haitian engineer, Charles-Edouard Denis, spoke with IEEE Spectrum about the impact of the earthquake on Haiti’s cellular infrastructure.

“Right after the earthquake, the only company that was still working was Haitel, but its network was quickly overloaded. It remained operational mostly because it utilized almost exclusively 30- to 60-metertowers that are built to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Digicel and Comcel were not operational at all, and since between the two they have more than 3 million subscriptions, a lot of people could not communicate,” Denis said.

“Most of the people trapped under the rubble were trying to use their phones to call family members to let them know where they were, but the service was not available, and no one came to help them. At a quarter to five in the afternoon, some people were not at work. They left early to either stop at a friend's house or at a supermarket. So family members had a hard time identifying the location of their loved ones and therefore could not help. Since Digicel has more than 2 million subscribers, this lack of telephone service caused a lot of deaths,” Denis explained.

Not only is there a need for more spectrum, because the demand for mobile spectrum is surpassing the available supply, there is a need for a stronger wireless infrastructure that is able to withstand strong winds in order to better assist people during natural disasters.

Darrell West, director of the center for technology innovation at the Brookings Institution, told USA Today that, “We need to make sure that there are strong backups because mobile has become integral to people's lives, and in a time of disaster sometimes it's their only lifeline to the outside world."

Wireless Isn’t Going Anywhere—Invest Now

Even though it seems that everyone is connected through mobile phones, there are approximately 1 billion people in the world that do not own a cell phone according to Kerry McQueeney of the Daily Mail. This means that wireless services aren’t going anywhere. They will continue to expand until they reach remote parts of the globe connecting people in a way they never thought possible. If you are looking at investment opportunities, you should consider the wireless tower industry.

Communication towers are being constructed all over the world, especially in the United States, in order to meet the demand for mobile communication. So much of our daily life takes place online, which many people now access via their cell phones. Without these communications towers, accessing this technology on the go wouldn’t be possible.

Tim Beyers of the Daily Finance strongly urges you to invest in American tower. “Analysts see American Tower growing its earnings base by about 25% annually over the next five years,” Beyers notes. It was estimated that there were 6.6 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide at the end of 2012, and this number has been increasing approximately 9% each year. This trend suggests that the need for mobile broadband and communications is only going to increase. More and more devices, like tablets, are being connected to the 3G and 4G mobile networks in order to access the Internet anytime, anywhere.

“I'm not expecting a let-up anytime soon. Why? There's just too much business online. A June study published by eMarketer put total 2013 e-commerce sales at $1.2 trillion for the full year, with emerging markets such as Indonesia experiencing the fastest growth. The entire Asia-Pacific region is on track to produce $388 billion in online sales, up 23% year over year,” Beyers explained.

With so much information moving online along with the ability to communicate with people across the world, watch TV, listen to music, and purchase almost anything you could ever want the wireless industry isn’t going anywhere for the time being. The top tower companies in the United States will continue to build up their infrastructure in order to keep up with demand. 

Dead Spots May Soon Be Fixed With AT&T Tower in Helena-West

AT&T has proposed constructing a tower at property owned by the Boys & Girls Club of Philips County in Helena, Arkansas. AT&T has had many complaints of poor cell phone service in this area and they are looking to build a permanent tower. While waiting for this tower to be built, AT&T is hoping to receive authorization to place a temporary 60-foot tower on wheels in the selected location to improve service immediately.

The planning commission will conduct a public hearing at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the city hall on Perry Street for the purpose of receiving comments and or questions regarding the installation of a permanent cellular tower.

City in Washington is Working on New Rules For Cell Towers

The officials of Yakima, Washington are working on implementing new rules for cell phone towers. The new ordinance that is proposed will be looked at in November by the Planning Commission. The proposal calls for new cell phone towers in the area to be disguised. A lot of residents all over the country protest cell phone towers being constructed because they don’t like the way they look. This is why Yakima officials are trying to find a compromise to keep members of the community happy while still maintaining good cell phone reception.

"Cell phone towers won't be able to be built in neighborhoods unless the neighbors approve,” Ben Shoval the chairman of Yakima’s Planning Commission told KIMA. If the members of the neighborhood doesn’t approve then the cell towers will have to be at least 300 feet from the homes. The goal of this proposal is to protect the historic community of Yakima, while still providing adequate cell service for residents.

Proposed Cell Tower in Wisconsin Angers Parents

The parents of students who attend Bethesda Elementary in Waukesha, Wisconsin are upset over the proposal regarding a cell tower being built on school property. This cell phone tower could bring the School District of Waukesha between $30,000 and $70,000 in annual revenue. However, the parents are only concerned about the location of the tower site being right next to the playground at Bethesda Elementary School.

At a town meeting, some of the residents spoke out against AT&T’s proposed 100-foot cell tower due to health concerns and the proximity to the elementary school. AT&T has been working nonstop to bring their customers the best cell phone service they can offer. AT&T 4G LTE is now live in 424 markets and covers 240 million people. AT&T 4G LTE is expected to cover nearly 270 million people by year-end 2013.

1 Source Wireless Expands Into Midwest Enhancing Southeast Regional Operations

Today 1 Source Wireless announced their successful execution of its expansion into the Midwest. This completion has exceeded 1 Source Wirelesss’ initial projections, easily securing them a $5 million financial capital commitment based on proposed future build-out expansions through 2015. This expansion has greatly enhanced the southeast regional operations, giving top management belief that this development strategy will be replicated in other U.S. markets in the near future.

1 Source Wireless specializes in the development of wireless tower communication facilities. They have participated in the development of over 350 tower sites nation-wide over the past 15 years. Some of their services include: site identification, site acquisition, regulatory and compliance, planning and zoning, architectural and engineering, maintenance and repairs, as well as construction. 

FCC Shutdown: What Does This Mean For You?

If you tried to access the FCC’s website yesterday you realized that along with the government shutdown the FCC shutdown as well taking their website with it. Even the FCC tweeted, “We're sorry, but FCC will not be tweeting or responding to @ replies during the government shutdown.” So what exactly does this mean?

Well the FCC posted their Plan for Orderly Shutdown Due to Lapse of Congressional Appropriations and it explains that, “Suspended activities include, among many others: Consumer complaint and inquiry phone lines cannot be answered; consumer protection and local competition enforcement must cease; licensing services, including broadcast, wireless, and wireline, must cease; management of radio spectrum and the creation of new opportunities for competitive technologies and services for the American public must be suspended; and equipment authorizations, including those bringing new electronic devices to American consumers, cannot be provided.”

However, the FCC explains that telecommunications companies must continue to use the Network Outage Reporting System, which will remain available during the shutdown. These companies will still be able to filed reports of telecommunication service disruption because this information is essential to maintain and improve the reliability and security of the telecommunications infrastructure.

But Inside Tower’s has good news for you! Our IT Database has been seamlessly updated to the FCC’s ASR database.  It features a user-friendly interface to look up towers and tower owners, and the ability to customize lookups and export the results.

• Need to find an ASR number?
• Could you use a list of all the tower owners in your town? State? Region?
• Want a view of your own site?
• Missing a contact name?
• Wondering about your competitors?
• Can’t find driving instructions?

The Inside Towers Database is Your Solution

Our database:

• Is easy to use
• Provides comprehensive information
• Offers an economical annual subscription
• Has fields for storing your own information
• Generates reports
• Exporting capabilities

Email us at editor@insidetowers.com, visit our website at http://insidetowers.com/it_database/, or give us a call at 904.285.3239 to see how our database can help you during the FCC shutdown.

American Tower Completes Acquisition of Global Tower Partners

Yesterday, October 1^st and only about a month after the announcement of this deal, American Tower Corporation announced that they have completed the acquisition of Global Tower Partners. The majority of GTP was owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners with the minority partners including Dutch pension fund manager PGGM and management.

American Tower acquired GTP’s 5,400 domestic towers, 800 domestic property interests, management rights to over 9,000 domestic sites that are primarily rooftop assets, as well as their 500 communications sites in Costa Rica. Also with these assets, American Tower also assumed approximately $1.5 billion of GTP’s existing debt. American Tower paid approximately $3.3 billion in cash in order to complete the acquisition. Following the closing, American Tower had total liquidity of$1.9 billion, which included cash on hand and remaining capacity under its existing revolving credit facilities.

“With all four major domestic wireless carriers engaged in aggressive multi-year 4G LTE deployments, we believe our acquisition of GTP solidifies our path to achieving our strategic goals related to growing our AFFO over the next five years,” Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President and CEO of American Tower said in a previous press release. 

Two People Warned After Jumping from a Cell Tower

Apparently, the safety bulletins and news articles regarding the dangers of working on a cell phone tower haven’t been made public enough because this past weekend two people were warned by police after jumping from a cell tower in Dodge County, Wisconsin. The jumpers were told that if they came back to the site again they would be charged with trespassing.

It is believed that these two were BASE jumping, an activity where people jump from a fixed structure and use a parachute to break their fall. According to BASE Jumping HQ, “95% of all base jumpers spend at least 2 weeks + in hospital during their time jumping.  5% of all base jumper DIE. It is estimated that one of 2,340 BASE Jumps someone dies. (in contrast to 1 in 117,000 skydives).”

xG Technology’s New Cognitive Radio Networking Equipment Has Passed FCC Testing

xG Technology Inc. delivers cognitive radio network technology that meets the world’s rising demand for reliable and affordable wireless broadband, while making more efficient use of scarce spectrum assets. With the amount of broadband spectrum dwindling, products like xG’s xVM and xAP are useful in the radio network.

The xVM (xMax Vehicle Modem) has received FCC certification by way of a Grant of Equipment Authorization so it is authorized to be sold in the U.S., while the xAP (xMax Access Point) is waiting for the final paperwork to be completed by the FCC. It is expected to be received soon so all the required FCC testing will be completed.

“The xVM seamlessly connects smartphones, tablets, notebooks and other devices to the Internet via an xMax cognitive radio network,” xG Technology explained in a press release. “While primarily developed for vehicle usage, the xVM may also be externally mounted in fixed locations like parks or other outdoor areas to provide WiFi and wired Ethernet access for use in monitoring, surveillance, machine-to-machine (M2M) and other applications.

The xAP is different from the xVM because it is a compact base station that communicates wirelessly with xG’s xMod and xVM to create an all-IP, high-capacity, high-performance wireless access point that will be able to deliver wide area coverage when there is significant interference.

"We are extremely pleased to have the xVM so closely follow the xMod in receiving FCC approval for commercial delivery and use," said John Coleman, CEO of xG Technology. "The xVM's rugged design is well-suited for deployment in public safety, homeland security, utilities and military applications. Now that all xMax radio products have successfully passed FCC testing, we will soon deliver product to customers, once we receive final certification paperwork for the xAP in the coming few days."

Wilson Electronics’ 4G Cellular Signal Booster is a CEDIA ‘Best New Product’ Finalist

Monday, September 23^rd Wilson Electronics introduced the CI 2070, which is a cellular signal booster that works to enhance the cell carrier’s signal, including all 4G technologies, as well as 3G and 2G voice and data. The CEDIA, the industry association for professionals who design and install home technology, named the Wilson CI 2070 a finalist for their award that recognizes the top new products in the residential electronic systems industry.

"We are especially thrilled to have a signal booster from the Wilson Certified Installer product line recognized by CEDIA for the second year in a row," said Blake Seese, Wilson's custom integrator business development director. "It is an important achievement for the CI 2070 to be named a Best New Product finalist in CEDIA's 2013 Manufacturers Excellence Awards."

This new device allows the installer to customize the signal amplification on each of the five frequency bands. This allows an optimized signal boost to match the precise coverage requirements of each building where the CI 2070 is installed. The winners of CEDIA’s 2013 Manufacturers Excellence Award will be announced at a press conference this Friday and recognized at the Electronic Lifestyles Awards Celebration on Saturday at the CEDIA Expo in Denver.

CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, is the leading global authority in the $14 billion home technology industry. CEDIA represents 3,500 member companies worldwide and serves more than 22,000 industry professionals that manufacture, design, and integrate goods and services for the connected home. 

Should Parent Concerns Be Considered When Deciding About Cell Tower Construction?

This is a question that many school boards, including the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, has been considering when it comes to the decision about constructing cell phone towers on school property or near the property. Because the FCC and other government entities have developed strict standards for cell towers in order to keep the radio frequency emissions low and there hasn’t been any conclusive studies linking cell towers and negative health effects, why should these towers be a concern?

The Capital Gazette explains in the case of Maryland’s Anne Arundel County that, “ Essentially, the objections to Milestone Communications’ proposal for a 99-foot-tall monopole antenna at Piney Orchard Elementary School in Odenton represent fear of the unknown — a reasonable thing when it comes to the evolving understanding of health risks.”

However, the school board believes these towers are a necessity because they will provide funds for education as well as meet the demand for cell phone reception throughout the county. Many towns have begun taking legislative steps to ban cell towers being built on or near school property.

“Parents are capable of weighing concrete financial gains and cloudy potential for health risks. It’s easy to see parents at Piney Orchard saying no thanks to a tower on their 18-acre school yard, while parents at Broadneck High, another targeted school, might be OK with one on their 62-acre campus,” the Capital Gazette explained. 

Wilson Electronics Introduces New Cellular Signal Booster

Today, Wilson Electronics introduced a new product specifically for certified installers. The CI 2070 boosts all carriers' signal, including all 4G technologies, as well as 3G and 2G voice and data. This booster will support LTE and other cellular technology to provide reliable cell coverage indoors up to 80,000 square feet.

"The CI 2070 is Wilson's first 4G cellular signal booster designed specifically for the installer market," said Blake Seese, Wilson's custom integrator (CI) director. "It delivers greatly enhanced voice and data coverage in buildings where it's deployed. For our certified installers, the CI 2070 also provides a new revenue source by helping solve customers' cellular reception problems in virtually any type of building."

This new device allows the installer to customize the signal amplification on each of the five frequency bands. This allows an optimized signal boost to match the precise coverage requirements of each building where the CI 2070 is installed. Although this device is powerful, it’s small in size, weighing about 3 lbs.

Wilson Electronics helps people solve the number one issue facing the cellular industry: dropped calls and poor signal strength. They deliver cell phone booster solutions for mobile, building, and machine-to-machine (M2M) data transfer situations. As provider of North America’s top-selling line of cell phone signal boosters, Wilson designs and manufactures a wide variety of amplifiers, antennas and related components to improve communications for cell phones and cellular data devices.

Wireless Infrastructure Investment Will Boost Economic Activity & Create Jobs

Today, PCIA—The Wireless Infrastructure Association released a study conducted by the Information Age Economics projected private investment in wireless infrastructure over the next five days will generate as much as $1.2 trillion in economic growth and create 1.2 million new jobs. The wireless industry is growing every day, especially since the deployment of the 4G LTE networks.

In a press release, the PCIA explained that, “the report evaluates the economic and job-creation impacts generated by projected wireless infrastructure investments between $34 billion to $36 billion per year over the next five years. These investments will yield several other benefits:

• Between $863 billion and $1.2 trillion in cumulative economic development over the next five years, a 606 percent increase over the total amount the wireless industry will invest.
• A 2.2 percent increase in GDP by 2017.
• A direct impact of $85 billion to $87 billion of economic growth per year over the next five years, for up to a 0.5 percent improvement to GDP per year.
• The creation of over 28,000 jobs in 2017 and over 122,000 jobs in the next 5 years in the wireless infrastructure industry alone.”

Even though many people are hesitant to see the wireless industry grow for fear of more towers and change within the community, it’s necessary for our economic growth. “The simple truth is that a 2.2 percent increase in GDP and 1.2 million new jobs will not come about by magic,” said PCIA President & Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adelstein. “They will only occur if, as a nation, we recognize the fundamental importance of having a robust, ubiquitous, and affordable wireless broadband network that meets the demands of the 21st Century economy.  This is as true for local zoning board members as it is for FCC Commissioners.”

Would You Give Up Your Smartphone?

If you had to choose between giving up your Smartphone, including the very cool, new iOS 7 update, in order to not have a cell phone tower placed in your backyard, would you do it? Cell phone towers are popping up all over the place: school property, residential areas, church parking lots, etc. It’s easy to say “no, a tower is an eyesore and it shouldn’t be built in some specific area.” But the reason there is such a need for cell towers is because many people have upgraded from basic cell phones to Smartphones, which require about 35% more coverage than a standard cell phone.

Forbes reported that, “Two separate surveys confirmed that Smartphone penetration has not only passed half of all mobile subscribers, but has gone well beyond 50% of all adult Americans for the first time.”

Everywhere you look people are using their Smartphones to access the Internet, communicate with family and friends, check emails, or a million other daily tasks that one can complete with their Smartphone. While many people would prefer not to have a cell phone tower constructed near their home, sometimes it’s necessary to bridge the gaps in coverage. Not only does this help you have better service personally, but it also enables emergency communications systems to have a better connection in order to assist people in need. With so many Americans switching to Smartphones, more cell phone towers will need to be constructed in the future to keep up with the growing demand. 

Harris Communications Introduce New FCC Approved Cell Phone Repeaters

A few weeks ago Harris Communications announced they were coming out with a line of cell phone repeaters that would boost cell phone service and yesterday they shared that their new device had been approved by the FCC. These cell phone repeaters are designed to increase cell phone service where traditional towers can’t reach and signals are low, such as concrete buildings or parking garages.

“No matter where a business is located, even when parts of a spread out campus are a bit too far from cellular towers, the enhancements that Harris Communications can provide ensures that users will always get a strong signal and be able to connect with whomever they wish to communicate with,” Harris Communications explained.

Because so many people have switched from landlines to wireless devices, it’s imperative that businesses and workers have clear connections in order to communicate effectively.  A cellular repeater helps deliver clean, sharp wireless phone service to all employees to help keep business communications running smoothly. 

The Truth Behind Cell Towers and Property Values

“It’s an eyesore,” “it will cause health problems,” “it will drive down property values.” These are all common responses to cell towers being constructed in residential areas or in close proximity to someone’s home or business. With the expansion of cell phone networks, towers are being constructed all over the place. 

Everyone these days expects great cell phone service all the time—that requires towers. What’s so terrible about living next to a cell phone tower, besides getting great cell phone service all the time and never having to hear the “beep, beep, beep” associated with dropped calls?

Tom J. Keith & Associates, Inc. conducted research and illustrated how cell phone towers can affect property values. Their findings can be found in “Impact ofCell Tower on Surrounding Properties,” which is where the chart below was originally published.

This chart shows that there isn’t a significant change in the values for the properties 1/10 mile away from the tower or 5/10 mile away from the tower. “The values rise and fall as you move out from ring one to ring five, concluding that the tower does not affect the value of the properties as distance increases from tower,” Tom J. Keith & Associates, Inc. explained. There is no definite link between cell phone towers and decreasing property values and with the expansion of mobile coverage, towers are going to be difficult to avoid.