Will American Tower Purchase More Towers in Brazil?

Bloomberg reported that Telecom Italia is working with Morgan Stanley to find potential bidders for their 7,000 towers located in Brazil. One of the potential bidders is American Tower Corporation, according to people familiar with the matter. The Brazilian assets could raise about 700 million Euros ($951 million), one of the people said. (Source: Bloomberg). In 2000, American Tower entered the Brazil market with more than 4,500 towers. In August 2013, American Tower announced they were acquiring an additional 2,790 tower sites from NII Holdings in Brazil for $413 million. Officials at American Tower Corporation declined to comment on their potential interest in these sites; however, it’s a market they are already participating in so it might be a good move for the company looking to expand their international reach.

Read more at InsideTowers.com.

Tower Industry in Africa Expected to Double: Will US Companies Take Part?

In 2011, American Tower Corporation entered the South African tower market where they now own 1,621 towers. Chief Operating Officer of Helios Towers Africa, Kevin Koch, spoke at AfricaCom2013 in Cape Town last week and presented an optimistic outlook for the tower industry. According to Richard Cutcher of HumanIPO, “According to HTA figures, there are currently 150,000 towers in Africa of which only 15 per cent are owned by third-party companies such as HTA, Eaton Towers, ATC and IHS. Due to Africa’s rapidly rising and young population, Koch expects the total number of towers to double within five years, while the proportion of those owned by independent companies will double in one year.” American Tower Corporation focuses mainly on the North American tower industry, but is also expanding their international footprint. This may be the perfect time for them to grow their presence in the African region. HumanIPO reported earlier today Bharti Airtel is believed be in discussions over the sale of its 15,000 towers to a third party for US $1.8 billion, while Etisalat Nigeria is also thought to be in discussions over a US $400 million sell-off of its 2,500 towers.

Read more at InsideTowers.com.

Wi-Fi Tower To Be Completed Soon Bringing California Schools Internet Access

http://insidetowers.com/wi-fi-tower-completed-soon-bringing-california-schools-internet-access/

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. 

CTI Towers, Inc. Secures $30 Million Debt Financing; Closes First Third-Party Tower Acquisition

Earlier this week, CTI Towers, Inc., announced that they had secured up to $30 million in debt financing and closed its first-part acquisitions, purchasing five towers from a major wireless carrier. CTI Towers, Inc., is a wireless tower operator with more than 800 towers throughout the U.S.

By acquiring these 5 towers, CTI Tower’s continues to grow outside the Comcast portfolio, where a large majority (230) towers came from. The company is looking to secure towers within regions with high-demand for wireless capacity.

“We remain committed to helping our customers meet deadlines for new cell sites and network deployment,” said Tony Peduto, Chief Executive Officer, CTI Towers. “We will continue to seek strategic acquisitions to fuel growth as the wireless industry responds to the demand for wireless broadband services.” 

CTI Towers has already had interest from the major carriers regarding equipment on the towers to bring their customers better service. The towers CTI Towers acquired are located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. With the demand for mobile increasing dramatically, it’s becoming necessary to expand our wireless infrastructure to deal with these capacity demands.

 “As the personal computing device and smartphone industry took off, we recognized mobile network operators would eventually need to fortify their mobile networks to meet consumer demand for mobile Internet access at scale,” said David Zilberman, Venture Partner at Comcast Ventures and CTI Towers Board Chairman. “We’re excited to see CTI Towers grow its footprint and enhance its ability to deliver even more tower inventory across the country, helping all wireless carriers keep their networks in-stride with consumer demand.”

Register for NATE’s Webinar with Former Secretary of Labor for OSHA Today

The National Association of Tower Erectors is hosting an in-depth webinar on Tuesday October 22, 2013 at 11:00am with former Secretary of Labor of OSHA, Edwin G. Foulke.  The focus of this webinar is to prepare your company for the employer training deadline that will take effect on December 1, 2013.

“In 2012, OSHA enacted its Global Harmonization Standard (GHS) which included a number of significant changes to its Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012). These changes affect all employers utilizing hazardous chemicals at their worksites. One of the major changes of the GHS requires employers to train their employees on the new “Safety Data Sheets” (SDS) by December 1, 2013,” NATE explained in a press release.

The webinar will provide companies with a detailed explanation of the changes that have been made to the Hazard Communication Standard. It will also discuss the steps you need to take to meet your obligations under this new standard. Make sure to register now!

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.

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.

Verizon CEO to Speak at Goldman Sachs Conference on September 24th

Lowell McAdam, chairman and chief executive officer of Verizon Communications Inc. will speak at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference on Tuesday, Sept. 24.  His remarks will be webcast beginning at approximately 9:40 a.m. Eastern time.  Access instructions will be available on Verizon's Investor Relations Web site,www.verizon.com/investor.

“Communacopia is really about convergence across telecommunications, media, cable companies and internet,” said Jason S. Armstrong, Deputy Business Unit Leader Technology, Media and Telecommunications Research Group.

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. 

Verizon Wireless Activates DAS in Empire State Plaza

Verizon Wireless has activated a distributed antenna system (DAS) in Albany, New York’s Empire State Plaza. “Consistent wireless coverage has been difficult to provide throughout the Empire State Plaza due to the fact that many areas of the Plaza are located underground. The DAS system uses a network of smaller antennae positioned throughout the Plaza. In addition to voice service, the DAS system provides 4G LTE service inside the Plaza,” according to Verizon Wireless.

The DAS is a network of spatially separated antennas that connect to a common source and help provide wireless service within a specific area. In the coming weeks and months, coverage will be expanded into the health labs, the Capitol Building, the Plaza catacombs, and several other buildings in the Plaza complex.

Members of Hilton Head Plantation Oppose New Cell Tower

Fifty-seven of the residents in Hilton Head, South Carolina signed a petition opposing the construction of a 149-foot cell phone tower. This petition didn’t have the desired impact on the Town of Hilton Head Island’s Design Review Board. The board voted last week to approve the tower’s design.

According to the Island Packet, “Homeowner Brad Wainwright doesn't like the sound of that 'I bought my property because I like the open space, and this is the equivalent of a 14-story commercial building being erected 200 feet from my house,' Wainwright said."

The plans aren’t final, but final approval is expected to be given at the board’s meeting on October 8^th. The 149-foot tower will be disguised as a tall pine tree in an attempt to blend in with the surrounding area. Although many of the residents of Hilton Head are against this tower, with more and more people disconnecting their landlines and solely relying on cell phone technology, the need for more cell phone towers is increasing. These new towers will allow cell phone carriers to increase their coverage and bring customers a faster connection. 

Brevard County Moves into Cell Tower Business

The officials of Brevard County, Florida have realized what a cash cow the cell tower industry has become and they have decided to find new ways to use the towers as a revenue source. According to the Florida Today, “County officials are in the initial stages of setting up a hierarchy of preferences for new towers, including where they would be located, their preferred maximum height and what they would look like.”

Brevard County recently conducted a workshop to brainstorm new ways to earn revenue via the cell towers. The county commissioners decided they should encourage companies to consider the county land when looking to construct new towers as well as own their own towers. A single tower can produce anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000 a year in rental income from each cell company with equipment on the tower. The county is considering moving into this market to generate revenue, but the increase in cell towers will also improve cell phone service in and around Brevard County. 

Wyoming Cell Tower Freeze Might Violate the 1996 Telecommunications Act

The residents of Teton County, Wyoming are unhappy with the current regulations on cell phone towers and feel that these structures interrupt the scenic views of the area. The county commissioners are looking into new regulations and are considering putting a temporary moratorium on cell tower applications.

However, this freeze will violate the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which states that local governments cannot ““prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the provision of personal wireless services.” The county commissioners aren’t opposed to new cell phone towers being constructed, they just want stricter regulations regarding placement.  

“We have a balancing act here in Teton County that’s kind of unique,” says County Commission chair Paul Vogelheim. “We need to take care of cellular and wireless data needs but then we also need to be able to provide the scenic wonders that are here without it being at all compromised.” (Source: Wyoming Public Media)

The Inner Workings of Cell Towers and the Wireless Network

We use cell phones every day and pass by cell phone towers on our way to work, to the grocery store, or when we’re driving to the mall. You may not be able to pick them out, but they are there sending signal to your phone so you can stream music or make a phone call while driving on the highway. But you may have never taken the time to understand the mechanics behind the wireless network you use so frequently.

There are three parts to the wireless network: the cell site, the base station, and the switch. Sounds fairly simple, right? The cell site is the structure that supports the antennas and equipment of the cellular carriers. The heights of these towers are determined by technical analysis to determine optimal transmission and reception to and from a wireless device. The base station is the actual equipment placed at a cell site to provide transmission and reception of the wireless signal. The switch is a central location where all calls are routed. The calls are routed through the public switched telephone network to a landline or another mobile device, or through another method to a wireless device or landline. (Source: PCIA)

Below is a picture of a basic wireless network design. “Wireless network design is determined by the wireless service provider, and in order to meet service demands and network needs the service provider must have the ability to quickly deploy the necessary infrastructure,” according to the PCIA. 

The CTIA Believes Wireless is a Vital Component to the lives of American Consumers

While access to wireless broadband and towers may have been a convenience just a few years ago, the CTIA—The Wireless Association believes that it is now a vital component in the lives of American consumers and businesses. 

This statement came as a response to Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-7) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18) introducing the companion bill, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, to the Senate’s Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act of 2013.

The Internet Tax Freedom Act was originally signed into law in 1998 by President Bill Clinton. This law prohibits federal, state and local governments from taxing Internet access and imposing Internet-only taxes. This law has been extended three times by Congress since its original enactment.

“Chairman Goodlatte and Representative Eshoo have been champions for the digital economy since the Internet Tax Freedom Act was first enacted fifteen years ago. The Permanent Internet Freedom Act permanently extends the moratorium on Internet access taxes and fees and provides a tax certainty that will continue to foster American technological innovation, growth and leadership in electronic commerce,” the CTIA’s press release explained.

The current moratorium on Internet taxes was extended until November 1, 2014 by President George W. Bush in 2007. CTIA-The Wireless Association is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. 

“Affordable wireless broadband is no longer just a modern convenience, but a vital component in the lives of American consumers and businesses. From education to healthcare to commerce, a reasonable and permanent tax structure that guarantees affordable access to the Internet and the incredible services it provides is vital for consumers and continued innovation,” the CTIA explained. 

Alabama City Considers Building Own Cell Tower To Improve Service

The city of Orange Beach, Alabama is considering constructing a cell phone tower to improve the cell service in the nearby area. The city’s telecommunications committee is working on a tower-sitting ordinance.

“There is an increasing demand for cell towers because as I understand it the faster speeds mean that the footprint that is covered is smaller so in order for our residents to continue to get the best of the best there will have to be more towers,” Councilman Al Bradley said. “If there’s going to be a tower, which there will be, we’re recommending -- and really to just give you a heads up -- that the city construct and own a tower.” (Source: AL.com)

The cost to the city to construct a tower will be around $300,000 to $350,000, but the city consider this a wise investment since the demand for cell phone service is only increasing. The city will also be gaining revenue from the tower that will benefit the police, fire, and other emergency communications. 

AT&T Completes Acquisition of Verizon Wireless Spectrum

Yesterday, AT&T announced that they have completed the acquisition of Verizon Wireless’ spectrum in the lower 700 MHz band B block.  The acquired licenses cover 42 million people in 18 states — California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

By acquiring this spectrum AT&T will be able to deploy their ever growing 4G LTE network to meet the demand for mobile Internet services. AT&T’s 4G LTE network currently covers more than 225 million people. They hope to reach 270 million people by the end of this year and finish the build by the summer of 2014.

In exchange for the 700 MHz spectrum, AT&T paid $1.9 billion in cash and transferred Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum licenses in Phoenix, Ariz.; Los Angeles and Fresno, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Portland, Ore.

Verizon Expands 100G Technology on U.S. and European Networks

Like most cellular companies, Verizon is working to expand their cellular and bandwidth networks in order to keep up with demand. This is why Verizon has expanded 100G technology on its ultra-long-haul network in the U.S. and Europe, adding the technology to more than 4,800 miles of its global IP network during the first half of 2013.  

This expansion includes almost 4,500 miles on the Verizon U.S. network, which will bring the number up to a total of approximately 21,400 miles. Among the new 100G routes are Seattle to Salt Lake City, Indianapolis to St. Louis, St. Louis to Memphis, Charlotte to Nashville and Cleveland to Detroit.

"Not only does Verizon have one of the largest global networks, we have one of the most robust and sophisticated networks with 100G technology deployed on multiple routes in the U.S. and Europe," said Kyle Malady, senior vice president of global network operations and engineering. "As long as our bandwidth demand grows, we'll continue deploying high bit-rate technology that underlies the superior experience that our business and consumer customers expect."

The reason these companies are expanding their bandwidth network is to stay ahead of cloud services and 4G LTE mobile technology. The 100G technology provides the necessary level of performance combined with the flexibility to meet traffic type demand and enterprise customer requirements.

Wisconsin Residents File Lawsuit to Stop Cell Tower Construction

The members of Prairie du Sauck, Wisconsin have filed a lawsuit against the village’s planning commission because they oppose the cell phone tower that is being built by their homes. Earlier this summer, Governor Scott Walker signed a law that limits municipalities’ authority over the placement of cell towers.

The members of the Plan Commission felt they had little choice when it came to approving a conditional use permit when Verizon submitted a proposal for a 150-foot cell tower on the community high school’s property. The members of the community want the tower to be placed away from where the majority of the townspeople live and they hope to settle this dispute in court.

The Sauk Prairie School Board voted 5-2 in March to approve a tower lease agreement under which Verizon would pay the district $15,000 per year. The commission considered the feelings of the community members, but followed the law signed by the governor that prohibits them from denying a tower for aesthetic reasons. It also prohibits the commission from limiting the duration of the permit. The law was passed to make it easier for cell phone companies to construct towers and provide consumers with adequate cell phone service.