AT&T’s Purchase Of Alltel’s Customer Base Is Delayed BY FCC

At the beginning of the year, AT&T announced it would be buying Alltel’s customers and spectrum for $780 million. The FCC explained that they were going to stop their informal 180-day time clock to review the transactions because AT&T didn’t provide its plans for transitioning Alltel’s significant pre-paid customer base.

Alltel has around 182,000 customers on prepay tariffs that are the topic of concern. The FCC was in day 175 of their review and they will restart the clock upon the complete production of the information required. 

Permanent Structure Being Considered To Help With Border Control

A mobile surveillance tower sits on top of a hill east of Nogales, AZ, manned by a Border Patrol agent who keeps a watch on the border fence below. Currently, the tower sits in the bed of a pickup truck but it may be replaced with a permanent tower.

Curt Prendergrast of the Nogales International reported that, “In order to make that a reality, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seizing small pieces of land east of Nogales, spawning frustration among the owners of the seized land that stretches like a snake from the end of Royal Road into the river valley.”

Residents in this area aren’t please with the DHS’s decision to seize private land and this isn’t the first time that they have done this. In 2008, the Department of Homeland Security sued nine landowners to gain access to portions of their land that they found necessary to construct the border fence. The tower will potentially be built on the highest points of the Carmencita Ranch, so it will be visible anywhere on the property  The owner of the ranch, Tony Sedgwick, believes this will deter developers from buying the land. 

American Tower Has Been Busy Constructing New Sites

American Tower has been working hard to construct new communications site as well as obtaining property rights in order to build towers to better serve their customers. American Tower is a provider of wireless and broadcast towers, in-building and outdoor DAS, other right-of-way options, small cell and Wi-Fi networks, managed rooftops and services that speed network deployment for the wireless and broadcast communications industry. Below is a list of their newest sites:

Region Towers Generators Rooftops IDAS ODAS Midwest 32 33 2 2 0 Northeast 32 94 36 6 1 South Plains 21 57 1 1 0 Southeast 38 23 6 0 0 West 8 17 1 2 0 Total 131 224 46 11 1

Has A Solution Been Found For The Upcoming Broadband Shortage?

At the end of December 2012, the CTIA reported that there were 326.4 million active devices, including smart phones, feature phones, tablets, hotspots, etc.   With the number of mobile subscriptions increasing, the FCC projected a spectrum shortage for broadband services in the not so distant future. Even though, the government adopted the Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction NPRM on September 28, 2012, which will clear and allocate some of the television spectrum as a way for the wireless networks to keep pace the demand for spectrum, the scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory still sought out a different approach.

Researcher Dr. Juan Deaton has been studying how cell networks could optimize the spectrum in order to get the most use out of the existing range. If spectrum deficit indeed becomes a problem then consumers would experience dropped calls and slower connections.

“It is estimated that connected life will account for $4.5 trillion globally in 2020,” said Deaton. “But if we have only half the spectrum we need to conduct business like we are used to doing, it could negatively impact the U.S. economy by about $750 million.”

If the broadband spectrum continues to decrease then we’ll have a major problem on our hands. Next year, the FCC is set to auction off parts of the television spectrum as a way to increase the broadband spectrum. This may only be a temporary fix though if wireless technology continues to grow at the current rate.

Source: Idaho National Laboratory

Madison County Cell Tower Complete And Available To Rent

Now that the Madison County E-911 Communications Center completed their $23 million communication upgrades, their new cell tower has space to lease. The city’s goal is to improve the wireless Internet and cellular services.

Ned Campbell of the Utica Observer-Dispatch reported that, “For those companies, renting tower space costs much less than building a new one and allows them to avoid going through local zoning and planning boards at a time when municipalities are trying to keep new towers at a minimum.”

The county is currently reviewing a lease with Verizon Wireless, who is looking to lease space on one of the new towers in the area.

NATE Urges You To Use The Qualified Contractors Evaluation Checklist

With every major carrier rushing to complete their 4G LTE networks around the country, the National Association of Tower Erectors recommends that you take a look at their Qualified Contractors Evaluation Checklist. AT&T has vowed to complete their 4G LTE network by the summer of 2014, Verizon’s already covers over 95% of the U.S. population and Sprint is pushing forward, trying to keep up as best they can.

In order to build these networks, these companies need to update their equipment on existing towers or construct new towers altogether to reach as many people as possible. With the increase in tower construction, there is an increase in accidents. NATE has taken notice of this issue and worked with the National Telecommunications Safety Panel to put together a checklist so companies take notice of the largest safety issue facing the industry—using unqualified contractors.

This checklist was designed to help carriers evaluate a contractor’s dedication to safety to eliminate potential accidents from occurring. Take a look at the full checklist by clicking here.  NATE is a non-profit trade association providing a unified voice for tower erection, maintenance and service companies.

North Carolina Employs Tracking Technology To Keep Students Safe

When you send your child off to school, it can be nerve-wracking especially those first few weeks when school is back in session. In school districts across North Carolina, a new wireless technology is being used to provide real time information about the school buses: their location, their speed, and whether or not they stop at railroad crossings.

This technology, powered by Synovia, uses Cellular Vehicle Tacking, which is when a tracking method uses the cellular network infrastructure to determine the location of the transmitter. Synovia partners with wireless companies to provide this service to schools, law enforcement, and even commercial companies.

This wireless technology is giving parents the peace of mind that their children have arrived safely to and from school. North Carolina school districts are using Synovia technology on Verizon's network to provide safe and efficient student transportation this school year.

"Parents entrust us each day with the safety of their children, and this solution aids in our ability to manage a fleet of 300 school buses on a daily basis with advanced monitoring capabilities," said Scott Denton, transportation director for Durham Public Schools. "I now feel as if I'm riding alongside each of our drivers— morning and afternoon."