NTIA Awards $277 Million in Broadband Infrastructure Grants

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded 13 grants as part of the Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP). These grants total more than $277 million; they’ll be used to connect over 133,000 unserved households. The BIP was designed to support broadband infrastructure deployment in unserved markets, especially rural areas. The grants were awarded to 12 states and one territory: Georgia, Guam, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. Read the grant details here. Continue Reading

American Tower Firing on All Cylinders

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

We’re in the era of electric cars but if you have ever driven an American muscle car with a V8 and a 5-speed stick, you can appreciate this analogy. American Tower (NYSE: AMT) presented its 4Q21 and full-year 2021 results yesterday and clearly, the company is firing on all cylinders. The company reported double-digit increases across all its key financial metrics. Property revenues or site leasing revenues, came in at $9.1 billion, up 15 percent from $8.0 billion in 2020. The company realized solid organic tenant billings growth particularly in its Africa and Latin America markets. Service revenues garnered from customer site support activities nearly tripled to $247 million. Net income jumped 52 percent to $2.6 billion and Adjusted EBITDA grew to $6.0 billion, a 16 percent YoY increase. AFFO was up 14 percent to $4.3 billion from $3.8 billion in 2020. Continue Reading

FCC Strives to Resolve Pole Attachment Fights

FCC Strives to Resolve Pole Attachment Fights By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC intends to step up its efforts to make broadband more affordable during its March meeting. That includes facilitating pole access to deploy broadband infrastructure. “Easy, predictable access to poles can significantly speed the deployment and lower the cost of broadband infrastructure,” notes Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in her blog detailing what that agency plans to vote on. The agency intends to consider a rulemaking exploring ways to expedite the resolution of pole replacement disputes. It would establish clear standards for when and how utilities and attachers must share the costs of a pole replacement caused by a new attachment request.

NATE UNITE Attendance Shows Strong Momentum for Tower Industry

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

NATE execs and attendees listen to the keynote address at NATE UNITE 2022 and await the premiere of “Vertical Freedom”. Photos by J. Sharpe Smith   NATE UNITE 2022, the annual conference of NATE – The Communications Industry Contractors Association came back strong this week after a COVID-induced hiatus, breaking its record for attendance with in excess of 2,560 people. Attendees at the four-day event, held this week at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, are being treated to a full slate of sessions with three consecutive tracks and a full-blown show floor with around 160 exhibitors. NATE also chose the event to announce that it has established a new record of 1,100 member companies, eclipsing the organization’s previous mark of 1,087 members. “This conference is a sign of the pent-up demand in the industry and of our growth as an association,” said Todd Schlekeway, NATE CEO, “and the dynamic nature of our industry.” Continue Reading

AT&T Planned 3G Shutdown Concerns Alarm, Medical Alert Industries

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

AT&T plans to shut down its 3G network today, saying it’s necessary to make the transition to 5G. However, while the carrier says less than one percent of mobile data traffic runs on its 3G network, the shutdown impacts devices other than phones. That worries the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC), which says the shutdown is happening too fast and could risk lives.   After AT&T, T-Mobile will decommission its 3G network July 1. Verizon users have until December 31, according to the FCC. Continue Reading

Altice USA Close to New T-Mo MVNO Deal

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology EditorDexter Goei, company CEO, said the Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) is near an MVNO agreement with T-Mobile, when questioned about the future wireless strategy of the cable company during a recent earnings call. “We are on the 1-yard line, even though football season is over, to talk about announcing a new agreement with T-Mo,” he said.

Craig Moffett, principal analyst, MoffettNathanson, noted that while wireless is a “large part” of the other cable companies’ business, Altice USA had a lot of “fits and starts” in that area. He asked Goei why the investment community should be “confident” it will accelerate its wireless strategy. Goei responded that Altice USA has been “clear that wireless is very important to our strategy.” Continue Reading

Equinix Maintains Its Global Data Center Lead

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) bills itself as “The World’s Digital Infrastructure Company” and sports the scale of data center operations to support that claim. At the end of 2021, the company reported a global footprint of 240 data centers, both owned and operated through joint ventures, across 66 major metropolitan markets in 27 countries on 5 continents in three operating regions – Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific. EQIX owns 122 of the 240 data centers that it runs. These owned facilities, dubbed International Business Exchanges (IBX), account for 17.9 million of 28.1 million total gross square footage of its data center portfolio. IBXs generate 59 percent of EQIX’s total recurring revenues. Continue Reading