Brazilian Mobsters Strike Gold with Broadband

At the height of the pandemic, a police detective in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil discovered a different kind of outbreak. Reuters reported that while investigating service outages in a low-income, urban neighborhood, detective Gabriel Ferrando found that a new service provider, funded by an accused drug and arms trafficker with ties to a Brazilian crime syndicate, was now in charge.

Ferrando uncovered that the new ISP on the block was up and running using stolen equipment, including some from broadband provider TIM SA. According to Ferrando, residents could sign up for the service or do without the internet. 

Reuters reported that Fernando asked state prosecutors to pursue charges against the alleged pirates in February. To date, no charges have been filed. Continue Reading

South Wireless Summit Scores Another Successful Conference

 By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

The Tower Summit panel convened yesterday at the South Wireless Summit in Nashville with Pat Tant, Robert Paige,
Ron Bizick, Dave Mayo, Todd Rowley andTony Sabatino. (at right) Steve Nicley, South Summit Chairman giving opening remarks.
Photos: J. Sharpe Smith
 

The South Wireless Summit celebrated 10 years this week of providing conferences for the wireless industry at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University. The event was attended by nearly 800 people and featured 20 speakers and a sold out exhibit area with more than 40 exhibitors. 

The educational sessions were highlighted by keynote speeches by Todd Schlekeway, NATE President/CEO; Jonathan Adelstein, WIA President/CEO; Cathay Piche, EVP COO, Crown Castle; and Jacky Wu, EVP, Digital Bridge, who presented via video live from London. There were three panel sessions: The Tower Panel presented by Vogue Towers, the Regulatory Panel and the Colos & Rooftops Panel. WIA TEC Training on Spectrum Fundamentals was taught on Tuesday afternoon by Rikkin Thakker, CTO, WIA. Continue Reading

FCC Expands Covered List to Include Russian Cybersecurity Firm

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau added three more equipment and services companies to its “covered” list of communications equipment and services that have been deemed a threat to national security. They are: Russian cybersecurity and anti-virus provider AO Kaspersky Lab, and telecoms China Telecom (Americas) Corp, and China Mobile International USA Inc. Inside Towers reported the agency was looking at Russian telecoms as it prepared the list update, given Russia’s war against Ukraine. When the agency debuted the list last March, five companies were on it, Inside Towers reported. They are: telecom equipment manufacturers Huawei and ZTE, plus video surveillance and telecommunications equipment companies Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company and Dahua Technology Company. Continue Reading

DigitalBridge to Acquire Telenet’s Mobile Telecommunications Tower Business

DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE: DBRG) announced last week that an affiliate, DigitalBridge Investments, LLC, has agreed to acquire the mobile telecommunications tower business of Telenet Group Holding NV (Euronext Brussels: TNET, “Telenet”) in an all-cash transaction valued at $820 million. The company said the transaction is being funded via a combination of debt and equity financing, including a commitment from the DigitalBridge balance sheet of $517 million. DigitalBridge intends to subsequently transfer its ownership of TowerCo to a fund affiliated with DigitalBridge investment management platform, in support of the firm’s continued development of new investment strategies.

The transaction with Telenet, a leading provider of entertainment and telecommunications services in Belgium, will provide DigitalBridge with ownership of 100 percent of Telenet’s passive infrastructure and tower assets, encompassing TowerCo’s nationwide footprint of 3,322 sites in Belgium, including 2,158 owned sites and 1,164 third-party sites. In past years, the Telenet sites posted a total tenancy ratio of 1.2x, and a tenancy ratio of 1.6x in towers. Continue Reading

ATF Identifies Suspected Arsonist and Cell Tower Vandal

Earlier this month, police were called to the scene of several suspicious cell tower fires in Mississippi. In each case, it was determined that the fires were intentionally set and equipment was damaged. As Hawaii News Now reports, ATF agents became involved when interstate commerce was disrupted. Evidence quickly led agents to Manuel Alejandro DeJesus, the suspected perpetrator of the attacks on the cell towers.

Agent Jason Denham of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Gulfport office, said that at least three of the incidents have been linked to DeJesus. The suspect is currently facing federal charges for damages inflicted on the facility in Moss Point, a city near the Alabama border. Continue Reading

Which Carrier is Likely to Benefit the Most From 2.5 GHz Auction?

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau ChiefUPDATE Inside Towers reported the FCC intends to open the 2.5 GHz auction for 5G wireless services bidding on July 29. The agency confirmed it will use an ascending clock format, a format favored by T-Mobile, according to New Street Research Policy Advisor Blair Levin.   

Levin says T-Mobile is likely to be the major winner, because the auction “will allow the company to fix the ‘Swiss Cheese’ problem its 2.5GHz network grid is known to suffer from,” he writes in a client report. How much T-Mobile will have to spend to accomplish that goal is unknown. However, he says the Commission lowered what the final amount will be by adopting a plan to use the ascending clock format T-Mobile favors instead of a single sealed bid auction, an auction design favored by some smaller players. Continue Reading

Phoenix Tower to Acquire Over 3,200 Towers From Cellnex Telecom in France

Phoenix Tower International (PTI) announced that it has completed a definitive agreement — subject to the French Competition Authority (FCA) approval — with Cellnex Telecom to acquire 1,226 telecommunications sites in France. The deal, if approved, would add SFR as a second major MNO client of PTI in France. Simultaneously, PTI with its Joint Venture Partner Bouygues Telecom will be acquiring 2,000 sites in very densely populated areas. Both transactions relate to the French Competition Authority remedies that followed Cellnex’ acquisition of Hivory last year. 

With these latest transactions along with its previously announced build program with Bouygues Telecom, PTI will own and operate over 5,000 sites in France in the coming years making it one of the largest independent wireless infrastructure providers in the country. Continue Reading

AT&T to Move Copper Customers to Wireless

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

AT&T plans to remove copper infrastructure without upgrading customers to fiber, it announced at its Analyst & Investor Day event, saving billions of dollars but potentially leaving millions without a wireline internet connection. “We have many square miles outside of our fiber footprint, that we have very little to no demand that's existing in this part of our footprint,” said Jeffery Scott McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications LLC. “We are transitioning customers that are in that part of the footprint to a better product served by wireless in many instances.” The removal of copper is part of a long-term effort to reduce the copper footprint 50 percent by 2025, increasing speeds and rationalizing a cost base of $6 billion. “As we increase speed and pace in our copper sunset activities across our entire footprint, those savings start to reveal themselves on the bottom line of our multi-year plan,” McElfresh said. “Now controlling the timing and profitability curve while we migrate customers to our next-generation fiber and 5G services is essential to our transformation.” Continue Reading

Carr Suggests Some Foreign Carriers Trying to Get Around U.S. Revocation

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

UPDATE While FCC Commissioners voted unanimously last week to bar Chinese-owned telecoms Pacific Networks and its subsidiary ComNet USA from operating in this country because of national security concerns, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr says there’s more the agency must do. He said it’s possible that carriers that have had their authorizations to operate here revoked “might be making an end run” around that. “They may be offering the same or similar services in a media that doesn't require a Section 214 authorization, offering services on a private carriage basis or providing data center or other services,” said Carr. “This is not a development we can afford to ignore.” Continue Reading

House Lawmakers Concerned That FCC Retains Spectrum Auction Authority

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

House Lawmakers this week discussed the future of wireless with industry and public policy experts. Much of the discussion centered around the immediate future of the FCC’s ability to conduct spectrum auctions. Without congressional intervention, the agency’s auction authority expires on September 30. CTIA believes Congress should expeditiously extend the FCC’s auction authority. CTIA SVP Scott Bergmann testified before the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee that since it created the authority in 1993, Congress has never let it lapse. “Last year, the FCC conducted two auctions for full-power mid-band spectrum, one for 280 MHz of C-band spectrum from 3.7-3.98 GHz, and the other for 100 MHz from 3.45-3.55 GHz,” said Bergmann. “Together, these two auctions raised over $102 billion in winning bids, and will be the backbone of wireless investment over the next few years.”  Continue Reading

FCC Seeks Public Input on Utility Pole Replacement Cost-Sharing

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC wants to minimize disputes over utility pole attachments, especially before the $65 billion in broadband infrastructure funding gets used from the administration’s Infrastructure Law. That’s why Commissioners voted 4-0 at Wednesday’s meeting to seek public input on establishing clear standards for how utilities and attachers must share in pole replacement costs.  In the Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC asks questions such as who should pay the cost of pole replacement when that isn’t determined by a new attachment request and whether utilities benefit from various types of pole replacements. It asks if the Commission should require utilities to pay a proportional share of all replacement costs. Continue Reading

Chip Prices Fall, Enabling More 5G Chips in Phones

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

5G is increasingly available in cheaper phones, making faster mobile service affordable to more lower-income consumers around the world, according to market researchers. The reason behind this broader access to 5G is the falling price of specialized semiconductors needed for 5G phones, a trend that analysts expect to continue over the next two years. The lower price makes it economically feasible for manufacturers to include the chips in a wider range of phones, reports The Wall Street Journal. Already, 5G technology has moved beyond the premium smartphone market, in which devices sell for $550 or more, to the mid-tier market where devices sell for $250 to $550. Even less expensive 5G phones are available in some places, says Jeff Fieldhack, research director at Counterpoint Research. Continue Reading

Crimea Invasion Prepared Chip Industry for Russia’s War Against Ukraine

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Almost two years of chip shortages have had an unexpected upside for the semiconductor industry (and telecom’s use of those chips): It’s better prepared to manage the turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Production of vital raw materials for chip making is concentrated in Russia and Ukraine. The countries are a major source of both neon gas, needed to feed lasers that print minute circuitry onto silicon, and the metal palladium used in later manufacturing stages, reports The Wall Street Journal. About a quarter to a half of the world’s semiconductor-grade neon comes from Russia and Ukraine, while roughly a third of the world’s palladium is sourced in Russia, analysts and industry consultants estimate. A potential shortage of those materials has sparked concern among some analysts that an industry already struggling to meet hot demand could suffer a blow to production. Those worries might not be realized in the near term, in part because the industry has reset how it operates. It had to pivot after being whipsawed by pandemic-era demand and repeated shocks such as fires at chip plants, drought in Taiwan, other setbacks and global supply-chain disruptions. Continue Reading

Doyle, Latta: 5G Fight Calls Out Need for Federal Spectrum Management Reform

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Two members of Congress believe the recent fight over 5G spectrum involving the FAA and aviation industry, the NTIA, FCC and telecoms, shines a light on the need to re-work how the federal government manages spectrum.   In an opinion piece for The Hill, Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), Chair of the House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, say as the nation’s spectrum becomes more crowded, the government’s process for managing spectrum use is being strained. While disagreements between various spectrum users can be contentious, they say, in recent years the disputes have become more obvious.   The recent 5G on C-band dispute was a tipping point for Doyle and Latta. “We cannot remember a time in the past when a spectrum management dispute has been the topic of national news and dinner table conversation throughout the United States.” Continue Reading

Deutsche Telekom Reportedly Auctioning 40,000 Tower Portfolio

According to Reuters, Deutsche Telekom (DTE.DE) is said to be in the process of soliciting bids for its 40,600 towers and may be seeing firm offers in the next few weeks. Goldman Sachs is reportedly acting as an advisor in the sale with analysts putting the estimated price at just under $20 billion.

Going back to its Capital Markets Day in May 2021, DT announced it was undertaking a “strategic review” of its 58,000 owned and operated sites. This tally includes GD Towers, a wholly-owned DT subsidiary, along with sites DT owns in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. DT is one of the biggest mobile network operators in Europe that still owns a large tower portfolio. Selling passive infrastructure assets such as towers is a way for MNOs like DT to reduce debt and lower operating costs. 
 
Its towers are managed by Deutsche Funkturm (DFMG), Germany’s largest tower company with 32,800 sites and is wholly-owned by DT. DFMG’s portfolio includes towers, masts, rooftop sites, distributed antenna systems, and small cells. DFMG operates as part of DT's GD Towers division that also has another 7,000 towers in Austria. Continue Reading

NATE Joins Other Lobbyists Seeking to Re-Open Capitol Hill

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Lobbyists, including NATE: the Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, want to be free to roam the halls of Capitol Hill again. They want their members to have the opportunity to do the same. That’s why NATE has joined more than 200 other trade groups in signing a letter to that effect to House and Senate leadership from a trade association for advocacy groups, the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics. “Even though the Centers for Disease Control has issued new guidance on masking and infections are down across the National Capital Region, there are still the security concerns about the Capitol and congressional office buildings,” the lobbyists say in the letter. “We have developed a proposal that could enable Congress to re-open for public visits, which would help ensure that people remain healthy and safe.” Continue Reading

U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Santa Fe Tower Fight

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to hear a case that pitted an environmental group against the state and the federal government concerning cell tower siting in New Mexico. The Santa Fe Alliance for Public Health & Public Safety, headed by WiFi activist and 5G conspiracy promoter Arthur Firstenberg, brought several claims under Section 704 of the ’96 Telecommunications Act, New Mexico’s Wireless Consumer Advanced Infrastructure Investment Act and the Santa Fe City Code.  The Alliance contended that the installation of telecommunications facilities—primarily cell towers and antennas—on public rights-of-way exposed its members to dangerous levels of radiation, according to JUSTIA. The Alliance alleged the laws violated due process and the First Amendment and prevented it from effectively speaking out against the installation of new telecommunications facilities. Continue Reading

Is Wireless Ready for the Metaverse?

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

Today’s wireless networks may not be up to the task of handling the data required for the virtual worlds envisioned by companies like Meta (formerly Facebook), according to CNBC. Dan Rabinovitsj, VP of connectivity at Meta, told the cable channel that it was working on a solution with wireless networks at last week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. “If you really look at the pace of innovation in the telecom world, compared to other markets, it’s been harder to go faster in this space,” Rabinovitsj said. “One of the things that we’ve tried to change is that trajectory of innovation.” But the telecom industry is in the early innings of what is still just a vision of an immersive digital experience, known as the metaverse. While Meta’s Oculus virtual reality headsets have been used for a metaverse-like experience, they have met the strict requirements for low latency and high data speeds. Continue Reading

CCA, NATE, WIA, Others Urge Congress to Fill Rip & Replace Funding Shortfal

The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, the Wireless Infrastructure Association, and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, joined five other industry trade groups to urge Congress to provide the FCC with additional funding for the Rip & Replace reimbursement fund.  The FCC-reported gross cost estimate demand of $5.6 billion is significantly higher than the congressionally appropriated $1.9 billion, Inside Towers reported, and additional money is needed to help ensure impacted carriers can successfully update their networks. “Barring further resources, the FCC will be forced to implement prorating available funding using the prioritization process directed by Congress,” said the trade associations in letters to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Continue Reading

Committee Sends Sohn FCC Nomination to Senate for Floor Vote

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

A divided Senate Commerce Committee voted along party lines Thursday to send Gigi Sohn’s FCC nomination to the full Senate. The vote was 14-14, enabled by Sen. Ben Ray Lujan’s (D-NM) return to the Capitol from his recent stroke. With a tie vote a nominee can get a floor vote, but with no favorable or unfavorable recommendation, according to the Congressional Research Service.   Lujan received a standing ovation from his fellow senators as he entered the room, and thanked well-wishers for all the cards, letters, videos and prayers. It all worked, he said, “and it’s good to be back. I missed you all.”   The rest of the vote was not so cordial. Partisan tensions, which boiled over during Sohn’s two confirmation hearings, were still on display yesterday. Continue Reading

GSMA: 5G Connections to Soar Past One Billion in 2022

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

In the fastest generational rollout in wireless history, the number of 5G connections will pass the 1 billion mark in 2022, and then double to 2 billion by 2025, according to The Mobile Economy Report 2022 from the GSMA. By the end of 2025, 5G will account for over a fifth of total mobile connections, and more than two in five people globally will live within reach of a 5G network. "In addition, the launch of 5G services in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa over the last year means that the technology is now available in every region of the world, so we are set to see more growth and more transformation for services," said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA, announced at MWC Barcelona 2022. Compared to 3G and 4G, 18 months after its launch, 5G accounted for more than 5.5 percent of mobile connections – neither 3G nor 4G exceeded 2.2 percent penetration at the same time. Today, nearly 200 live networks provide 5G in 70 countries, including 68 operators providing 5G Fixed Wireless Access services and 23 5G Standalone services.  Supporting the future growth of 5G, early network capability initiatives are creating new consumer and enterprise use cases across the 5G Era, increasing use of multiple sub-3GHz spectrum bands, 5G mmWave, 5G Advanced, and Private Networks.

Jonathan Adelstein to Leave WIA for DigitalBridge Job

The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced today the upcoming departure of President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adelstein. Adelstein has accepted a position as Managing Director and Head of Global Policy and Public Investment for DigitalBridge Group, beginning June 1.  A candidate search is being launched to identify his replacement.

“These last ten years were among the most fulfilling of my professional life,” said Adelstein. “I’ve been so fortunate to work alongside a team of talented and dedicated professionals. I’ve worked hard to ensure that WIA keeps pace with the growth and power of the wireless infrastructure industry. I feel a great sense of pride knowing that our work has prepared the industry to meet the challenges ahead. I’m grateful to the WIA Board of Directors for their guidance and support. I’m going to miss working with my WIA colleagues every day, yet we’re lucky to work in such a wonderful industry, and I’m thrilled to continue being a part of it.” 

“I could not be more thrilled with the addition of Jonathan to our global team”, said DigitalBridge Chief Executive Officer Marc Ganzi, “having known Jonathan for the last two decades and having hired him while I served as WIA Board Chair, I know firsthand what his capabilities are and how he can directly add value to our portfolio companies and his unique perspective on how we can bridge the digital divide in this country and other parts of the world – as this is a passion we both share,” Ganzi told Inside Towers. Continue Reading

Spacex Satellites Ready to Back Up Ukraine Internet; Viasat Reports Outage

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

What began as a poetic plea for internet communications from the Ukrainian people ended up as a technology announcement. Thanks to Twitter. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk announced on Saturday that Spacex is live over Ukraine, in response to a plea for help from Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine minister of digital transformation, according to CNN. Fedorov had tweeted to Musk: "while you try to colonize Mars -- Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space -- Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand." Musk’s brief reply was, "Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route." Continue Reading