Stoops to Step Down as SBA CEO in ‘23 Succeeded by Brendan Cavanagh

SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: SBAC) announced this week that Jeff Stoops will retire from his positions as President and Chief Executive Officer on December 31, 2023. SBA’s Board of Directors has appointed Brendan Cavanagh, SBA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to succeed Stoops as President and CEO, at which time Cavanagh shall also be appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. Stoops shall remain on the company’s Board of Directors, and upon his retirement shall assume the position of non-executive Chairman of the Board. Steven Bernstein, SBA’s founder and current Chairman of the Board of Directors, will continue to serve on the Board, and Jack Langer will continue in his role as lead independent director. SBA said it intends to appoint its next Chief Financial Officer later this year. Continue Reading

Commerce Department Report Critical of FirstNet Reinvestments

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

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A report has come to light from the Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General that says FirstNet could not demonstrate investment decisions were the best use of reinvestment funds or maximized benefits to public safety. The 29-page report, which came out in November, is one of a series covering FirstNet’s reinvestment process. “Our audit objective was to determine whether FirstNet Authority’s process for reinvesting fee payments is effective and consistent with established practices, procedures and regulations,” wrote Arthur Scott, Jr., Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation. Many of the financial figures were redacted to protect proprietary AT&T information. Continue Reading

Rosenworcel Assures Senators Next Version of Broadband Maps Will Improve

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

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FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told 13 senators the next version of the agency’s broadband location maps will fix “most, if not all,” discrepancies. She was responding to concerns that “significant flaws in the draft maps recently released by the FCC further underline the need for a robust challenge process,” according to a letter the lawmakers sent to Rosenworcel and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. The senators asked the agencies for more time for state and local governments, Tribal nations, and consumers to provide input and challenge the maps. They sought at least a 60-day extension, until March 14. Continue Reading

UScellular Towers a Bright Spot Amid Flat Wireless Performance

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

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UScellular’s (NYSE: USM) tower segment continued to show steady progress even as the company reported flat year-over-year results in its wireless services business. In its 4Q earnings call, the company reported wireless service revenues for full-year 2022 were $3.1 billion, flat with 2021 level. Adjusted EBITDA declined 9 percent YoY to $952 million. Most of the soft performance was attributed to reduced net adds, moves to premium plans among fewer customers, reduced roaming charges and increased involuntary churn. Nonetheless, ARPU and ARPA both increased 3-4 percent YoY reflecting the migration to higher priced calling plans. The Chicago-based company operates in parts of 21 states covering 32 million people mainly in small towns and rural communities in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and northern California. At the end of 2022, UScellular had 5 million postpaid and prepaid connections. Continue Reading

FCC Helps Domestic Abuse Survivors Gain Safe, Affordable Connectivity

 

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC voted Thursday to implement key provisions in the Safe Connections Act to support survivors of domestic abuse and related crimes, seeking to keep connections with friends, family, and support networks. The proposed rules would help survivors obtain separate phone lines from shared accounts that include their abusers and protect the privacy of calls made by survivors to domestic abuse hotlines. They also include providing support for victims who suffer financial hardship through the agency’s affordability programs.  During the meeting, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the wireless industry will join with the National Domestic Violence Hotline to launch a “Partnership to Support Survivors.” The carriers involved include “the largest providers of wireless service,” said the Chairwoman. Continue Reading

Rip & Replace Funding Shortfall Gets Notice in Senate and House

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC’s Rip & Replace Reimbursement program was briefly discussed during Gigi Sohn’s Senate confirmation on Tuesday. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) noted that Sohn previously discussed innovative broadband solutions. He said providers in the Upper Peninsula of his state are “being held hostage” by the program’s more than $3 billion shortfall. Peters asked Sohn if she would commit to working with the Hill and broadband providers on the problem. Sohn said “yes,” and added that she recently met with members of the Rural Wireless Association (RWA), “who talked to me about their invoices not getting paid.” Continue Reading

Data Center Growth Outlook is Cloudy

Demand for data center space continues to reach new heights as digital services pervade daily consumer and business activities. Data center leasing surged in 2022 to 2,250 megawatts (MW) of power in North America, following a previous high point of 950 MW in 2021, according to datacenterHawk. Now, the data center sector may face headwinds in trying to keep pace with demand for power and land in 2023, amid longer delivery timelines and shortages in key markets, Data Center Frontier posted in a recent blog.

Throughout 2022, hyperscale operators aggressively locked down capacity for long-term cloud services growth even as data center capacity construction is slowed by supply chain disruptions. Nonetheless, demand remains strong with hyperscale single leases averaging over 70 MW, and more data center lease transactions across a broader base of customers from enterprise to financial, gaming, and tech companies. Continue Reading