Inside Towers, Wireless Estimator and AGL Media Group reported that U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA) visited a Crown Castle tower site in his congressional district. During the visit, Rep. Loebsack learned about the network equipment that’s installed on the tower and discussed with NATE and Crown Castle the work conducted on a daily basis building, maintaining and deploying communications tower sites and related wireless infrastructure. He also discussed the Communications Jobs Training Act, which he co-sponsored and provides “competitive grant funding for schools to develop and administer training for communications tower service, construction and maintenance.” Crown Castle government affairs manager Siely Joshi said “as the leader in shared communications infrastructure, Crown Castle endorses the proposed legislation as a means for creating quality jobs to meet the current and future workforce demand.”
Tower execs say US 5G buildout is slower but not over
Crown Castle reported on their 5G buildout and their lowering of the 2023 outlook at the end of Q2 due to a tower leasing activity slowdown in the first part of the year. Jay Brown was quoted, discussing that, unlike in previous upgrade cycles, all three big US operators started d...
Element8 invests $151M into Wisper to boost broadband in the heartland
Texas-based ISP Element8 is investing $151 million into rural provider Wisper Internet- a move that will help both companies bolster broadband access in the heartland of the U.S. Element8's head of Business Development and Innovation Jonathan Van said its expanded footprint will now include Te...
FCC ups target speed for enhanced A-CAM rural broadband funding program
The FCC has adopted an order raising the target speed for the A-CAM rural broadband funding program. In a fact sheet, the commission used the term "Enhanced A-CAM" for the new program. The previous target speed was 25/3 Mbps. The new target is 100/20 Mbps, which brings it in line with other ru...
Broadband Breakfast to Release Middle Mile Report Ahead of Special Connect (X) Session
Broadband Breakfast will be hosting Connect (X) on May 10th for a discussion focused on the Middle Mile Program and its impact on last-mile deployment efforts and the role of state broadband offices. Crown Castle will be represented by Drew Colbow at the discussion alongside representatives fr...
US cell towers and small cells: By the numbers
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) recently published an almost definitive look at the wireless infrastructure landscape in the US, showing 142,100 cell towers and 452,200 outdoor small cell nodes across the country at the end of last year. WIA primarily represents the nation's big ...
INCOMPAS Pushes FCC to Reform Pole Attachment Rules
A trade group for internet and telecom network providers pushed the FCC to reform the agency's pole attachment rules, saying the current cost allocation regime favors utility pole owners. INCOMPAS supports a cost allocation formula proposed by Crown Castle, which "demonstrates that a pole repl...