NATE Video Sounds Off on Pricing​ Practices

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NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association yesterday launched a whiteboard animation video to illustrate the negative impact to safety and quality that current pricing pressures are imposing upon contractor firms by top wireless carrier, turf vendor and tower owner customers. As a result, some of these small businesses have had to close their doors at a time when there is already a shortage of qualified contractors required to ensure that America wins the race to 5G.

“The whiteboard video’s key points are not anecdotal, but are truly representative of the concerns of every one of our more than 500 contractor members in the United States,” said NATE President/CEO Todd Schlekeway.

The video highlights the many problems associated with the current below-market matrix pricing model employed by the industry’s Tier One customers that are not based upon the true material, equipment, and manpower costs, in addition to the ever-increasing administrative and technical needs that professional contractors require to be compensated for to remain sustainable. 

Also, the whiteboard points out the additional costs contractors have to absorb such as free warehousing, long payment terms, burdens associated with the shifting of liability, and not being able to mark up any additional materials.

The video also emphasizes that in an already taxed workforce environment, tower technicians should be compensated for their skill sets and knowledge, and if they aren’t,  they’ll be seeking other professional opportunities.

“This video is designed to educate our member contractors’ top customers of the concerns that should be addressed if we want to remain a vibrant industry capable of keeping America connected. NATE anticipates sharing the video with stakeholders from government agencies and Congress to demonstrate the challenges contractor small businesses are dealing with in our industry that are compromising the nation’s ability to develop the workforce, deploy 5G and close the digital divide. The association remains ready and willing to engage in the constructive dialogue necessary between the wireless carrier, turf vendor and vertical realtor executives and their teams to address the problems that affect the entire wireless industry ecosystem,” Schlekeway said.

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