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| Sonoma County’s SoCo Alert System Blasted |
Firefighters in California now believe they have turned the tide in containing the Thomas fire, which has burned for two weeks. The wildfire broke out December 4, near Santa Paula and has now blackened 270,500 acres, making it the third largest in California history, reported Noozhawk.
But earlier fires in Sonoma County in October still cause officials concern. The emergency alert system, SoCo Alert, failed to connect with 54 percent of telephone numbers in the government database, reported The Press Democrat. That means over half of the alert messaging didn’t get through to the public, with many people’s first warning coming from neighbors.
According to Chris Helgren, the county’s emergency services manager, the system was hindered by damaged cell phone towers and burned utility lines. “During disasters, it’s not uncommon to have lower success rates,” he said. “You’re not going to have the same kind of numbers you would when the system is whole.” Continue Reading |
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California
Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners Making Towers Seaworthy |
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Long Beach is considering a project to raise telecommunication lines and towers along the Inner Harbor to ensure they do not interfere with passing cargo ships, reported the Long Beach Post. If approved, telecommunication and transmission towers and lines that cross the Cerritos Channel will be replaced with new towers that raise the lines from 155 feet to at least 205 feet. This project coupled with the Gerald Desmond Bridge Project will allow large ships to safely pass through the channel moving forward.
Southern California Edison will present the telecommunications project to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. They will have to take into account the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA), which requires public agencies to consider the potential environmental impacts of proposed development projects. The Port of Long Beach must also comply with the National Environmental Policy Act for projects with federal funding or federally issued permits, reported the Long Beach Post.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners will decide the proposal’s fate during a public hearing this week. |
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| Verizon Seeks Lower Tower Lease Costs With WOW Deal |
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 Verizon Communications completed its $225 million all-cash purchase of Chicago fiber-optic network assets from WideOpenWest. Under a deal with Verizon, WOW will finish the network build-out for about $50 million, payable as the remaining network elements are completed. Completion is estimated in the second half of 2018.
The carrier said the transaction secures fiber to more than 500 macro cell wireless sites and more than 500 small cell sites in the Chicago area. The high-capacity fiber network is designed to support multi-use services and already connects Verizon Wireless macro towers and small cells, reducing future leasing costs.
The transaction is part of Verizon’s effort to scale and accelerate deployment of next-gen broadband services. "The completion of this acquisition will help expedite our network densification with fiber and small cells, enhancing our industry-leading 4G LTE network and laying the groundwork for 5G," said Nicola Palmer, Chief Engineer and Head of Wireless Networks, Verizon. Continue Reading |
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December 18, 2017 at Close
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| Crown Castle Declares Quarterly Preferred Stock Dividend |
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 Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE:CCI) announced last Friday the quarterly dividend on its 6.875 percent Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock will be paid February 1, 2018, to holders of record on January 15, 2018. The dividend will be paid in cash at a rate of $17.1875 per share of Preferred Stock. |
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Maine
Amateur Tower Proposal Creates a Special Case in Zoning |
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The national debate about local versus federal jurisdiction on telecommunication matters has reached even the residents of rural Maine. A proposal to erect a 120 foot tower is currently under review by the Brunswick town council and lawyers are lining up on both sides of the issue, reported the Forecaster. Local restrictions limit the structure's height to 40 feet, making the 120 foot request well in excess of what residents have formerly approved.
Petitioner Joseph Fallon, who has begun plans to build a home in the community, is seeking approval for the tower under a federal law that allows for reasonable accommodation to supercede town ordinances. Established precedents frequently support requests that are viewed as reasonable. In this case, the proposed structure is for amateur operators, rather than corporate entities. Continue Reading |
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Florida
Flagler County Greenlights Five New Towers Amid Health Concerns |
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Five new cell towers have been approved for construction in Flagler County, including one in Palm Coast, to serve as the backbone for a revamp of the county’s emergency communications system, reported Flaglerlive.com. The Flagler County Commission gave the “go ahead” at a December 4 meeting.
Flagler County Planning Director Adam Mengel said, “These sites in concert are going to be part of that public safety agency telecommunication system that we have and that’s coming on line. It will give us better signal strength, better penetration, critical communication for our public safety workers on a daily basis,” as well as for first responders in an emergency, he said. Continue Reading
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WI, SD Choose FirstNet, AT&T |
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Wisconsin and South Dakota signed on for the buildout of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) along with public-private partner AT&T, the carrier announced. AT&T in conjunction with the First Responder Network Authority will build, operate and maintain a highly secure wireless broadband communications network for the states’ public safety community at no cost to the states.
“Clear and reliable communication is essential for first responders to do their jobs effectively. This new partnership provides crucial, secure, and robust broadband access to our first responders and public safety personnel to help them save lives when every second counts,” said Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Continue Reading |
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Australia
Brushfire Risk Down Under Calls For Emergency Tower Power |
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Soaring temperatures in South Australia have led to renewed calls for telecommunication providers nationwide to install extra backup power for phone towers in areas at risk of bushfires, according to ABC News.
Strong winds and temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius led South Australia's Country Fire Service to issue severe and extreme fire danger warnings for many parts of the state last Tuesday and Wednesday. Satellite imagery showing almost 100 percent of grassland across SA is now dried out and at its most flammable level, ABC reported.
The high risk of fires prompted Susanne Koen from Mylor in the Adelaide Hills to call on telecommunications companies to guarantee a minimum of 24 hours of emergency power for phone towers, so residents could receive warnings.
"It is a bit frustrating, we are on another total fire ban day and conditions are not good and everyone is on edge," she told ABC. "Communications are vital, not just with one another, but it is also essential in receiving messages." |
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A Holiday message from our friends at Infinigy:
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Tower Included in WJIW Sale |
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Educational Media Foundation (EMF) of Rocklin, CA, closed on its purchase of WJIW-FM in Greenville, MS from Mondy-Burke Broadcasting, also in Greenville. The price for the radio portion of the transaction was $500,000 cash, which includes the 650-ft. tower for the C2 Class FM.
EMF operates with a waiver of the main studio rule, and did not need to purchase the office/studio building (also owned by Mondy-Burke). Arkansas real estate company Sunland Rentals paid $150,000 for those, according to Bill Cate of Media Services Group, who brokered the deal. Larry Fuss-owned Delta Radio Group occupies most of the studio building space and will remain the sole building tenant. |
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ISP Association (WISPA) Names National Spectrum Adviser |
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The WISPA Board of Directors announced that Richard Bernhardt has accepted the position of National Spectrum Adviser. Bernhardt will be WISPA’s point-person on spectrum related matters, including the latest issues surrounding CBRS.
Prior to accepting this position, Bernhardt was WISPA’s National Spectrum Adviser in a contractor capacity, helping to shape and drive WISPA’s spectrum policy initiatives. He’s been involved with WISPA since 2010, currently serves on WISPA’s FCC and Legislative Committees, and is a past recipient of the WISPA President’s Award. |
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CommScope
First Ultra-Wideband, 4x4 MIMO Antenna for 1400 MHz – 2700 MHz Range |
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 The drive toward the next generation of wireless technology is playing out in the infrastructure market with new features and capabilities being introduced in key radio access network equipment.
CommScope, a supplier of network infrastructure solutions, has developed a base station antenna that they call “the first antenna on the market to cover 1400-2700 MHz, the broadest frequency band range available.” The antenna also supports 4x4 Multiple Input/Multiple Output (MIMO), a critical 5G-enabling technology for increasing network capacity, in all frequency bands. Continue Reading |
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 Recent Releases
Latest posting from the FCC 12/18/17
Click Here |
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 New Year, Same Great Newsletter
 We are thrilled to ring in the new year with our incredible readers and advertisers. 2017 will be hard to beat, but let’s see what 2018 has in store. We finalized our 2018 media kit. Take a look and let’s collaborate. Rates have increased, so be sure to reach out to your sales rep today and lock in 2017 rates, before it’s too late. |
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 APC Towers - Positions Open
 Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, APC Towers is a privately held owner, operator and developer of wireless communications infrastructure throughout the United States. APC Towers collaborates with wireless carriers to provide solutions to extend their coverage and capacity, ultimately enhancing their wireless networks. They are currently looking to hire for the following positions, click for more info:
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Glendo, Wyoming 480’ guyed tower contributed by Jake Pope @jake_pope816 via Instagram.
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