Click here for the online version. This e-mail was created for cara@insidetowers.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 Volume 6 | Issue 61

AT&T Launches Evolved FirstNet Packet Core Network

AT&T unveiled the core network for FirstNet yesterday. The timing coincides with the one-year anniversary of being awarded the contract from Congress for the public-privatepartnership to build and maintain the nationwide mobile broadband first responder network.

“We’re proud of the quick progress we’ve made in this short timeframe, consistently delivering on or ahead ofschedule,” said AT&T SVP FirstNet Chris Sambar in the announcement.

The carrier has already given first responders early access to the FirstNet capabilities, Inside Towers reported. Thelaunch of what AT&T is calling its evolved packet core is built on separate network hardware than the carrier’s otherbusiness and consumer network. The core, only available to FirstNet subscribers, processes and carries vital data forthe public safety network. It was built to the standard provided by the First Responder Network Authority. AT&T says itput “hundreds of millions of dollars” into building the core network since early last year. Continue Reading

The Wireless Industry is Keeping D.C. Busy

Former senator Tom Daschle kicked off the South Wireless Summit sessions byexplaining the three policy areas that need attention to fulfill the industry’saspirations and potential. These are, modernizing the regulatory framework at alllevels of government, making a commitment to infrastructure and focusing on theworkforce. Jonathan Adelstein, CEO and president of the Wireless InfrastructureAssociation, reiterated his former boss’ points with a detailed look into the wirelessendeavors happening in Washington.

The omnibus appropriations bill that passed last week was a ‘breakthrough’ andincluded important items “we’ve been working on for a long time,” Adelstein said.Provisions of the Mobile Now Act that reduce regulatory obstacles to networkbuildout, the Sandy Act, which improves response time to restoring wireless,broadband and telecom services during crisis, and $600M in federal fundingdedicated to rural broadband deployment, were all part of the jam-packed bill.

Congress is keeping busy with wireless via the Thune-Schatz bill, the SPEED Act and net neutrality reaction. The

WIA also went to work against an FAA reauthorization bill, saving the wireless industry $250 million. The bill requiredall 50-200 foot communications towers in rural areas be lit and marked. Continue Reading Verizon to Reveal Public Safety Private Network CoreVerizon says its public safety private core will be “generally” available tomorrow. Verizon made its announcement onthe same day as AT&T regarding the FirstNet core (see top story).

Verizon’s dedicated private core is at the center of expanded products and services designed to enhance the carrier’s4G LTE public safety network. Verizon says it offers public safety customers preemption and mobile broadbandpriority service at no additional charge.

Like AT&T’s core network for FirstNet, Verizon also separates data traffic of public safety mobile users fromcommercial users. Public safety user data will be immediately recognized as public safety with priority access at thetower and through the network. Mobile Broadband Priority Service users can send data using applications onsmartphones or tablets, or transmit data from first responder vehicles or video from surveillance cameras.

The Verizon public safety private core is connected to Verizon’s Radio Access Network (RAN) that uses spectrum invarious bands, including the 700 MHz, 800 MHz Cellular, 1.9 GHz PCS, and 1.7/2.1 GHz AWS bands.

Kentucky Wired Fiber Optic Project DefundedIn 2015, The Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) and its board created the KentuckyWirednetwork, the state's open-access broadband network project that would give the Bluegrass State high-capacityinternet service connections. Historically ranking 47th in broadband speeds and capacity, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogersbelieved the new fiber-optic broadband infrastructure would create a, “Super I-Way” of information technology jobs,transforming Kentucky into “silicon holler,” attracting new businesses, and promoting economic development in theonce-booming coal industry counties.

The KCNA planned a public-private partnership with Macquarie Capital, an Australian-based venture capital firm, tohelp in building, operating, and maintaining the 3,000-mile cable infrastructure. After the project was finished, theKCNA planned to lease the high-speed services to companies that would sell broadband access to residential homesand businesses in all 120 counties in Kentucky.

The border-to-border fiber communication project was supposed to be finished by the fall of 2016, but due to a seriesof delays that have cost Kentucky taxpayers over $8 million dollars in unforeseen expenditures, the Kentucky Senatehas voted to end the project. Continue Reading

IEEE to Focus on 5G, ATSC at NAB 2018The IEEE Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) Hosts the “IEEE-BTS Symposium” Technical Sessions at NAB as partof the 2018 Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology Conference (BEITC) at the Las Vegas conventioncenter. The IEEE BTS is hosting two sessions on Saturday, April 7.

Session one, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Pacific, keys in on 5G. Dr. Athul Prasad, Senior Specialist, Radio Research atNokia Bell Labs and BTS member, will discuss the current status of 5G in terms of features, standards evolution andpotential deployments. Finding new markets for wireless networks and using 5G for public safety will be covered aswell. Continue Reading

March 27, 2018 at Close

MVP Talks M&AClayton Funk and Jason Nicolay of MVP Capital led the Mergers &Acquisitions panel yesterday at the South Wireless Summit. They reviewedsome of the trends they've witnessed in the past year and discussed what theyanticipate for the future.

Funk said the data shows spending from all of the carriers is at an all-timehigh, which is a positive for the tower industry. "Our industry is only as healthyas the carriers," he noted. Short term, MVP anticipates carrier spending to

continue and perhaps even increase. Longer term, it's hard to estimate, since 5G spending and rollout timing is up inthe air.

Carriers continue to experience compressing margins, so reducing tower rents will be a priority, although, currently,only two of the big four are focusing on that and protecting against future rent increases.

What about the effect of interest rates? The Fed raised rates three times in 2017, and while federal officials indicatethere may be more interest rate hikes this year, MVP reports they have not seen "any material effect on towervaluations." Continue Reading FCC Changes: Small Cells, EAs and Tribes, Oh My!UPDATE Marvin Webster of the Environmental Corporation of America, Woo Lim of Terracon and Doug Butler ofTrileaf, discussed the implications of the FCC’s recent amendments to its rules and procedures regarding smallwireless facilities, environmental assessments and tribal consultation during South Wireless Summit's RegulatoryUpdate panel.

The FCC found that categorically subjecting small cells to NEPA/NHPA review is counter to the public interest. Itdecided that the deployment of small wireless facilities does not constitute a federal undertaking within the meaningof NHPA or a major federal action under NEPA. Webster pointed out that small wireless facilities as specificallydefined, are not NEPA and NHPA excluded. “They are simply no longer subject to either statute, provided that specificcriteria are met.” There are several characteristics that exempt small wireless facilities from review. For example,

the facilities must be mounted on structures 50 feet or less in height including their antennas or;the facilities must be mounted on structures no more than 10 percent taller than other adjacent structures or;the facilities must not extend existing structures on which they are located by 10 percent. Continue Reading

WyomingEnvironmental Group Files Lawsuit Against Grand Teton Over Proposed TowersThe Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) group filed a federal lawsuit with Grand TetonNational Park for preventing the public from learning about tentative plans to install wireless network infrastructure,reported the Casper Star Tribune.

According to Jeff Ruch, PEER executive director, there’s been a pattern of national parks such as Yosemite andGreat Smoky Mountains allowing new towers with little or no public notice. PEER obtained a document with theGrand Teton plans through the Freedom of Information Act. Continue Reading

CanadaTowerOne Buys ProCellTower One Wireless Corp (CSE:TO) (OTCQB:TOWTF) has entered into an agreement to acquire a 100 percentinterest in Process Cellular Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary.

ProCell has been operating out of Southern California for over 20 years as a general contractor that specializes in thetelecommunications industry and structural engineering/design. ProCell is also an approved contractor for AmericanTower and Crown Castle.

The acquisition gives Tower One subsidiary Tower Construction and Technical Services Inc., significant exposure tothe California and Arizona markets with current clients such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, as well as 2017revenues of over $17 million.

Tower One CEO Alejandro Ochoa says the deal will allow economies of scale in the services business. It will alsoallow the combined entity to consolidate insurance and other expenses to save money. “Cross-servicing in additionalmarkets will allow the combined entity to service clients in California, Texas, Florida and Arizona,” states Ochoa.

LouisianaShreveport Discusses How It Wants Its InfrastructureSmall cells, 5G and macro towers were all up for discussion during Monday’s meeting of the Shreveport CityCouncil's Infrastructure Committee, according to the Vermillion. The committee discussed a new ordinance thatwould regulate the structures and give providers a guideline as to what needs to be done and what permits areneeded prior to construction. An ordinance will be up for a vote in six weeks.

"Today's discussion is about how the City of Shreveport regulates what's going into our neighborhoods," ShreveportCity Attorney, William Bradford told the Vermillion. "How do we regulate what goes into our public right-of-ways? Andhow do we make sure that those pieces of infrastructure that are deployed by the industry are congruent with theaesthetics of the City of Shreveport and continue to make our city beautiful?"

The city is working with big communications companies like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Metro PCS to fine tune theTelecommunications Ordinance according to a city official.

Repack Sparks New Antenna Technology From RFSAntenna and RF system designer and manufacturer Radio Frequency Systems is helping U.S. broadcasters futureproof their transmission system as part of the spectrum repack, and ahead of ATSC 3.0 standards, with its patentedVariable Polarization Technology (VPT).

With VPT, the ratio of vertical to horizontal polarization can be changed after the antenna has been installed. It’s nolonger hardwired into the design and doesn’t need to be the same for all broadcasters transmitting with the sameantenna. That means they don’t need to lock themselves into the restrictions of a fixed polarization system iftransmission requirements change, according to RFS. Continue Reading

The inaugural spring showcase will run in Inside Towers the weeks of May 13 and May 20. We will be spotlighting asegment of the industry each day. The timing is ideal, as it is right before and during the WIA’s Connect X show. Thisis a great opportunity to reach OUR audience, leaders in the telecom industry, with YOUR latest products andservices.

Only ONE company or product per segment will be featured, so this is an exclusive opportunity. At the end of theshowcase, a beautiful PDF booklet of the features will be highlighted in our newsletter, on our website and blasted outover social media. It can also be shared with your customers. Categories being offered are:

First Come, First Served.

Take advantage of this special opportunity to join the Inside Towers team.Inside Towers has over 8,400 subscribers and over 15,000 social mediafollowers. In the last two years, our newsletter clicks have increased 301% andour web page views have increased 230%. To keep up with it all, we areseeking a Director of Advertising. Unlimited income potential. Location isflexible as the job can be handled remotely. For more details on the position,please email us. The candidate should possess the following attributes:

At least 2-3 years of sales experience, preferably digitalKnowledge of wireless infrastructure and financial services is a plusCommunications or business degree is preferredEffective communicator and presenter, written and verbalSelf-motivated and proactive professional with proven track record of resultsHard-working, trustworthy individual with positive attitude

_________________________________________________________

Feature your job listing in our newsletter and on our website.

A tower on Naabi Hill overlooking the Serengeti in Tanzania contributed by Corey Anderson.

Email your tower shots or upload them here. Please be sure to include the tower location.Remember to follow us on Instagram!

Keep current throughout the day.

INSIDE TOWERS TOWER-PRO.COM

Managing Editor: Jim FryerWashington Bureau Chief: Leslie StimsonWriters: Cara Peer & Keara M. Piekanski

Marketing: Megan Reed Creative: Cara Aston Advertising & Classifieds: Phil Cook | Mike Dryden

You're receiving this email at cara@insidetowers.com because you subscribed to Inside Towers newsletter atwww.InsideTowers.com.

Inside Towers | 149 S. Roscoe Blvd. Ponte Vedra, FL 32082 © 2018 Inside Towers, All rights reserved.

Unsubscribe cara@insidetowers.com from this list. Update My Preferences