Guy Wires Cut on Two Texas Towers, One Comes Down...Two television towers in Wichita Falls, TX were...
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Click here for the online version. This e-mail was created for [email protected] Subscribe • Advertise Monday, December 21, 2020 Volume 8 | Issue 246 AM Owners Selling More Tower Sites UPDATE The warehouse industry is considering AM radio tower sites as their needs expand. Older AMs often have tower sites sited decades ago, before the urban core grew around them. As land for these tower sites grows more valuable than station revenue, some station owners are selling. Inside Radio cites Family Radio as an example. The WFME-FM New York owner recently sold its five-acre-tower site to Prologis for $51 million. The industrial area site is located on the border of New York City boroughs Brooklyn and Queens and will be used by the buyer for parking and storage. Prologis Senior VP Jeremiah Kent told Transport Topics the site is located in one of the most densely populated markets where demand for logistics real estate is high and land is scarce. Continue Reading Guy Wires Cut on Two Texas Towers, One Comes Down Two television towers in Wichita Falls, TX were damaged by vandals, according to local police, bringing one tower down and leaving the other still standing. The perpetrators cut the guy wires to the two television towers early Friday morning, reported KERA-TV, a PBS station that broadcasts from the site. The second site, three miles away from the first, remained standing in the face of 35 mile per hour wind gusts. The tower is used by KFDX-TV, a Fox affiliate. No other collateral damage was reported and no one was injured, according to the Wichita Falls police, who said the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety were aiding in the investigation. No motive was offered by authorities for the destruction although social media sites had theories ranging from simple copper theft to 5G anarchy. Both stations remained on the air as KERA’s main broadcast tower outside of Dallas was unaffected. Coverage of the Wichita Falls area will not be restored for the foreseeable future. Anyone with information on the vandalism is encouraged to contact the Wichita Falls Police Department at 940.761.7792. Smartphone Users Will Upgrade Instead of Repair Smartphone owners in the United States are underestimating the cost and lifespan of repairs. TechRepublic reports that a new study conducted by Allstate Protection Plans published data surrounding smartphone damage and consumer thoughts on repairs and replacements. Conclusions show that 87 million Americans experienced an issue with their device within the last year, and cracked screens ring in as the number one culprit. Forty-seven percent of survey respondents answered they would be embarrassed by a cracked screen, and almost half described a phone in that condition as unprofessional, according to TechRepublic. The frequency at which consumers repair smartphones, as well as the associated cost, were both underestimated in the survey. Respondents estimated 43 percent of device owners had accidents necessitating repair, when the actual statistic is 61 percent. As for cost, respondents underestimated repairs to cost less than $150. “The more accurate bill is $279 for a iPhone 12 screen repair and $249 for a Samsung Galaxy S20 screen repair,” according to TechRepublic. Continue Reading Pallone Welcomes Five New Dems to the Energy and Commerce Committee House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) Friday welcomed five new Democratic members of Congress to the committee. They are: Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Lori Trahan (D-MA). “Our nation faces unprecedented challenges, and I have no doubt these five outstanding members will provide invaluable contributions to the Committee from day one. I look forward to having these five members join us in the 117th Congress,” said Pallone. In the coming months, Pallone said, the committee will push an “aggressive agenda,” to ensure the Biden Administration “has all the resources it needs to crush this pandemic, rebuild and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, and protect people's privacy.” Continue Reading FCC Declines to Overturn Cell Phone Jamming Fine The FCC denied a petition for reconsideration of a forfeiture order against Ravi’s Import Warehouse in Dallas, Texas. The Enforcement Bureau levied a forfeiture penalty of $22,000 against the import warehouse after determining that the company operates a cell phone signal jammer on its premises. The case began in 2017, after the agency received a complaint from AT&T that one of its base stations was receiving interference. The Commission determined the interference was likely coming from Ravi’s Import Warehouse. While speaking with a bureau agent, the company owner admitted to using a signal jammer to prevent employees from using cell phones at work, according to MissionCritical Communications. The owner told the agent the AT&T representative had warned the company about using the device and she threw it out before the bureau spoke to her. Continue Reading December 18, 2020 at Close Verizon Communications to Report Earnings January 26, 2021 Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) will report fourth quarter 2020 earnings on Tuesday, January 26. The company will present results on a webcast beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Access instructions and presentation materials, including Verizon’s earnings news release and financial tables, will be available at 7:00 a.m. on Verizon’s Investor Relations website . Maine Gains Pole Position As Maine moves ahead with plans to implement its broadband strategy, it has had to grapple with the complex issue of utility pole ownership and placement, reports GovTech.com. Maine voters approved the broadband expansion plans last summer, and a recent award of $5.6 million in federal coronavirus relief funds has provided the backing. As the state begins its outreach, it is learning that there is a lot more involved than simply stringing fiber cable further down the line, according to the account. "The pole attachment of fiber has been one large and surprisingly complex barrier to getting fiber built out sooner," said Commissioner Bruce Williamson, of the Public Utilities Commission. "Access to poles, and getting fiber on them, is a costly process." Williamson said that he and his fellow commissioners have been working on the utility pole conundrum since 2015. "When you have a pole-attachment process that is clear and easier and faster," said Nick Battista, chair of the ConnectME Authority and senior policy officer with the Island Institute, "the public subsidy goes further and the work goes faster." Continue Reading Did Someone Call For a Robotaxi? Motional , a driverless technology developer, and Lyft (Nasdaq: LYFT) last week announced plans to launch a multimarket robotaxi service in major U.S. cities, beginning in 2023. Motional’s next generation, fully-driverless vehicles will be integrated, operationalized, and deployed on the Lyft network. The agreement marks the largest robotaxi deployment partnership for a major ridesharing network. It follows a three-year partnership, in which Motional and Lyft operate what they claim to be the world’s longest-standing commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas. The robotaxis are based on a Hyundai vehicle platform, integrated with sensors, computers, and software to enable fully-driverless operation and remote vehicle assistance. Lyft will power the rideshare network and customer experience. The two companies said they will collaborate to ensure seamless integration of the new vehicles onto the Lyft platform, and share responsibility for fleet operations. The services will begin rolling out in 2023, with foundations laid for further expansion across the Lyft network. Launch markets will be announced at a later date. Continue Reading Former MMA Fighter Takes on Towers By Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor Arianne Christiansen is not used to backing down whether she’s faced with climbing a tower or climbing into “the cage” with a ferocious Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) opponent. Currently working for Aircomm as a service technician where she installs two-way radio systems, Christiansen became interested in the field a few years ago when she first met her (now) boyfriend, who is a tower climber. “When he told me what he did for a living, my response was, ‘So wait, you get paid to work on a giant jungle gym all day?’ The more he told me about his work, the more interested I became to pursue something like that for myself. He loved his job, while making a good income. I wanted that,” she told Inside Towers, “I wanted a more fulfilling career. I wanted financial stability, a career that had potential and growth.” Continue Reading Times Microwave Systems Names New General Manager Times Microwave Systems, on Friday announced the appointment of Ben Reed as the company’s new General Manager, effective January 1, 2021. Previously General Manager for Amphenol Fiber Systems International, Reed succeeds Bill Callahan, who has been promoted to the role of Group General Manager of the Amphenol RF Optical and Broadband division. Reed has served in management roles within Amphenol since 2013. Prior to joining Amphenol, he held engineering roles at Northrop Grumman Corporation. He assumes leadership as the company expands into key geographic areas that include Europe, India, and Asia-Pacific. This includes the opening of new manufacturing facilities in India and Estonia, and a Master Distribution Hub in The Netherlands in 2020. Fiber Broadband Association Recognizes Outstanding Broadband Achievements Last week, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) recognized exemplary organizations and individuals with several awards during its 2020 Virtual Fiber Connect event. Awards were based on winners who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the advancement of the fiber broadband industry throughout the past year. 2020 Star Award: United Services Cooperative 2020 Photon Award: Joseph Jones, Executive Vice President, On Trac, Inc 2020 Chairman’s Award Winner: Virginia Walker, Walker and Associates The Chairman’s Award singles out an individual or company that has shown tremendous effort to promote, educate, or accelerate fiber-to-the-home. The Fiber Broadband Association presented the award to Virginia Walker, Former CEO, Walker and Associates which she founded in 1970. Walker was credited with building the business into a multi- million dollar international technology company at a time when women in telecom were not acknowledged or celebrated. She was lauded as having paved the way for women in business and technology to succeed, pursue leadership roles, and push gender-based boundaries. Continue Reading The Great State Wireless Association Last Minute Charity Gift List Wondering what to get for your favorite State Wireless Association (SWAP) at the last minute? The groups you’ve relied on over the years to provide you with networking opportunities, golf outings, clay shoots, mixers, conferences ....all conveniently convened in your own state...have had a tough year. Worst of all, their charities have suffered because of it. Here’s your chance to give those SWAPs and their beloved benefactors one last boost of support for their charities. Continue Reading Click on the image above to access the link featured in the tweet A 124” monopole for T-Mobile with RADS for 4 additional carriers at the Stringfellow VDOT lot in Centerville VA. Contributed by Glenn Rosenbluth. Email your tower shots or upload them here . Please be sure to include the tower location. Remember to follow us on Instagram ! Managing Editor: J im Fryer Washington Bureau Chief: Leslie Stimson Business Editor: John Celentano Reporter: Keara M. Piekanski Marketing & Advertising: Megan Reed Creative & Advertising: Cara Aston Advertising: Phil Cook Keep current throughout the day. You're receiving this email at [email protected] because you subscribed to Inside Towers newsletter at www.InsideTowers.com . Inside Towers | 149 S. Roscoe Blvd. Ponte Vedra, FL 32082 © 2020 Inside Towers, All rights reserved. Unsubscribe [email protected] from this list.
Transcript of Guy Wires Cut on Two Texas Towers, One Comes Down...Two television towers in Wichita Falls, TX were...
Click here for the online version. This e-mail was created for [email protected]
Subscribe • Advertise Monday, December 21, 2020Volume 8 | Issue 246
AM Owners Selling More Tower SitesUPDATE The warehouse industry is considering AM radio tower sites as their needs expand. Older AMs often havetower sites sited decades ago, before the urban core grew around them. As land for these tower sites grows morevaluable than station revenue, some station owners are selling. Inside Radio cites Family Radio as an example. The WFME-FM New York owner recently sold its five-acre-tower siteto Prologis for $51 million. The industrial area site is located on the border of New York City boroughs Brooklyn andQueens and will be used by the buyer for parking and storage. Prologis Senior VP Jeremiah Kent told Transport Topics the site is located in one of the most densely populatedmarkets where demand for logistics real estate is high and land is scarce. Continue Reading
Guy Wires Cut on Two Texas Towers, One Comes Down
Two television towers in Wichita Falls, TX were damaged by vandals, according to local police, bringing one towerdown and leaving the other still standing. The perpetrators cut the guy wires to the two television towers early Fridaymorning, reported KERA-TV, a PBS station that broadcasts from the site. The second site, three miles away from thefirst, remained standing in the face of 35 mile per hour wind gusts. The tower is used by KFDX-TV, a Fox affiliate.
No other collateral damage was reported and no one was injured, according to the Wichita Falls police, who said theFBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety were aiding in the investigation. No motive was offered by authoritiesfor the destruction although social media sites had theories ranging from simple copper theft to 5G anarchy.
Both stations remained on the air as KERA’s main broadcast tower outside of Dallas was unaffected. Coverage of theWichita Falls area will not be restored for the foreseeable future.
Anyone with information on the vandalism is encouraged to contact the Wichita Falls Police Department at940.761.7792. Smartphone Users Will Upgrade Instead of RepairSmartphone owners in the United States are underestimating the cost and lifespan of repairs. TechRepublic reportsthat a new study conducted by Allstate Protection Plans published data surrounding smartphone damage andconsumer thoughts on repairs and replacements.
Conclusions show that 87 million Americans experienced an issue with their device within the last year, and crackedscreens ring in as the number one culprit. Forty-seven percent of survey respondents answered they would beembarrassed by a cracked screen, and almost half described a phone in that condition as unprofessional, accordingto TechRepublic.
The frequency at which consumers repair smartphones, as well as the associated cost, were both underestimated inthe survey. Respondents estimated 43 percent of device owners had accidents necessitating repair, when the actualstatistic is 61 percent. As for cost, respondents underestimated repairs to cost less than $150. “The more accurate billis $279 for a iPhone 12 screen repair and $249 for a Samsung Galaxy S20 screen repair,” according toTechRepublic. Continue Reading
Pallone Welcomes Five New Dems to the Energy and Commerce CommitteeHouse Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) Friday welcomed five new Democratic membersof Congress to the committee. They are: Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Kathleen Rice(D-NY), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Lori Trahan (D-MA).
“Our nation faces unprecedented challenges, and I have no doubt these five outstanding members will provideinvaluable contributions to the Committee from day one. I look forward to having these five members join us in the117th Congress,” said Pallone. In the coming months, Pallone said, the committee will push an “aggressive agenda,”to ensure the Biden Administration “has all the resources it needs to crush this pandemic, rebuild and modernize ournation’s infrastructure, and protect people's privacy.” Continue Reading
FCC Declines to Overturn Cell Phone Jamming FineThe FCC denied a petition for reconsideration of a forfeiture order against Ravi’s Import Warehouse in Dallas, Texas.The Enforcement Bureau levied a forfeiture penalty of $22,000 against the import warehouse after determining thatthe company operates a cell phone signal jammer on its premises.
The case began in 2017, after the agency received a complaint from AT&T that one of its base stations was receivinginterference. The Commission determined the interference was likely coming from Ravi’s Import Warehouse. Whilespeaking with a bureau agent, the company owner admitted to using a signal jammer to prevent employees fromusing cell phones at work, according to MissionCritical Communications. The owner told the agent the AT&Trepresentative had warned the company about using the device and she threw it out before the bureau spoke to her.Continue Reading
December 18, 2020 at Close
Verizon Communications to Report Earnings January 26, 2021
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) will report fourth quarter 2020 earningson Tuesday, January 26.
The company will present results on a webcast beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Access instructions andpresentation materials, including Verizon’s earnings news release and financial tables, will be available at 7:00 a.m.on Verizon’s Investor Relations website.
Maine Gains Pole Position As Maine moves ahead with plans to implement its broadband strategy, it has had to grapple with the complex issueof utility pole ownership and placement, reports GovTech.com. Maine voters approved the broadband expansionplans last summer, and a recent award of $5.6 million in federal coronavirus relief funds has provided the backing. Asthe state begins its outreach, it is learning that there is a lot more involved than simply stringing fiber cable furtherdown the line, according to the account.
"The pole attachment of fiber has been one large and surprisingly complex barrier to getting fiber built out sooner,"said Commissioner Bruce Williamson, of the Public Utilities Commission. "Access to poles, and getting fiber on them,is a costly process."
Williamson said that he and his fellow commissioners have been working on the utility pole conundrum since 2015."When you have a pole-attachment process that is clear and easier and faster," said Nick Battista, chair of theConnectME Authority and senior policy officer with the Island Institute, "the public subsidy goes further and the workgoes faster." Continue Reading
Did Someone Call For a Robotaxi?Motional, a driverless technology developer, and Lyft (Nasdaq: LYFT) last weekannounced plans to launch a multimarket robotaxi service in major U.S. cities,beginning in 2023. Motional’s next generation, fully-driverless vehicles will beintegrated, operationalized, and deployed on the Lyft network. The agreementmarks the largest robotaxi deployment partnership for a major ridesharing network.It follows a three-year partnership, in which Motional and Lyft operate what they
claim to be the world’s longest-standing commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas.
The robotaxis are based on a Hyundai vehicle platform, integrated with sensors, computers, and software to enablefully-driverless operation and remote vehicle assistance. Lyft will power the rideshare network and customerexperience. The two companies said they will collaborate to ensure seamless integration of the new vehicles onto theLyft platform, and share responsibility for fleet operations. The services will begin rolling out in 2023, with foundationslaid for further expansion across the Lyft network. Launch markets will be announced at a later date. ContinueReading
Former MMA Fighter Takes on TowersBy Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor
Arianne Christiansen is not used to backing down whether she’s faced with climbing a tower or climbing into “thecage” with a ferocious Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) opponent. Currently working for Aircomm as a service technicianwhere she installs two-way radio systems, Christiansen became interested in the field a few years ago when she firstmet her (now) boyfriend, who is a tower climber.
“When he told me what he did for a living, my response was, ‘So wait, you get paid to work on a giant jungle gym allday?’ The more he told me about his work, the more interested I became to pursue something like that for myself. Heloved his job, while making a good income. I wanted that,” she told Inside Towers, “I wanted a more fulfilling career. Iwanted financial stability, a career that had potential and growth.” Continue Reading
Times Microwave Systems Names New General ManagerTimes Microwave Systems, on Friday announced the appointment of Ben Reed as thecompany’s new General Manager, effective January 1, 2021. Previously General Manager forAmphenol Fiber Systems International, Reed succeeds Bill Callahan, who has beenpromoted to the role of Group General Manager of the Amphenol RF Optical and Broadbanddivision.
Reed has served in management roles within Amphenol since 2013. Prior to joiningAmphenol, he held engineering roles at Northrop Grumman Corporation. He assumesleadership as the company expands into key geographic areas that include Europe, India,
and Asia-Pacific. This includes the opening of new manufacturing facilities in India and Estonia, and a MasterDistribution Hub in The Netherlands in 2020.
Fiber Broadband Association Recognizes Outstanding Broadband Achievements Last week, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) recognized exemplary organizationsand individuals with several awards during its 2020 Virtual Fiber Connect event. Awardswere based on winners who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to theadvancement of the fiber broadband industry throughout the past year.
2020 Star Award: United Services Cooperative2020 Photon Award: Joseph Jones, Executive Vice President, On Trac, Inc2020 Chairman’s Award Winner: Virginia Walker, Walker and Associates
The Chairman’s Award singles out an individual or company that has shown tremendous effort to promote, educate,or accelerate fiber-to-the-home. The Fiber Broadband Association presented the award to Virginia Walker, FormerCEO, Walker and Associates which she founded in 1970. Walker was credited with building the business into a multi-million dollar international technology company at a time when women in telecom were not acknowledged orcelebrated. She was lauded as having paved the way for women in business and technology to succeed, pursueleadership roles, and push gender-based boundaries. Continue Reading
The Great State Wireless Association Last Minute Charity Gift ListWondering what to get for your favorite State Wireless Association (SWAP)at the last minute? The groups you’ve relied on over the years to provideyou with networking opportunities, golf outings, clay shoots, mixers,conferences ....all conveniently convened in your own state...have had atough year. Worst of all, their charities have suffered because of it. Here’syour chance to give those SWAPs and their beloved benefactors one last
boost of support for their charities. Continue Reading
Click on the image above to access the link featured in the tweet
A 124” monopole for T-Mobile with RADS for 4 additional carriers at the Stringfellow VDOT lot in Centerville VA.Contributed by Glenn Rosenbluth.
Email your tower shots or upload them here. Please be sure to include the tower location.Remember to follow us on Instagram!
Managing Editor: Jim FryerWashington Bureau Chief: Leslie Stimson
Business Editor: John CelentanoReporter: Keara M. Piekanski
Marketing & Advertising: Megan Reed Creative & Advertising: Cara Aston
Advertising: Phil Cook
Keep current throughout the day.
You're receiving this email at [email protected] because you subscribed to Inside Towers newsletter atwww.InsideTowers.com.
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