Welcome to the weekly wrap-up of everything in the world of cell tower companies. We cover top-level industry stories, DAS, and regional/local news. This collection of news spans last week’s shortened holiday week and this week. Good news for tower climbers everywhere is the acceleration of hiring to expand and complete LTE rollout from all the major carriers. Probably due to this increase, NATE have also reported an all-time record number of members. There’s more DAS news popping up lately which is great, and as usual, there’s plenty going on in local and regional markets, including police gathering cell data from tower dumps without a warrant! Read about all of this and more in the links below:
Global/National News
- The hiring of tower crews is accelerating quickly thanks to Sprint and T-Mobile US rolling out more 4G/LTE coverage.Â
- NATE has broken its all-time membership record.
- Wireless capex projected to boost U.S. economy, according to a report from PCIA.
- A new program from the US Department of Defense targets 5,000 vets in wireless tech jobs by 2015.
- CCA supports SBA letter encouraging the FCC to consider CMAs in upcoming auction.
- SafetyOne Director of Training Todd Horning and a class of Tower Climbing Safety & Rescue Certification students were featured in a news segment about safety in the tower industry.Â
- Tower climber Wade has posted a new blog with plenty of helpful links and videos for tower climbers.
- SBA digs deeper into Brazil; picks up more than 2K tower sites from Oi for $645M
- Looking for gift ideas for that special tower climber in your life? GME Supply has some good gift ideas and sales.
DAS & Small Cell News
- A new DAS solution from CommScope has proved itself in the field.
- AT&T increases its gameday mobile internet coverage at University of Florida with DAS.
- Americasmart Atlanta is the world’s largest digitally accessible wholesale marketplace thanks to the completion of DAS.
- Have you heard of CPRI? It promises to be the next step in the evolution of DAS.
- Los Angeles housing development features advanced DAS to ensure reliable cellular connectivity throughout.
- Vision Technologies announces first Public Safety Distributed Antenna System (PSRS) in Arlington, VA.
- Alcatel-Lucent helps mobile operators find cell sites to improve network coverage.
- Alcatel-Lucent demos its lightRadio small cell solution at Small Cells Americas.
Regional/Local News
- The Texas Wireless Association has announced details of its holiday celebrations.
- CommScope shared a success story about how the company helped North Carolina’s public broadband infrastructure increase by 800%.
- A new cell tower is coming to the mountain town of Crestline, California.
- The  Arkansas-Oklahoma Wireless Association has announced details of its Q1 2014 meeting.
- In Albany, Georgia a cell tower victim’s sister speaks on accountability.
- Proposal for Bernardo Mountain, CA cell tower rejected by local officials.
- Tower dumps in South Carolina could give cell data to police.
- Vertical Consultants offer discount to new leases in the Nashville, Tennessee area.
- Stony Point Town Board Responds to New York State Comptroller’s Letter Regarding Cell Tower Revenue.
- Verizon cell tower on Upper Saucon, Pennsylvania property could improve So. Lehigh service.
