Welcome to this week’s edition of cell tower industry news, created by Jarad Matula and brought to you by Towercrews.net. Tower companies and carriers are certainly getting their day in court lately. Last week it was a federal court debating police use of cell tower data and the Supreme Court determining whether smartphones are considered personal computers. This week the Supreme Court announced that when it reconvenes in October, one of the first items on the agenda will be a T-Mobile US cell tower case. The story goes like this: a T-Mobile US subsidiary was blocked from erecting a 108-foot tower in Roswell, Ga. The town voted against the tower, but T-Mobile US claims that officials never gave an official written explanation of why they said no. The city claims that by providing notice that they said no, along with meeting minutes that include their deliberation, Roswell met the requirement. Courts on various levels have disagreed about who was in the right and now it has reached the highest court in the land. Not sure if it has huge impact on the eventual court decision, but PCIA announced that it stands with T-Mobile US on the matter. So how could this court decision impact the entire tower industry? Well, if the court sides with T-Mobile US, it could expedite approvals for new towers, since towns that just want to say no without a legal reason would no longer be able to do so. If the court sides with the city of Roswell, expect that the march of progress in communications could grind to a snail’s pace since it will likely mean cities get a free pass to reject towers at will with very little explanation. Either way, this has long-lasting, far-reaching implications. You can be sure we’ll have full details later this year as this develops.
Tornadoes take out towers This next bit of news is a little older, but still worth mentioning. The lethal tornadoes that have swept across Arkansas and taken dozens of lives (our thoughts go out to those families affected by this disaster) have also destroyed two sizable cell towers. The first was a 300-foot guyed tower in Vilonia owned by American Tower. The tower suffered what was called a direct hit, with officials claiming they even found a kitchen sink next to it. Damage was so extensive that American Tower’s crews will have to tear down the entire tower and start again, perhaps even constructing a new foundation. Tower tenants included AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile US, Sprint and an Internet service provider. The second tower was in Mayflower and was 250-feet tall, but was not affected as badly. This tower included Leap Wireless (now owned by AT&T), AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless. That tower was also owned by American Tower. WesTower Communications is helping with restoration at both sites, with temporary towers set up to provide coverage the day after collapse.
Crown Castle results One of the largest tower leasing companies in the country, Crown Castle, reported its first quarter of 2014 financials and unsurprisingly, they were very good. Two of the main reasons for this success are the increase in rental revenues from the four major carriers by 21%, as well as densification of tenants on existing towers. Another reason the financials look so good this time around is because this is the first time the huge AT&T deal for over 9,000 towers from last year has been included. For those interested in seeing the financials in painstaking detail that probably requires reading glasses, click here.
Quick tidbits: Tower safety training company Safety One Training has been busy on its blog. Check out its video on rope access and its thoughtful post on safety and accountability. The University of Houston got a new Wi-Fi and DAS network installed thanks to Boingo. NATE now has downloadable safety posters available on its website. Feel free to print them out and use them at your tower site. CommScope pointed out the trick question in AT&T’s clever DAS-related commercial.
Regional/Local Cell Tower News
- Rural town of Kraemer, La., finally gets a cell tower from AT&T
- A new cell tower ordinance in Juneau, Alaska, hopes to balance industry and community with smaller antennas
- 150-foot cell tower possible at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Shelton, Conn., Planning and Zoning Commission chairman says proposed AT&T towers are “literally littering our landscapes”
- Cell tower policy debate heats up in Longboat Key, Fla.
- Cell tower proposed for Forks Township, Pa., Community Park
- Planning Commission tables new cell tower in Kimball, Neb.
- Proposed Verizon cell tower upsets residents in Whitfield County, Ga.
- Council approves cell tower at Hilton Head Plantation in South Carolina.
- Mount Airy, N.C., eases cell tower rules despite objections
- Easton, Conn., residents insist on DAS to improve coverage instead of new 150-foot tower
