BROWSING: Towers

Tower companies stress service even as they fatten portfolios

If it seems like the tower industry has been taken over by giants, consider that first and foremost, towers are real estate. Thus, the game is not necessarily played according to volume. Rather, the value of any given tower depends in large part on...

T-Mobile reaches 7,000th hotspot with Sofitel deal

BELLEVUE, Wash.—Sofitel hotels will be joining the ranks of businesses that offer T-Mobile USA Inc.’s Wi-Fi hotspots. Softitel, a brand of European Accor hotels, has 10 locations in the U.S. and 200 properties worldwide. T-Mobile USA will provide all of the U.S. hotels with...

Pegasus scores $20M in JV to develop tower sites

RICHLANDS, Va.—Pegasus Tower Co. Ltd., which develops and manages wireless towers, said it raised $20 million in equity financing as part of a joint venture with two investment firms. Peppertree Capital Fund L.P. and Primus Capital Fund V will fund the joint venture, while...

Global Tower goes West with Chinook, Crown Castle refinances

Global Tower Partners expanded its footprint in the Western United States with an agreement to buy 78 towers from Chinook Wireless Communications, a carrier holding 1900 MHz licenses in eight basic trading areas covering more than 1 million people across Montana and part of...

Global Tower Partners goes West with Chinook purchase

BOCA RATON, Fla.—Global Tower Partners expanded its footprint in the Western United States with an agreement to buy 78 towers from Chinook Wireless Communications, a carrier holding 1900 MHz licenses in eight basic trading areas covering more than 1 million people across Montana and...

AMT says it will defend against stock-option lawsuits

BOSTON—American Tower Corp. says it intends to "vigorously defend" its stock-option granting practices in the face of two lawsuits filed just days after the company received a subpoena from a New York district attorney. AMT said a securities class action lawsuit was filed against...

Infrastructure vendors, tower companies see little impact from auction delay

The Federal Communications Commission's decision to delay the auction of spectrum licenses it the 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz bands until Aug. 9 isn't expected to have a big impact on equipment vendors as most have been working with carriers for many months to...

Tower startup attracts $30M in financing

LOMABARD, Ill.-Startup tower company Central States Tower Holdings L.L.C. said it picked up $30 million during its first round of equity financing through Sweetwater Capital and Merchants Capital Partners L.P. The company says it plans to use the funds to develop 150 towers in...

Carriers prepare for hurricane season

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma wreaked havoc along the Gulf Coast and in Florida last year, and the U.S. is facing another above-average hurricane season. Cellular carriers claim that they are ready for the storm season, which starts June 1 and is expected to...

AirCell affiliate pays $31M for ATG spectrum

WASHINGTON-With a $31.3 million offer, AC BidCo L.L.C., an affiliate of AirCell Inc., looks to be the winner of a 3-megahertz license to offer air-to-ground services in the 800 MHz band. Bidding continues between Space Data Spectrum Holdings L.L.C. and JetBlue's LiveTV L.L.C. for...

Carrier cat fight over best network

Cingular Wireless L.L.C. stirred up some controversy when it rolled out a new advertising campaign claiming that it has the least number of dropped calls on its network, claims that have led to a lawsuit. Sprint Nextel Corp. challenged Cingular's claim with the usual...

Wireless snared in stock-option net

The nationwide investigation into executive stock-option grants seems to be widening daily. And some major players in wireless are coming under the microscope. At issue is the practice of retroactively changing dates stock-option grants become effective. Stock options-allowing employees to purchase shares of the...

JetBlue’s LiveTV on top for one-megahertz ATG license

WASHINGTON—With a $31.3 million offer, AC BidCo L.L.C., an affiliate of AirCell Inc., looks to be the winner of a 3-megahertz license to offer air-to-ground services in the 800 MHz band. Bidding continues between Space Data Spectrum Holdings L.L.C. and JetBlue’s LiveTV L.L.C. for...

Weekly wireless ratings wrap-up

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms. Click here for wireless ratings from past weeks from RCR Wireless News.CarrierMerrill Lynch initiated coverage on Dobson Communications Corp. with a buy rating and...

AirCell affiliate on top of 3 MHz license with $31M bid

WASHINGTON—Bidding on a 3-megahertz license to offer air-to-ground services in the 800 MHz band appears to be over as AC BidCo L.L.C., an affiliate of AirCell Inc., looks to be the winner with a $31 million offer. Bidding is continuing between Space Data Spectrum...

Tower startup attracts $30M in financing

LOMABARD, Ill.—Startup tower company Central States Tower Holdings L.L.C. said it picked up $30 million during its first round of equity financing through Sweetwater Capital and Merchants Capital Partners L.P. The company says it plans to use the funds to develop 150 towers in...

American Tower hit with subpoena in stock-option investigation

BOSTON—American Tower Corp. said it received a subpoena in the rapidly widening probe of stock-option grants that is ensnaring several major wireless players. The company, which owns and operates more than 22,000 broadcast and wireless communications sites, confirmed it received the subpoena from the...

Modeo to manage DVB-H broadcasts using Penthera

PITTSBURGH—Penthera Technologies Inc., a software provider for mobile broadcast TV and multimedia, announced the launch of its Penthera Broadcast Center 1.0, a carrier-grade mobile broadcast control and data system designed to support advertising, branding and metering. Though terms were not disclosed, the company said...

Motorola, Nokia race to open retail store along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile

By Julie Johnsson and Sandra JonesCHICAGO—Motorola Inc. is racing to open a store on North Michigan Avenue—its first retail outlet—on June 5, before archrival Nokia Corp. can open its own store just a block away.Motorola, the world's second-largest maker of cell phones, behind Nokia,...

FCC: Complaints about wireless dropped in first quarter

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission said wireless complaints dropped in the first quarter of the year. The agency said wireless complaints decreased from 4,956 in the fourth quarter of 2005 to 4,616 in the first quarter. Complaints fell in all wireless categories, the agency said.Wireless...

SEC investigates stock option grants at American Tower

BOSTON—American Tower Corp., the nation’s largest tower company, announced that it received a formal letter of inquiry about its stock option grants from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said its board created a special committee of independent directors to conduct its own...

Weekly wireless ratings wrap-up

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms. Click here for wireless ratings from past weeks from RCR Wireless News.CarrierStandard & Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its B bank loan rating on Ntelos...

AirCell affiliate, Space Data lead bidding for air-to-ground licenses

WASHINGTON—AC BidCo L.L.C., an affiliate of AirCell Inc., is currently the top bidder at more than $13 million for a three-megahertz license to offer air-to-ground services in the 800 MHz band. AC BidCo’s bid at the end of round 16 corresponds with a high...

FiberTower, First Avenue to merge backhaul operations

SAN FRANCISCO—Wireless backhaul transporters FiberTower Corp. and First Avenue Networks Inc. said they plan to merge in an all-stock deal worth about $1.5 billion. First Avenue said it will issue approximately 74 million shares of its common stock to FiberTower shareholders, giving them a...