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Subscribe • Advertise Tuesday, December 18, 2018Volume 6 | Issue 245

Deal to Drop Huawei Could Propel T-Mobile-Sprint DealT-Mobile and Sprint believe U.S. regulators could approve their proposed $26 billion merger as early as this week.That’s after their majority owners, SoftBank Group and Deutsche Telekom, respectively, agreed to stop using Huaweiequipment, sources tell Reuters.

T-Mobile and Sprint do not use Huawei equipment in U.S. networks, however their owners do elsewhere. Thecompanies believed they needed to comply before a U.S. government national security panel would let the deal goforward, according to sources familiar with the deal.

The sources cautioned nothing has been finalized and any deal could still fall through. Sprint, T-Mobile, DeutscheTelekom and SoftBank declined to comment. Huawei did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The U.S.has stepped up pressure on Huawei over concerns the company can use its technology to spy for the Chinesegovernment, Inside Towers reported. Comments? Email Us.

Missouri Small Cell Code Under Scrutiny When it comes to deploying small cells in Missouri, state and federal governments have enacted laws that willprevent localities from making it too difficult, timely or costly to deploy infrastructure. Meanwhile, local governmentshave been tasked with preventing that same technology from affecting neighborhood character and property values,said Rolla City Planner, James Shields.

On December 11, the Rolla Planning and Zoning Commission met to recommend the denial, approval or conditionalapproval of the city’s proposal regarding the Wireless Communications Facility Code, known as Division 22, whichincluded recommended revisions by AT&T. The Rolla Daily News reported that the proposal must meet stateguidelines regarding small cell technology.

The addition of the Wireless Communications Facilities Code is in regards to the current Rolla Planning and Zoning

Code revision meant to comply with Senate Bill 650 and House Bill 1991, signed into law in 2014 and 2018,respectively. Continue Reading Ohio$2.9 Million Upgrade to 911 Services On the HorizonLast week, Mahoning County (OH) commissioners approved approximately $2.9 million in upgrades to software ateach of the county’s eight public safety answering points (PSAPs), including the computer-aided dispatch system(CAD), and a new records management system (RMS), reported The Vindicator. Equipment and software providerSpillman Technologies of Utah, a Motorola company, will be paid annually over seven years for the upgrades.

Austintown Police Chief Robert Gavalier said the county’s current CAD system has been in use since 2003. The newsoftware will allow county law enforcement to, for the first time, share information in real time, he said. “The currentsoftware does not support the changes occurring in the industry...This current system that we’re going to purchasewill bring us into the 21st century,” Gavalier added. Continue Reading

FirstNet Board Meeting Reports 90 Resolved IncidentsWith FirstNet now up and running, Chris Sambar, Senior Vice President of AT&T-First Net reported back onsuccesses at the FirstNet Authority board meeting webcast, according to UrgentComm. “The early impacts havebeen real, tangible and—at times—life-saving,” said Sambar. “We have multiple stories where lives have actuallybeen saved because of the FirstNet platform and its capabilities.”

AT&T has resolved 90 FirstNet incidents since April 2018. Twenty of the incidents were scheduled events withanticipated large crowds. The remaining 70 situations were emergencies like Hurricane Michael. When responding toa crisis, Sambar noted, "We don’t always drive one of those big one-ton trucks out and pop up an antenna. Sometimes, it’s as simple as daisy-chaining multiple routers to a macro site that got damaged due to wind, fire orsomething else. There’s a lot of different solutions out there we’re finding, and we’re getting really creative out there inthe field.” Continue Reading

New Snag Delays Senate Confirmation of FCC NomineesThe FCC nominees have taken one step forward and two steps back. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is working to releasehis “hold” on FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s nomination for a full five-year term, Inside Towers reported.However, now Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has placed a hold on Carr’s Senate confirmation until the FCC guarantees

broadband funding for his state.

Manchin disagrees with the Commission’s decision last week to put the Mobility Fund Phase II on hold while theagency determines whether some carriers submitted fraudulent coverage data. Noting that he’s been saying theagency’s broadband maps are inaccurate, Manchin announced last week the answer is not to, “prevent states likeWest Virginia from receiving the funding they desperately need to deploy mobile broadband.” Continue Reading

5G: A New Digital Dawn

With next-generation capabilities, 5G is the new digital dawn peaking over the horizon. This next era of technologywill ignite the full evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) and propel digitalization across a multitude of industries.But, unlocking the full potential of 5G is going to take all-hands-on-deck collaboration and strategic planning amongmany stakeholders.

Black & Veatch’s new 5G eBook cuts through the clutter and helps stakeholders recognize common goals andprepare for the “Next Gig Thing.” Envision your future state and stay ahead of innovation. Download your copy today.

December 17, 2018 at Close

Here’s How to Anticipate, Overcome Small Cell Challenges

Small cells are already a critical part of today’s denser wireless networks—and their role is only going to get bigger. Ifyou’re not completely up to speed on small cell technologies, then you could be missing a key competitive advantage.

CommScope has been a leading innovator in small cells since the very beginning, and we currently have acomprehensive portfolio of solutions in our Metro Cell offerings. We’ve created a family of Metro Cell solutions thataddress all major challenges—from coverage, capacity and latency to aesthetics, flexibility and size.

Download CommScope’s new white paper, ‘Small Cells, Big Challenges,’ to see the history of small cells, the currentstate of the technology, and how it will continue to evolve in the era of 5G.

PennsylvaniaTownship OK’s More Antennas to Boost CoverageTinicum Township (PA) is anticipating better coverage after granting a request from T-Mobile Northeast LLC to addthree antennas, with associated hardware, to a cell tower on a private farm property in Ottsville. according to theBucks County Herald.

A T-Mobile representative at the meeting said the new antenna type had been picked for best and most reliablecoverage, as well as helping to lay the foundation for the company’s upcoming “5G rollout,” and added that no newgroundwork would be required by the addition.

Officials noted the availability of a potential new tower site on municipal property that could help significantly toimprove coverage and add income for the township the Herald reported.

NATE Releases Job Hazard Analysis #ClimberConnection VIDEO NATE today unveiled a video entitled “Job Hazard Analysis: Reducing Your Risk”that highlights the important elements of conducting a JHA at a communicationstower site. The video is the last video to make its debut in Volume 3 of theAssociation’s Climber Connection series.

The educational video includes an interview with an experienced industry safetymanager who articulates the proactive inspection, documentation and processesinvolved with implementing a JHA prior to work commencing at a tower site. The

video also highlights several prominent NATE resources and the information contained in the ANSI/ASSE A10.48Standard as essential guides to utilize when conducting a JHA.

“Proactively mandating thorough job hazard analysis steps on a daily basis is an integral part of keeping ourcompany’s technicians safe on the job,” said Amy Dolce, Safety Manager at SAI Group in Salem, New Hampshire.“This video does an outstanding job of reinforcing why it is crucial for each company and worker to closely adhere toJHA protocols and not take shortcuts that could potentially compromise safety,” added Dolce. Continue Reading

5G Is Coming to Mitchell City, South DakotaAlready the home of the world's only Corn Palace, Mitchell City plans to welcome in 5G on their own terms, reportsMitchellRepublic.com. The Mitchell Planning Commission isn't sure yet just how much modification they will need,but city leaders are bracing for its arrival. SDN Communications and Verizon have met with the council to discusspermits that would need to be in place for small cell wireless coverage.

Smaller 32-foot poles have been proposed as the solution to Mitchell City's telecommunication future. Fiber cableswould transmit data, and could be tailored to locations like the Corn Palace that attract large crowds. Small cellcoverage could also be concentrated in areas where there are coverage gaps, rather than blanketing a large area.Terry Johnson, Mitchell's deputy public works director, estimated a need for approximately 700 poles with many of theexisting ones owned by Northwestern Electric. Continue Reading

Reduced Lease Rate Funds Emergency EquipmentTarpon Towers II LLC will fund new public safety equipment for Naugatuck, CT through a reduced lease rate on a celltower at the Naugatuck Fire Department, the Republican American reported. According to Fire Chief Ellen Murray,Tarpon Towers will install a tower, an antenna, and a repeater, which totals $32,000. The original lease agreement of$1,530 a month, made in June of 2018, was lowered to $830 a month. Tarpon Towers will pay for the equipment, andit is estimated to take 45 months for the rent discount to reach the $32,000 total.

The new antenna will resolve coverage issues the department has experienced in the area, according to Murray. Shesaid, “It is a really good deal. It is a win-win for us.”

Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said the agreement with Tarpon Towers saved the fire department from requestingextra money in the budget to cover the equipment. According to the American, Tarpon Towers first proposed a towerfor a location on private property that led residents to argue against it, and this agreement was proposed in its place.Hess said, “We made the agreement better by entering into a proposed amendment which would enable us to buythe equipment that we need at a good price.”

Black & Veatch Names Former Jacobs Exec as CIO

Black & Veatch announced that Barbie Bigelow will take over as their new chief informationofficer succeeding Dan Kieny. She will work out of Black & Veatch's Overland Parkheadquarters. Bigelow has more than three decades of experience in IT, including positionswith Jacobs Engineering Group and TASC, a spinoff of Northrup Grumman, which providedprofessional services for the intelligence community and public sector as well as LockheedMartin and IBM.

“Barbie has a strong record of improving bottom-line performance and fueling top-linegrowth,” said Steve Edwards, Chairman and CEO of Black & Veatch.

“Collaborative software, 3D modeling, drones and other technologies are dramatically reshaping how we help clientsplan for and execute on their most critical infrastructure projects,” said Bigelow. “It’s an extraordinary moment inengineering, and I’m ready to help Black & Veatch expand its leadership position and prepare for future growth.”

DataBank Buys LightBoundDataBank, a provider of enterprise-class data center, connectivity and managed services, announced yesterday theacquisition of LightBound, an Indianapolis-based provider of co-location, internet, voice, network and cloud services.LightBound operates two enterprise-class data centers located in the downtown Indy Telecom Center, the mostdensely interconnected location in the city. LightBound will add 73,000 gross square feet of co-location space and9.5MW of installed UPS power to the DataBank portfolio.

With the acquisition of LightBound, DataBank will operate 17 data centers in nine U.S. markets, including Dallas,Minneapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Indianapolis.

“We are excited about expanding our presence to the Indianapolis market,” commented Raul K. Martynek, CEO ofDataBank. “LightBound has built a fantastic customer service reputation in the region as a trusted infrastructureprovider. We look forward to combining LightBound’s strength in co-location, connectivity and managed services withDataBank’s broad product offering and national footprint.”

Keysight Technologies, MediaTek Collaborate on 5G Multimode DevicesKeysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), a technology company that helps enterprises, service providers, andgovernments announced that the company's 5G virtual drive testing (VDT) Toolset is helping MediaTek, a leading

semiconductor company, to accelerate end-to-end data throughput performance validation of multimode 5G NewRadio (NR) Devices.

Keysight's VDT Toolset enables 5G chipset and device manufacturers to bridge the gap between lab and field testing.Based on Keysight's PROPSIM F64 5G channel emulator, which emulates real-world radio frequency (RF) networkconditions, the VDT Toolset uses data captured in the field to build tests. These are then replayed in the field in acontrolled laboratory environment as often as needed. This enables MediaTek to validate the performance of new 5Gproducts under typical mobile user conditions such as video streaming, web browsing, and voice calls without runningconsuming field tests. MediaTek currently uses Keysight's VDT Toolset to validate 4G devices for operation in highspeed train (HST) scenarios.

Keysight's Nemo field test solution enables users to capture data in the field. This data is subsequently imported intothe Keysight VDT Toolset for test case creation, resulting in reliable and repeatable RF replay in a controlledlaboratory environment. By using the same tools and mobile user conditions in the field as in the lab, users ofKeysight's VDT Toolset can benchmark multimode 5G NR devices and quickly resolve field issues.

Building Permits Issued December 3 to 14, 2018Owensboro, KY: Issued by the Owensboro Planning Commission:

530 Yale Place. Shirah & Co. LLC. Modification to existing cell tower, $25,000.92 Booth Field Road, Perfect Wireless Inc. Install 185' monopolis cell tower, $120,000.

Madisonville, LA: The Madisonville City Council authorized Mayor Jean Pelloat to accept a proposal by SBA Towers,LLC, which operates a cell tower on town land, to pay $478,000 for a 50-year easement on the land. Source: TheAdvocate

Recent ReleasesLatest posting from the FCC 12/1/18

Click Here

Hydradyne Hoist for Sale

Hydradyne Model HTH-50 Erection Hoist, fully restored, in EXCELLENT condition. It currentlysits with (2) DP Manufacturing Drums, NOT Man-rated. The drums will hold aprox 2,250' of3/8" wire rope and 1,750' of 7/16" wire rope. Any questions or for more information feel free tocall 860-306-0593. The Hoist will come with the custom, over the road, cover as well. as seenin the photo. ***OPTION***** For additional cost, we can install a fresh, 0 hours Brayden CH-150-01, man-rated drum with current bill of health onto this unit in place of 1 of the DP drums.

Rize Solutions is a certified Minority Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, providingprofessional staffing, recruiting and telecom development services. Rize Solutions is actively seeking an A&E ProjectManager in Denver and a Construction Manager in Baltimore or Los Angeles. Please click for more information/ toapply:

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MasTec Network Solutions is Hiring Multiple Positions

MasTec Network Solutions is holding career fairs across the country and hiring for multiplepositions! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn to be the first to see our opportunities. Apply online atmnscareers.mastec.com.

Speakeasy Telecom: Lead Tower Climber, Lead/ForemenAustin, Texas area

An established telecom construction company in Driftwood, Texas, one of the Top GC'sin the market, is offering an immediate employment opportunity. We are a local companylooking for locals that want to be part of a close-knit group. We offer competitive pay and

a benefits package, including health insurance, 401K with company match among other benefits. Immediate hire forongoing projects with T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. Criteria includes:

-Must live or be willing to relocate to Austin area-Required experience as a Lead/Foreman -Mandatory minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in the industry (Telecom Technician, Tower Hand) To apply, click here or send your resume through here.

A photo from Tysværvåg/Rogaland, Norway contributed by Jan Idar Guggedal.A climbers headlight is the source of the light near the top of the tower.

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

Reporter: Keara M. Piekanski Contributing Analyst: John Celentano

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

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