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Subscribe • Advertise Thursday, July 9, 2020Volume 8 | Issue 132

Repack Largely Done After 39 MonthsIn addition to the birth of the nation, the July 4 weekend also marked the official end to the 39-month 600 MHzbroadcast spectrum repack. Some of the nearly 1,000 television stations moved to interim facilities to stay on-airwhile finishing the move to the new channel by the FCC’s July 3 deadline. Many stations used the repack to invest intechnology and equipment that will better position them to transition to NextGen TV transmission.

Some stations received an FCC extension to delay completing their moves while others, such as those in the last twogroups, Phases 9 and 10, completed the task using interim facilities and side-mount antennas. TV Technologyreviewed the FCC’s data to find some 40 requests from full-service stations to operate from temporary facilities withreduced power while they waited for their final sites to be installed and commissioned. Continue Reading

Mobile Data Report Ranks U.S. Phone Ownership As “Expensive”There are more cell phones on the planet than humans, and yes, more people own a mobile phone than a toothbrush(seriously, Google it!). Depending on where you live, the cost of keeping your phone connected varies widely.According to the London Daily Mail, a new report by VisualCapitalist looked at average data prices in 155 differentcountries and found a 30,000 percent difference between the cheapest and most expensive markets.

Countries at the top of the list - representing the most expensive data - were those where low population density andlack of a national cell tower infrastructure exist, like Subsaharan Africa. However, with a plethora oftelecommunications companies and infrastructure, the U.S. came in at number 18, with the cost of 1GB of data equalto $8.00.

In contrast, the least expensive data resides in India, where 1GB equals $0.09. Researchers attribute this low cost toescalating competition between the country's four main service providers. Other countries that rank on theinexpensive side include Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, and Ukraine.

The VisualCapitalist study unveiled rates for data currently, but that might all change soon. According to theresearchers, average data prices could significantly increase in the next several years as more countries beginunveiling 5G. 5G Discussion Erupts in HawaiiAfter approving numerous 5G expansion plans in Hawaii, local politicians are now facing negative feedback fromcitizens who view 5G technology as potentially dangerous, reports the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Naysayers continue toblame a litany of ills on cell towers, despite a determination by the World Health Organization that cell towertransmissions do not pose a health risk. Trying to mollify concerned residents, council members find themselves in abind, caught between a ticking shot-clock and a chorus of complainers.

“I care just as much as anyone else whether it’s safe,” said County Planning Director, Michael Yee. However, sinceplans to begin tower construction in various locations have already been approved, provisions of theTelecommunications Act of 1996 keep the plans moving forward. An upgrade in Hawaiian Paradise Park waseventually denied because of the proximity to a playground, but Yee cautioned that vague health concerns would notoverride FCC rulings. Continue Reading

Test Shows Big Increase in U.S. Internet Speeds on Mobile and Fixed BroadbandThe recently released Q2 2020 Speedtest® United States Market Report by Ookla® collected data from over 1.6million mobile user devices and 18.9 million fixed broadband devices showed a significant jump in speeds. The studyshowed increased speeds of 15.8 percent on mobile and 19.6 percent on fixed broadband in the U.S. during thesecond quarter of 2020. Mobile finding highlights included:

Fastest Providers: Speedtest Intelligence® reveals AT&T was the fastest mobile operator in the U.S. in Q22020 with a Speed Score™ of 41.23 on modern chipsets in competitive geographies. T-Mobile was the secondfastest, Sprint third and Verizon Wireless fourth. Although Sprint merged with T-Mobile earlier this year, Ooklasaid they considered the companies’ performance separately here as the networks have not been fullyintegrated. They said they will combine their results when the integration is complete.Latency: Calculating median latency for the four top mobile providers in competitive geographies in the U.S.during Q2 2020, T-Mobile had the lowest latency at 31 ms. Verizon Wireless was second (33 ms) and AT&Tthird (35 ms). Sprint showed the highest latency (39 ms). Continue Reading

FCC To Accept Applications For Fall 2021 Honors ProgramThe FCC yesterday announced that it will begin accepting applications from graduating law students and currentjudicial clerks for its Fall 2021 Attorney Honors Program. The application window opens on Monday, July 13, 2020,and closes on Monday, September 14, 2020.

The Attorney Honors Program is the FCC’s primary vehicle for hiring entry-level attorneys. Attorneys at the FCC workon cutting-edge legal and policy issues in the communications and technology arenas. They promote the deploymentof high-speed internet communications; pave the way for a 5G future and advance rural broadband; protect the rightsof consumers; promote access to communications services for all Americans, including Americans with disabilities;review major mergers and acquisitions; and promote public safety. Continue Reading

July 8, 2020 at Close

SoftBank Hits 20-Year High, Climbing $68B in Market Value Since March

UPDATE Two weeks ago, Inside Towers reported on T-Mobile US Inc.’s acquisition of SoftBank Group Corp. stock.For every share of common stock sold by T-Mobile in the public securities transactions, the “Un-Carrier” has agreedto repurchase one share of common stock from a subsidiary of SoftBank at a price per share equivalent to thatreceived by T-Mobile in its sales.

This week, SoftBank’s stock rose 4.6 percent to $58, the highest since March 2000, reported Bloomberg and gained$68 billion in market value since its all-time lows in mid-March. With the coronavirus pandemic cited as the catalystfor the lows, founder Masayoshi Son was prompted to reduce debt and bankroll record share buybacks. Earlier thisyear, Softbank also merged its Sprint Corp. with T-Mobile. Continue Reading

New YorkCounty Legislators Request A More “Flexible” Policy Regarding TowersFulton County legislators are requesting a change to the Adirondack Park Agency’s (APA) policy for the siting oftelecommunications towers to encourage more infrastructure. Currently, cell phone service is unavailable in manyareas of the Adirondacks, reported the Leader-Herald.

According to County Administrative Officer Jon Stead, the proposed changes are more “flexible.” He added that manycommunities are now calling for an amended APA tower policy “to allow and encourage improved cell phone andemergency radio communications.”

The Adirondack Local Government Review Board and Adirondack region municipalities suggest a more relaxedstandard of “not readily discernible” for tower siting, as opposed to the current APA standard of “substantiallyinvisible,” reported the Leader-Herald. Continue Reading

NWSA to Develop Spanish Language Tower Technician Assessments

The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) yesterday announced that its Board of Directors has approvedproceeding with the Spanish language translation of assessment tests for the Telecommunications Tower Technician1 (TTT-1) and Telecommunications Tower Technician 2 (TTT-2) trade certifications.

MasTec Network Solutions is sponsoring the effort with a generous contribution to cover the cost of translating writtentests and associated documents for the TTT-1 and TTT-2 programs. NWSA expects to launch the Spanish version ofthe exams in the second half of 2020. Continue Reading

Fulton Technologies: Temporary Towers are Here to Stay

From customized steel fabrication, welding and painting, to small cell design, installation, commissioning andintegration, Fulton Technologies offers a long list of turnkey wireless infrastructure services. As the demand forcoverage and capacity grows exponentially, so too does the need for their temporary tower solutions. FULTON began engineering temporary towers thirteen years ago, according to Michael Hay, Senior Project Manager,who has been with the company for eleven of those years. FULTON originally purchased a PiRod® 24’ model fordeployment. That was just the beginning. Next, they began engineering their own base frames. “Our proprietarydesign continued to progress as the demand for this type of application increased,” he says. FULTON Technologies handles all facets of the temporary tower process including rapid deployment, engineering,site acquisition, permitting, decom, custom fabrication, transfer and re-install services. FULTON offers two types of towers, according to Hay. The ballast frame tower leverages a frame design andconcrete ballast blocks for counterweight. FULTON uses 24 ballast blocks, totaling 90,000 pounds, allowing for a 100-120’ monopole with “reasonable loading.” Continue Reading

5G’s Release 16 is Overshadowed by COVID-19’s Impact on Release 17 3GPP member companies, aka, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, the group responsible for developinginternational cellular standards, are hailing the completion of 5G’s Release 16. However COVID-19 shines a toobright light on the reality that Release 17, originally due for completion in 2021, will likely suffer a four-month delaythat could push its finalization into 2022.

Release 16, the catalyst for “standalone” 5G networks that promises increased upload and download speeds, as wellas supporting 5G vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and industrial IoT deployments, is a major step forward on the path to5G performance.

Following confirmation of Release 16, Venture Beat today reported Ericsson publicized its release of standalone 5Gsoftware which has already been tested by T-Mobile and Telstra on their commercial networks. Continue Reading

Accenture and AT&T Bring Connectivity to Phillips 66 With Private NetworkAccenture (NYSE: ACN) and AT&T (NYSE: T) announced they are working with Phillips 66to develop industrial cellular wireless connectivity, with the development of a private cellularnetwork solution. The solution will lay the foundation for potential future 5G use cases,including support for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and low latency applications. Phillips66’s private cellular network from Accenture and AT&T brings speed improvements to theirrefinery.

Phillips 66 invited Accenture to address cellular performance gaps with its existing publiccellular network near one of its refineries in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. The private cellular network — a local cellularnetwork that includes cell sites and core network servers that support the connectivity of a specific organization'srequirements — was selected as a proof of concept to demonstrate the ability to handle increased mobile connectivityneeds from the ongoing Phillips 66 digital transformation initiatives. Continue Reading

U.S. Virgin IslandsNo Paradise for Tower Workers Robbed at Gunpoint Two tower workers on St. Croix were held at gunpoint Monday morning in the parking lot of a “Cheeseburger inParadise” restaurant, reported the Virgin Islands Consortium. The assailant pointed a gun at one of the workers anddemanded money, which the victim handed over. The robber then turned his attention to the second man, reportedthe Consortium, and he followed suit.

The suspect left with money belonging to the tower workers said V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Toby Derima. Noone was injured during the incident, which occurred around 11:24 a.m.

The V.I.P.D. is asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Crime Stoppers USVI with an anonymoustip here.

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CafeTele 5G Friday - Inside the Tower BusinessJuly 17, 2020

Towers are separate wireless infrastructure, managed as a standalonebusiness. Towercos rent space to CSPs, with backup power, edge computing,O-RAN. CafeTele Telecom Training asked Guest Expert John Celentano to helpus understand the tower Business. Join this overview and deep dive about whythese businesses exist, and how they change the business of Mobile NetworkOperators. Click here to register.

Looking up the inside of a 240 ft guyed tower in Fort Pierce contributed by SCI Towers.Email your tower shots or upload them here. Please be sure to include the tower location.

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Managing Editor: Jim FryerWashington Bureau Chief: Leslie Stimson

Business Editor: John CelentanoReporter: Keara M. Piekanski

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