Tower Talks With Inside Towers

Wireless carriers are in full 5G buildout mode. New radio equipment is being added to towers within multiple new frequency bands, each with either a dedicated or multiband antenna. Every new radio and antenna requires new fiber and power cables.All this equipment adds significantly to the tower load, even as 4G and some 3G networks are still operating. Deployments include small cells in dense urban areas and fixed wireless access increasingly for broadband in suburban and rural areas.New construction brings different challenges for site placements and connections. Material and labor must be coordinated efficiently and cost-effectively.Kat Brooks, Director of Mobility Network Engineering at CommScope discusses ways to streamline network deployments with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of January 24, 2022. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of January 17, 2022. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of January 10, 2022. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of January 3, 2022. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

The United States has always been an attractive market for foreign investment and trade, mainly due to its size and pro-business practices. Yet there are rules and regulations to which foreign investors must adhere before they can take an ownership stake in any American company.At the same time, there are trade restrictions on foreign sourced equipment and technology that may be coming into the country. This has been a big talk point in wireless in recent years.Navigating these rules and regulations can be daunting for most businesses, as changes and revisions are made regularly.Jim Wholey, Partner, and International Attorney at Phillips Lytle shares his expertise and insights on U.S. foreign investment and trade with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of December 13, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of December 6, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

To look at a tower, the structure itself is obvious, as are the antenna mounts high up on the tower and the antennas themselves.What few people appreciate is the actual nuts and bolts needed to assemble and secure towers and other types of cell site locations, so these sites perform as designed. Many of these fastening elements and piece parts are standardized and can be procured from various suppliers and distributors.But there is also an ongoing need for specialty items and customized designs that feature in cell site assembly and construction.Bruce Carmichael, Sales Manager at Allfasteners talks to John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor about the challenges in constructing wireless infrastructure and some novel solutions that Allfasteners has developed.Support the show

Mobile network operators are in the midst of rapid network expansion and upgrades to 5G to meet increasing user demand for mobile data. Network reliability and resiliency have become paramount as was evident during the pandemic, and after natural disasters. If cell sites go off the air either due to equipment failure or loss of power, calls cannot get through and lives could be endangered in emergency situations.Managing thousands of cell sites is a challenge for any network operator. Basic alarm monitoring is no longer sufficient. Today’s telecom systems are complex and require some level of automation and remote control to keep them on the air.Jon Baars, Director-Sales & Marketing at Asentria talks telecom site automation with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of November 29, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

After a brief hiatus, The Wireless Water Cooler, a podcast hosted by Inside Towers Managing Editor, Jim Fryer, and WIA President and CEO Jonathan Adelstein, restocked and met with Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH). Latta is the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and has prioritized innovation in the telecommunications industry while pushing for increased access and deployment of high-speed broadband. He was first elected in 2007 to the same northwestern Ohio district his father once held for 30 years. Listen in on this candid half-hour conversation with the Congressman as he discusses his work on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he and his colleagues introduced a comprehensive package of 28 bills aimed at improving the digital divide. Latta discusses how important it is to reduce unnecessary barriers to build out and to streamline siting. The recent actions by the FAA to delay the rollout of C-band was also on the agenda and the Congressman spoke frankly

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of November 15, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

Market projections are robust for small cells that will be needed in coming years as mobile network operators densify their networks, particularly in populated metro markets. Small cells typically are deployed on street furniture such as utility poles, streetlights, and custom-built poles installed along city streets.  The challenge for network operators is to figure out where to place these small cells, how to power them, and how to connect them back into the network, all in a cost-effective and efficient manner. More importantly, how to keep these small cells functioning during a power outage.  Tom Craft, Engineering Director for Metrocell, Integrated Solutions and Microwave at CommScope, discusses centralized power solutions for small cells with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of November 8, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

The notion of private wireless networks has gained prominence with concepts such as Industry 4.0, smart cities, campus networks, and Enterprise IT/OT integration and critical communications.Private wireless networks are enabled by cost-effective, open-standard radio and core equipment that can be programmed for specific user needs, built to 4G and 5G specifications, and having access to shared-spectrum such as CBRS or dedicated licenses.What is a private network, which vertical markets are candidates, and what does it take to build and operate such networks?John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor discusses opportunities for private wireless network adoption with Todd Landry, Corporate Vice President, Product & Market Strategy at JMA Wireless and Mick O’Dwyer, Sales & Marketing Director at Druid Software.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of November 1, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

This Tower Talks special edition highlights the Inside Towers Intelligence Q2 2021 issue that is jam-packed with high-quality information and analysis that can be readily used by decision makers and investors in the wireless infrastructure business.Feature articles “Inside the Tower Business” and “Dish Network: a Strategic Analysis” dive deep into the tower business models and dish’s strategic opportunities and risks.Contributed input from thought leaders and outside experts includes:M&A advisory from Michael DeMita, CEO at Tower Capital Advisors on how the tower business has become a seller’s market.D.C. Watch by Husch Blackwell telecom attorneys Rodney Carter and Michael Long who unpack the infrastructure investment and jobs act.Investor perspective from stock analyst Colby Synesael of Cowen who offers his take on trends in the tower, small cells, and data center sectors. Hear excerpts from our interview with Colby and more.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of October 24, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of October 18, 2021. For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here. Support the show