Welcome to this week’s edition of cell tower industry news, brought to you by Towercrews.net.
This week’s update will be short and sweet since the industry is focused on all the happenings at NATE Unite and Mobile World Congress, so expect a lengthier update next week.
When you hear about a tower climber falling from a tower, your heart usually sinks as you know what’s coming next. However, this week that’s not the case! Last week 20-year old tower climber Anthony Greco fell from a tower during a routine job in Woodbury, New York. The fall was 50 feet and fortunately not directly to the ground, with Greco instead landing on an electrical shed before rolling onto the ground. So far it’s been reported that he has severe internal injuries and a leg injury, but he’s alive and not in critical condition, so everyone can exhale a sigh of relief. Still send positive, healing thoughts his way though.
With the events a couple of weeks ago and this most recent brush with danger, safety is still the primary focus in the tower industry. A wireless task force launched an educational campaign this week with the intention of urging tower climbers to tie-off 100% of the time, thus reducing the risk of falls or accidents. Twenty three companies and organizations, including NATE, are supporting the campaign.
RCR Wireless News editor Kelly Hill spent some time with Safety One International, a company that teaches tower climbing safety courses, and wrote an interesting article about tower safety and the training courses climbers take for certification and safety. She even managed to save a fellow climber!
In DAS news, TE Connectivity recently announced a partnership with Alcatel-Lucent to simplify DAS networking. TE Connectivity plans on doing this by incorporating a digital interface to their DAS host unit via CPRI. The solution eliminates up to 40% of Capex. But don’t just read about, watch the Director of Product Management at TE Connectivity explain the partnership himself at Mobile World Congress 2014:
Cell Tower News Quickies
- Major cell tower industry player CommScope announced Q4 financials for 2013.
- Dagan Kasavana of Global Tower Partners has started his own venture focusing on acquiring, developing, owning, leasing and operating cell towers in Latin America.
- That mystery tower from AT&T that poppped up in New Jersey is gone, but perhaps not for long.
- Panama City, Florida violated federal law in rejecting a tower, a judge ruled.
- You’ve thought about it, now read about it: the hazards of animal poop on cell towers.
