Towers

WASHINGTON-An advocacy group asked the Supreme Court to review a lower court’s refusal to order the Federal Communications Commission to require research on the health impact of continuous radio-frequency radiation emitted from cell towers. In a press release, the EMR …

WASHINGTON, D.C.-PCIA and tower company AAT Communications Corp., together with three state wireless associations, have launched a Web site aimed at helping other states form wireless associations. The site, www.swaprogram.net, includes a 10-page guide to starting a state wireless association …

Less than a month ago, I wrote a column about how the recent lull in wireless activity (mergers, etc.) was just the calm before the storm. Boom! Did you hear the thunder? What a week! Repercussions from wireless carrier consolidation …

Despite claims of nationwide coverage, a look at wireless coverage maps from some of the industry’s largest operators shows there are numerous holes in those claims. While carriers note their networks cover most of the places customers want to use …

American Tower Corp. and SpectraSite Inc. announced they have agreed to merge in an $11.3 billion stock-for-stock transaction. The combination would create the largest tower company in North America with a site portfolio that exceeds 22,000 towers. The merger agreement …

BOCA RATON, Fla.-Tower company SBA Communications Corp. reported increasing revenues and a shrinking net loss, news that sparked its shares up slightly to $8.50 per share. The company purchased 51 towers during the quarter, bringing its total number of towers …

WASHINGTON, D.C.-PCIA and tower company AAT Communications Corp., together with three state wireless associations, have launched a Web site aimed at helping other states form wireless associations. The site, www.swaprogram.net, includes a 10-page guide to starting a state wireless association …

In a record year for financial restatements, the wireless industry managed to stay relatively unsoiled. While other telecommunications, financial and manufacturing companies in 2004 faced various bookkeeping snafus, few wireless players were forced to dust off their financials. Nonetheless, there …

Local governments have contentious relationships with the wireless industry. This love-hate dance gets more complicated daily. First off, governments seem to hate cell towers. Sure, people in the wireless industry can see their beauty, but for the most part, people …

Adobe Systems Inc. said it will acquire Macromedia in an all-stock transaction valued at around $3.4 billion. Macromedia sells a scaled-down version of its Flash player for mobile phones, technology that can display simple graphics and animations. As for Adobe, …

WASHINGTON-The full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the mobile-phone industry’s motion to re-hear arguments in five class-action headset lawsuits that a divided three-judge panel remanded to state courts last month, setting the stage for a possible battle in …

The following wireless companies had debt ratings changes by financial services firms this week. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services placed its ratings on four wireless tower companies on CreditWatch with positive implications. The companies are SpectraSite Inc., Crown Castle International …

WASHINGTON-Vonage Holding Co., the largest independent Voice over Internet Protocol provider, has solved the problem at least one customer was having when Clearwire Corp. blocked access to Vonage’s VoIP service, said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage chief executive officer, on Capitol Hill …

NEW YORK-Affiliates of The Blackstone Group have purchased a major equity interest in Global Tower Partners from Great Hill Partners, said the company. The value of the deal was not disclosed. GTP owns and operates more than 642 wireless towers …

WASHINGTON-An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer official has questioned the fire fighters’ union about a study that suggested six fire fighters in California suffered medical problems due to five years of radiation exposure from a cell site at stations, …

WASHINGTON-The International Association of Fire Fighters, the union representing more than 85 percent of firefighters and emergency medics in United States and Canada, today formalized plans to solicit funding for a study to determine whether use of fire stations as …

It undoubtedly will take years to sort out why some first-responder communications worked and why some did not after terrorists navigated jet planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. But it appears one suspected culprit has been …

SpectraSite Inc. filed a statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer 250,000 shares of its common stock to adjust to a market price obligation. This will fulfill a stock buyback agreement with Goldman, Sachs & Co., and the …

Nextel Partners Inc. said it has entered into an agreement with TowerCo Inc. to purchase, construct and own 300 cell towers for an undisclosed amount. The agreement calls for TowerCo to purchase up to 92 existing towers from Nextel Partners, …

WASHINGTON-The International Association of Fire Fighters, the union representing more than 85 percent of firefighters and emergency medics in United States and Canada, today formalized plans to solicit funding for a study to determine whether use of fire stations as …

WASHINGTON-Legislation has been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly that would overturn a fall protection provision in the state’s tower-safety standard, further keeping on hold a rule considered too onerous by the tower industry. Had Rep. John Blust (R) …

HOUSTON-Although they recorded increased revenues, two tower operators suffered net losses in their financial results for the fourth quarter of 2004 compared with the previous year. For the full year, American Tower Corp. and Crown Castle had better results. The …

NEW YORK-Leap Wireless has delayed the release of its annual report due to accounting changes, and announced a bonus plan for employees, according to a pair of Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Leap said it is unable to file its …

Leap Wireless has delayed the release of its annual report due to accounting changes and announced a bonus plan for employees, according to a pair of Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Leap said it is unable to file its 10-K …

CARY, N.C.-SpectraSite Inc. said it has filed a statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer 250,000 shares of its common stock to adjust to a market price obligation. This will fulfill a stock buyback agreement with Goldman, Sachs …