Vol. 3, No. 24
Dec. 15
2009

Frigid Temps, High Winds Conspire Against Oklahoma Tower

A 285-foot tall communications tower owned by an electric utility collapsed Dec. 9 near Tulsa, Okla., as a cold front swept through the Midwest. The tower, installed in 1983, carried SCADA and mobile radio communications for the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, a unit of American Electric Power. Antennas were moved to nearby tower and were scheduled to be operational on Dec. 13. (photo:Public Service Company of Oklahoma) MORE

BASE Jumper Perishes After Leaping from Cell Tower

Although some people are dead set on keeping cell towers away from schools, others, it appears, want to treat cell towers as just another piece of playground equipment. After surviving a tour of duty in Iraq, Darrell Dunafon, 23, (at left) was electrocuted after jumping from a cell tower when his parachute became tangled with a 12,000-volt power line. MORE

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DukeNet Sells Tower Portfolio to GTP
In a sign of its close relationship with the utility industry, Global Tower Partners closed on the purchase of 141 towers Dec. 4 from DukeNet Communications Services, a subsidiary of Duke Energy. The towers are located in eight states, including Ohio and the Carolinas. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. It is GTP's third asset purchase from a utility and the tower company's second from Duke. MORE

Florida Tower Developer Running for Statehouse
Stacy Frank, attorney and cell tower developer in Tampa, Fla., is running for the Florida House of Representatives. Frank's company, Collier Enterprises II, markets public school properties to carriers for cell tower siting, an involvement that she said has given her expertise on the current state of education finances. MORE

Improving Network AT&T's Best Answer to Verizon Map Ads

AT&T has taken its licks lately. Verizon Wireless' "There's a map for that" commercials have made hay about the carrier's lack of 3G coverage. AT&T's lawsuit against Verizon only served to further embarrass it. For the tower industry, however, it has served to reemphasize that the best phones, even the iPhone, are only as good as the wireless infrastructure. MORE

Tower App Features Multiple Collocations

Connecticut can be a tough state in which to site a cell tower, but SBA Towers II will have three heavyweights in its corner and room for more as it proposes to build a wireless facility in the woods near East Lyme, Conn., according to documents filed Dec. 4. MORE

With over 10,300 owned towers and a dedicated and responsive team of leasing professionals, AT&T Towers has the locations and experience to meet your co-location needs.

NTIA Has Experts in Place to Review Broadband Apps

National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Rural Utilities Service have their hands full with almost 2,200 applications requesting nearly seven times the amount of funding available for broadband projects in the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and Broadband Initiatives Program. In its BTOP quarterly program status report, submitted to Congress last month, NTIA said it has recruited more than 1,000 people to review applications for broadband funding. MORE

Tower Technology Summit Invites Speakers

Tower Technology Summit, a convention for the wireless infrastructure industry set for March 23-25 in Las Vegas, is now accepting speaker proposals for its conference sessions. Tower Technology Summit is collocated with the wireless industry's largest event, International CTIA Wireless at the Las Vegas Convention Center. MORE

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Products

Full-Body Harness

MSA Thermatek Kit is a full-body harness for 100 percent tie-off during welding applications. The product features Kevlar®/Nomex®-blend webbing is resistant to chemicals, weld splatter and other high-heat exposure. The shock absorber features Tuffweld protective cover to increase lanyard longevity and incorporates Kevlar back-up strap for additional protection. Kevlar stitching in contrasting colors enables easier product inspection.www.msanorthamerica.com

Right Angle 7/8-inch EIA Flange

Electronics Research has released a right angle 7/8-inch EIA flange for ½-inch annular corrugated Andrew Heliax products. The flange works with several products including LDF4, ½-inch low loss foam Heliax, HL4 ½-inch CATVP air Heliax, and HLT4 ½-inch high temperature air Heliax. www.eriinc.com

Jumper Cable Assembies
Eupen's custom jumper assemblies combine electrical performance with mechanical integrity to be rugged and flexible. Durable enough to withstand the harshest of environments yet flexible enough to function in the tightest of spaces, these assemblies are designed for all of a carrier's interconnect applications. The assemblies are custom made in any cable length with any connector configuration to specification, using reusable factory-installed connectors. www.eupen.us