Tower Talks With Inside Towers

Jim Tracy has worked in the wireless infrastructure business for many years, from climbing towers to running his own tower contracting business, to serving as Board Chairman of NATE and now as President of the Tower Family Foundation (TFF).  In conversation with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, Tracy shares insights gained from his long experience in the tower contracting business, his unwavering advocacy for better and safer tower climbing work practices, and the outstanding charitable work that TFF is doing to support families of tower climbers in times of need.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of January 19, 2024.  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 29, 2024.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

Tower climbing is inherently hazardous and dangerous. More than that, tower technicians must be knowledgeable and skilled at constructing towers, and installing and testing RF, fiber, and related power systems. The tower industry has always been concerned that more training and certification is needed to ensure tower technicians can work safely at heights while building high-quality networks.Telecommunications Industry Foundation (TIF) is addressing a number of issues arising from the rapid advancement and deployment of the telecom infrastructure. Michelle Kang, TIF Chair and Scott Kisting, TIF Founding Board Member/Government Liaison discuss key tower industry issues and TIF initiatives with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of January 22, 2024.  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 15, 2024.  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 8, 2024.  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 4, 2023.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of November 27, 2023.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

The digital infrastructure ecosystem including towers, fiber, data centers and small cells all operate under a similar ‘shared infrastructure’ business model. But deploying these assets, particularly data centers, comes with very different land use requirements compared to erecting towers.Jake Remington, Senior Counsel, and Sandy Gomez, Partner, both with the law firm, Husch Blackwell, discuss with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, the intricacies and requisite planning considerations for new data centers, particularly in small town or rural jurisdictions.Read a related Case Study on this topic here.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of November 6, 2023.  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 30, 2023.  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 23, 2023.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

Co-hosts Patrick Halley, WIA CEO and President, and Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor recently chatted with Alex Gellman, Executive Chairman and Co-founder of Vertical Bridge on the Wireless Water Cooler podcast.In this lively and candid half hour talk, Gellman discussed a variety of issues including recent slowdowns in MNO activity and how Vertical Bridge is responding. He shared how the company is handling new macro tower builds and M&A strategy. In his first interview since being inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame, Gellman reflected on the state of the industry, how it has progressed in the past decade and where it has fallen short.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of October 16, 2023.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

With the slowdown in tower construction and RAN installation work, the challenge for infrastructure operators and their contractors is how to reallocate those skills and human resources to other new activity on the ground, particularly, fiber and increasingly, EV charging station projects. Learning Alliance offers a range training and certification programs that help field technicians expand their qualifications and skills to work in multidisciplinary environments.Cesar Ruiz, CEO of Learning Alliance shares with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, his perspectives on how his firm is helping with this workforce transition.Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of October 9, 2023.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

With continuing demand for broadband and mobile data connectivity, and the specter of artificial intelligence having a big upside impact, there are opportunities for infrastructure companies that are focused on a vertical market like towers, or a portfolio of assets that includes fiber, small cells, and data centers. At the same time, there are challenges to acquiring and owning and operating infrastructure assets. StratCap Wireless is a company that is steadily building its digital infrastructure portfolio. Todd Rowley, CEO of StratCap Wireless talks about the company’s progress and outlook with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor. Support the show

This is your Inside Towers Weekly Recap for the week of October 2, 2023.  For more wireless infrastructure news, subscribe to our newsletter here.Support the show

In August, Spartaco Group announced that it acquired Ronin Revolution, the designer and manufacturer of battery-powered ascenders.Nick Skrobot, CEO of Spartaco and Bryant Bertrand, CEO of Ronin join John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, to discuss the acquisition, where Ronin and its battery-powered ascenders fit in Spartaco’s lineup of professional tool manufacturers, and what the deal may mean for both companies going forward. Support the show