When doing a national wireless offer, there could be fewer layers between the customer and contractor. Unfortunately it normally runs like this because logistics make it hard to work with so many individual contractors.
Customer ⇒ national turf vendor ⇒ regional vendor ⇒ local vendor ⇒ Tower crew/RF Engineer/Drive Team
Each layer below the customer takes a cut. Some cut deeper than others. However, most customers like a SPOC, single point of contact, which is usually a PM or a PM firm.
Some underbidders may have no intention of paying their contractors. It happens so often in the wireless industry. So many vendors don’t trickle the money down, they just don’t pay unless they have to. This is a problem that needs to be rectified by taking them to court and creating a black list of companies that do this. How do we do it? If someone doesn’t pay you, don’t work for them again ever after taking them to small claims court. Make sure they know that you take it very seriously. Now this sounds easy, right? If you are a small company then you know that to take time off is to lose money. However, it can’t hurt to file the paperwork, can it? Take the time to file, to make sure the company gets served. Take the time to let your customer know that you mean business. It sucks now but it will pay off in the long run. Then make a list of people not to work for, remember why you won’t work for them. Ask the contact why they didn’t pay and log it. You may be called to share this with someone in the future, that is up to you what you do with it but if you have a team, let them know who you don’t want to work for!
Back to the underbidder. If you bid too low then be prepared to take a loss. That’s what it means to underbid! PMs don’t’ like change orders unless they are needed, and often they are needed. Contractors like change orders if it adds money to the bottom line. However, when a contractor’s reputation is that they ask for too many change orders, then they have a hard time winning bids. Make sure that you can justify every change order!
What would be a perfect world? To get paid on time every time! Simple, but the terms often suck. It’s hard to put food on the table with net 120 terms and your contractors are net 30 and their employees are paid weekly. Many contractors want to get paid net 30 because they have employees that get paid weekly. Get it? They are paying the people that do the work!
My recommendation is don’t underbid, be the best worker. Some say this won’t win as much business. Especially where so many companies want the low bidder, not the best worker. Customers want terms like net 90 to net 120, yet they want to start making money on their system from day one of turn up. Interesting how they have money to invest and all you are asking for is money to feed your family. If only we could all get on the same page. Unfortunately the underbidders will always be out there. The good news is that some customers like the best workers and will stick with the contractor that sticks to the price while doing good work, and will show up on time. I know that these companies get steady work. There is a glimmer of hope by cutting out some layers and showing the potential of some of these companies.
So, what to do? Get efficient, create better processes, find ways to cut costs and automate! Do good work! Quality matters! I agree that there are always ways to do the work more efficiently and for less money. That’s the real goal, improve processes, cut time and costs and still deliver quality work. If this was the focus of most companies, then life would be pretty good. Let’s concentrate on the process, better ways to do things. Listen to the people on the front lines so you can make changes to the design up front. Then you can be the low bidder with the best margins if you can become very efficient and find balance between great work, quality, efficient processes, and profitability. This will make the customer rely on your for more and more work.
The Wireless Deployment book should be out next week! Don’t you want to learn all you can about deployment steps for small cells and CRAN? Helping you identify problems throughout the process, the entire process, so that you can avoid problems in the work. Design, surveys, installations, commissioning, and optimization covered here with an emphasis on planning for all stages to handoff and make the deployment successful!
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I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
I was talking to someone recently who was quite upset about not getting paid per diem for being out-of-town because they could not work one day. Apparently this is not against OSHA regulations in some states. Here is what happened, he was sent somewhere to work, they could not work one day because of an issue, either weather or supply chain, so they had to stay an extra day. Well the company didn’t pay for the extra day. So what do you do?
Well he tried to contact the department of labor, but apparently they don’t have a rule for something like that. So he reached out to other people and no one, including me was able to help. So what do you do?
Well, make sure you ask the questions when getting hired. It’s that easy and it’s something that most people won’t do or forget about. I won’t lie to you, if you ask these questions they may not hire you because they know that you understand how some companies work. They want to be in a position to come out ahead even if the worker gets the short end of the stick.
What does it pay? Is that by the hourly or salary? Do I get overtime?
What benefits do I get? Health, dental, disability both long and short-term.
Am I an employee or a contractor? (If you are a contractor, then chances are good you won’t get any benefits.)
Are you a member of NATE?
What will my travel percentage be? 80% travel?
What is your per diem policy? Do you follow the federal government rates? (Found here.)
Is the hotel included in per diem or do you pay for that separately?
Do I get per diem if the work is canceled for a reason beyond my control?
Do I get over time? If so when, after 40 hours, after 80 hours? Do I get it for working over 8 hours a day?
May I see a copy of the employee manual?
May I have a copy of your safety manual?
May I see a copy of your tower safety manual? (Remember that it’s different from the standard safety policies of the company.)
Do you do inside training of climbers/engineers? If not, where do you send them to be trained?
What training do you offer people? For climbers, training and rescue, for any site worker, OSHA and first aid and CPR.
How often do you train or renew certificates? Once a year, every 2 years? Specifically, how often?
Who runs your training program? An employee or a company? Who specifically?
Who runs your human resources department? Is it the owner or a person or an outside company?
May I have a tour of your facility? (It may be a good idea to see the office to see if they are for real.)
Who are your customers?
Could I speak to a crew leader?
How often do you hand out raises? What do you base them on?
Do you give bonuses? If so when, and what are they based on? (Company performance, my performance, safety performance?)
These are a few questions that will help you and the employer have a clear understanding of the expectations. It is better for both sides to be clear up front to avoid any problems down the road. Write them down and narrow it down to
the best questions you can think of. I know these seem basic, but it may save you from making a big mistake. If you think you will just quit after getting screwed over, then you must not have a family to worry about. It’s hard to walk out even though the company will lay you off when work dries up. That’s how it is.
Another good idea is to ask people about the company. Get on Facebook or LinkedIn and see if anyone knows the company or has worked for them. There is nothing like talking a former exemployee to see if the company is OK to work for. Now remember, there are always people who hate everyone they worked for so it is a good idea to ask several people if possible. I know people that were never happy anywhere, so to be fair, ask more than one person.
Now remember, if you do get hired then do the best job you can. Log everything you do, your time and work. They may or may not do that for you but you need to do it. If the company is good to you then be good to them. Respect the people that respect you. If they do run out of work, be prepared. Always ask about the workload and what’s coming up so you can be prepared. Remember to save what you can to be prepared for the hard times. You need to take care of you, so be prepared! Read your SOW, do quality work, make every site you leave the best it can be with the tools you have. Remember that safety matters even when the boss doesn’t think it does.
I hope this helps. I can already hear many of you judging this, saying it’s all common sense. If you say this is common sense, then why do so many people complain about these very issues? I have fallen into this trap, that’s why it matters. When someone offers you a job, it feels pretty good, but the honeymoon is over the first time you get screwed.
Be smart, be safe, and pay attention. Do what you gotta do, just do it safely!
Have you ever been in this situation? Tell me about it! I will add you to my newsletter telling wireless views and news.
The Wireless Deployment book should be out next week! Don’t you want to learn all you can about deployment steps for small cells and CRAN? Helping you identify problems throughout the process, the entire process, so that you can avoid problems in the work. Design, surveys, installations, commissioning, and optimization covered here with an emphasis on planning for all stages to handoff and make the deployment successful!
I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? The carriers do not support Hubble and neither does NATE, so it’s up to you!What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
So FirstNet came out and said that they would issue the RFP to build the entire USA, article found here. This helps us understand that they do intend to build the country as a whole, not state by state. Now, the states do have the option to opt out, but so far I don’t see any definitive signs that any will. Now, what they show and what they will so could differ because the states have looked into it. They have hired consultants to help them weigh out the options. I believe that they would prefer to build their own networks but they don’t see the payback. In fact, they don’t have to go on the FirstNet network if they don’t want to. That may be the second thing they need to consider, which is cheaper, the carrier or FirstNet. Let me tell you, devices will be expensive for FirstNet because any manufacturer will on make thousands, not millions. That is the most obvious obstacle but if there is an emergency then the FirstNet network will be up and available where the carrier’s network may be overloaded.
The way FirstNet is going to maintain the system is by selling contracts to first responders. This could be states, counties, cities, and anyone who may really need the LTE emergency network for data and eventually voice.
The Wireless Deployment book should be out next week! All the steps for small cells and CRAN to help you identify problems throughout the process, the entire process. Design to optimization covered here with an emphasis on planning.
Andrew Seybold, noted analyst in the wireless industry, wonders if anyone is still interested in bidding on FirstNet. (Great article in Mission Critical Magazine and I am a fan of Mr. Seybold’s work.) If you’re in the wireless industry then you know that this is going to take forever. The federal government has found a way to make the deployment go even slower before it begins. Let’s look at the problems.
To answer the question, anyone who wants a part of that $7B will bid on it, to make the money. So I see all the OEMs, large management companies, and contractors all bidding on it.
Is $7Billion dollars enough? Enough to get started. I am guessing over $30Billion to get over 75% of it completed if they build it themselves. If they partner with a carrier they could save a lot of money, the way I see it. But hey, I am guessing.
Can FirstNet run and maintain this RAN system without outside help? No, not without another major investment. So someone will have to maintain it for them costing them more money annually, (OpEx). It will not be free! They just do not have the manpower to take care of something like that. Who does, really, other than a carrier who is already doing it?
Does anyone think that FirstNet can sustain the network financially by selling services to public safety groups in the states? Not really, but there is hope and they do have a plan. States can still opt out but it is very hard to opt out and the budget dollars are not there. I would guess one source of income they would really like to have is to lease the spectrum to a major carrier. The deal there is that the carrier has access but public safety has priority and if an emergency happens then the carrier would likely lose access to it. As for the states buying time on it, that may become more of a political decision. If the states want to remain in good favor with the federal government they may spend the money hoping it will replace a carrier, but let’s face it, FirstNet reaching a carrier’s coverage is over a decade away.
Backhaul network? They would need to rely on vendors and the states to complete it and the states would want to charge for usage just like the vendors. Backhaul is key and will cost a lot of money if they build it all themselves. Backhaul will add to the OpEx and cost more money each month. Many states, like Pennsylvania, have their own backhaul network which FirstNet would use for political reasons if nothing else. It just makes sense. I see the fiber companies making a lot of money from this venture. Uncle San will pay a lot of money to add to the already intense infrastructure that they already have.
Was the draft RFP a good model for the actual RFP? It was OK but you don’t have a dedicated and experienced wireless team there. Don’t get me wrong, they are smart and learning, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in that. It is like all new wireless companies that hire a core team and then practice and make corrections. That is where they learn from consultants, OEMs, and experienced people in the industry. Many states have dabbled in broadband and have an idea of what to do, but building the first public safety national network will be a huge challenge no matter who does it.
Can they complete it before the deadline? It doesn’t look that way to me so they may have to ask for an extension. I am not sure if they can get it or if the government would try to get what’s left of the $7Billion. Wait and see, I just hope all the contractors and suppliers get paid for what they have done.
Is the coverage area realistic? They are mandated to cover most of the real estate in the USA, so it will be tough! I forget the percentage, but it’s really high. They only make money where they lease the network. So the major population areas is where they will make a good return and the sparse rural areas, where even the carrier don’t want to build, will cost money to maintain with little return.
Can they do it without the help of a major carrier? Probably, but it will be much harder and cost much more!
Will a major carrier partner with FirstNet? I don’t know. I don’t see any of them publicly saying they want to. T-Mobile and Sprint don’t see interested, Verizon and AT&T are looking into it but is it worth all the headaches? Only they can tell you. FirstNet would be smart to get the help of the CCA, in my opinion. CTIA would be a big help, but they would do what the carriers wanted, not what FirstNet wants.
If FirstNet builds the NPSBN, what does that mean to wireless deployment? More work, plenty of work, lots of work. All across the USA! Many crews would get busy doing federal work so life would be good for the build out years. Then, if you can score a maintenance contract you could continue to make residuals.
Will FirstNet start to deploy in 2016? Hell no! They are going to issue the RFP at the end of 2015, so that process takes time. Then the contract negotiations. Then the ramp up. Then the massive site acquisition and then the backhaul planning, network planning. First, they need to build a core and that takes time. I would like to think they would start in 2017. Can you wait that long?
Will the election change things? Possibly, but I hope not. It would really hurt and they already have $7B for this program. So I think it will continue until the money runs out.
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I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? The carriers do not support Hubble and neither does NATE, so it’s up to you!What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
I don’t know how many of you are aware how the RRH, remote radio head, is mounted at the tower. First, what is a radio head? It is the RF unit that connects to the antenna. It receives the data from the BBU, base band unit, and converts that data to the RF and then send it to the antenna, see below.
So, why am I showing you this? Because there is a buzz in the industry that is making the carriers make a decision. Should they get high or should they stay low? High or low, tower or ground, tough decisions! Let’s look at the options and the pros and cons.
Go high! If you decide to mount on the tower, what are the pros? The RF properties are great because you have very short RF jumpers between the RRH and the antenna. This means that you have very low loss and less chance of problems from the RF cable. you run fiber up the tower which has low loss. RF cables are very expensive compared to fiber and they are harder to run, so the short jumpers are cost-effective.
Go high has some cons. Fiber is not a natural tower climber skill, so the fiber terminations need to be done in the air. You will need to run power up the tower to power each RRH. The weight on the tower increases so the loading will increase so the costs go up with improving the structural integrity of the tower. The break out box is now up in the air where only a tower climber can access it. This means that every problem you may have with fiber, RF jumpers, or the RRH all need to get a tower climber to repair it. This adds cost to the maintenance and it add delays to the repair. So if you have a sector down due to a faulty fiber, you need to schedule the tower crew to repair it and you need to hope the weather permits the climb. Then you need to pay for it. These are all big problems!
Go low! If you decide to mount on the ground then you need to build the structure to mount the RRHs. This I may add cost but it may be cheaper than having the tower crew pull everything up in the air and mounting it on the tower so this may be a wash. The pros would be that the RRH is where you can work on it. The fiber is where you can clean and repair it easily. You have access to one side of the RF cables for you to look at and troubleshoot. If there are problems then your site tech can troubleshoot all the way to the RF connector. This save cost on the climber and saves time on the schedule. The loading on the tower will be lower so you may not have to beef up the tower to handle all of the additional weight.
The cons of the low mount are this. The RF cable to run up the tower is very expensive for the cable and to run it. You also have to ground all the cable and the route the cables. Speaking of cables, you will have higher RF loss, you will have a great chance of interference, sweep each cable, and mount each cable properly. This may be a problem and will add costs up front. One last thing, if the RRHs are mounted on the ground security could be an issue because they will be exposed.
So what do you do? It depends what is important to you. If you are concerned about maintenance and repair, then low is the best option. If you are concerned about the tower loading and the costs up front, then high is the best option. I know that the biggest complaint about high is the repair costs and time. It seems like making changes is a problem. Upgrades may be a problem.
Some things to consider either way.
MIMO will add many RF lines between the RRH and the antenna. 4T4R would be 8 cables between the RRH and the antenna. 8T8R would be 16 cables.
Each RRH may weigh between 30lbs to 100lbs depending upon what is in it.
There could be 3 to 12 sectors on each tower. This could be a factor.
RF cables over 10 feet will be much larger and more expensive cable.
Each tower climb post installation will cost money and require scheduling of days to weeks.
If there is a mass outage the climbers will all be booked.
Longer cables will need to be swept after the installation whereas the short jumpers could be assembled and swept before the installation.
Tower improvements could be needed to hold the extra weight of the radio heads.
Troubleshooting may be quicker if the site tech can get to the RRH.
The larger the coax the more it costs.
Climbers may need to terminate the larger coax cables on the tower if they run long RF cables.
Climbers will need to have fiber skills if the RRH is mounted in the air.
There you go, now you have a new way to look at the RRH and the installation issues that you may face. I hope it helps!
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I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
A climber working in the state game lands near Rote, Pa, near Danville and Loch Haven, fell 90 feet to his death. This is very sad news and one that didn’t get much attention. The accident happened September 25th. There was a crew of 5 working on the tower. Lamar Police Chief, Martin Salinas spoke to the Express, a local paper in Loch Haven and gave the report.
Matthew Vance fell off the tower while working on it. Life Flight was brought in to fly the man to Loch Haven Hospital in an effort to save him, this was at 11AM local time. At this time it is unknown if Vance dies on the helicopter or at the hospital.
Good Will Hose Company was the rescue team that showed up for assistance. The Express is working to find out more, their link is below.
I am trying to learn more about Vance and what happened. Any information is appreciated. Wade4wireless@gmail.com
I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
While working for Surf Air Wireless, John Richardson, 24 years old, from Michigan City touched some electrical wires while on the tower. He had to be airlifted to Memorial Hospital. There was a worker on the ground who called it in. They say there was a bright flash when he touched the lines. he is very lucky to be alive, but he is in serious condition!
When emergency workers got there he was hanging limp and seriously burned. He did NOT fall, his harness held him in place. Apparently he touched the wires and they rendered him unconscious. Hi coworker called 911 immediately. With electrical wires nearby it would have been very dangerous to go near him.
No idea how that happened. He was doing a broadband deployment near New Carlisle, In.
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I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
I think I figured it out! Boy, do I feel stupid! I always thought that safety was the #1 problem in the tower industry until back at the TIRAP kickoff in DC I talked to Liz Day and she straightened me out. What is the #1 problem for tower climbers? I used to think it was safety, well, I was wrong. It’s really getting paid. Getting paid for your work and your expenses. In the past 2 years of talking to climbers this is what I am being told. Also up there, keeping or getting a job. It seems that most climbers do not stay employed for very long unless they work for a good solid small company. Many worry about where they will be working a month from now. Many worry about getting laid off or fired. Companies worry about the customer paying them for the work, for expenses, and for change orders. Safety is really not in the top 5!
First off, I think that it’s impressive that AT&T is taking a lead role in all the tower associations and certifications. They have a great guy, Art Pregler, running the NWSA for the certifications, as well as on the board for TIRAP, (the apprenticeship program). AT&T is going the extra mile to prove that AT&T is doing more than ever to improve safety in the field. I know many of you are not a fan of the carriers but they appear to be stepping up their involvement in safety. I believe that they really want to help. They are involved in NATE, TIRAP, and NWSA to do all that they can to make climbing safer. No matter what most of you think of the carriers, they generate millions of dollars of work. I think most of you now know not to bid low when you respond any bids for work. Margins matter so make sure you get paid fairly.
Getting expense money. Getting paid for Change Orders.
Where will I work next month?
Will I get fired/laid off if I say something?
Being away from home.
Safety!
Let me verify the #1 problem for tower climbers. If safety were the #1 problem then more climbers would have responded to the OSHA RFI. Let’s look at the OSHA RFI where OSHA asked for safety input responses of the tower climbers. Many of the responses came from the training companies, NATE, NWSA, and business owners. I am beginning to see that the business owners and industry organizations will need to take the lead in safety. There has been a great response by business owners and safety companies. The organizations like NATE, NWSA, and the Hubble Foundation all seem to have responded. Don’t get me wrong, there were over 150 tower climbers that responded either through Wireless Estimator’s great website to submit or direct on the OSHA’s website. Many of them responded under the name of Anonymous because they were afraid of getting fired. The brave ones who responded told OSHA the problems in the industry, including the money problems. The ones who didn’t respond had many excuses, mostly because they don’t’ trust OSHA. Let me punch a hole in this theory, OSHA put out an RFI to ask the climbers for input, why would they do that if they didn’t want to learn? So what if they never climbed, they are trying to learn what is really going on before more people die.
However, one thing that fills most climbers with fear, getting fired! Apparently many tower climbers don’t want to rock the boat. They want to keep their jobs so they deal with poor safety work conditions and don’t tell anyone that their company really sucks when it comes to safety. Why? They don’t want to get fired. They really like getting paid and feeding their families. That is what part of this industry is coming to. I feel bad when I think of how hard many climbers struggle to keep their jobs while others spend most of their money on booze and pot. The climbing industry has so many extremes. I have to admit, some of the best people I know are climbers, but then again some of the worst people I know are in this business. I plan to put a book out of all the climber’s stories, but I won’t name any names because so many people are scared of what is really going on and that they will labeled a rat. It seems like most companies care more about getting the job done no matter what for that payment at the end of the rainbow. They play the odds with safety. I wonder how many are properly trained or even have the proper safety gear.
For all of you that responded to the RFI, thank you. I really appreciate the fact that OSHA did this for the tower climbing industry and I think that all of you that responded deserve a great big appreciative pat on the back and you have my deepest gratitude for taking the time to show you really care about improving safety in the industry. Even if you responded anonymously you did your part, good job!
The way I see it is because safety is not #1 on most climber’s mind, is it? I talked to hundreds of climbers via email and phone over the last 2 years and they would all agree that money is the number one issue. They are more worried about getting paid and getting their expense money more than safety. Don’t get me wrong, they care about safety, but in reality they have bills to pay and they are really tired of getting screwed over. Safety is down there, in the top 5, but not in the top 3. I even spoke to Liz Day on this topic and she agreed. She said that everyone said this was the #1 issue but no one wants to go public with it because it creates serious issues between the customers and the workers.
The money issue is really the top problem in the industry. Getting paid, getting all the pay, and getting the expense money. Most field workers want to get paid for the time they work and for the job and for the expenses they incur. It’s field work, there are so many expenses for travel and living and parts and supplies. Many people don’t get paid for one or all of these. You need to take some of the companies to claims court to get paid. They gamble that you won’t. The other thing they do is play on stupidity for the teams that don’t get a signedscope of work. Understand what you are being asked to do. I can’t believe how many people would make fun of me for saying “understand theSOW” and then complain that they didn’t get paid, why do you think that is?Did you even read the SOW or did you just assume you knew what to do?Did you ASS-u-ME? Old saying, when you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME. That’s why we get things in writing because when we do favors and something is wrong someone feels like they got screwed. This is very common in the wireless industry. This should be business, not gambling.
Don’t get me wrong, there are scum buckets in every industry, in the wireless industry you have them on all sides. Unfortunately many of them are the lowest bidder, the ones that you can’t believe they are doing it so cheap. You also have climbers that lie, cheat, and steal. We all have stories about both if you have been in the industry for over 5 years. Getting paid isn’t just the contractor’s issue, although many of them struggle to get paid or the customer drags out the closeout so they don’t’ have to pay in the allocated 30 or 60 or 90 days. I know carriers pushing for net 120, can you imagine 120 days after acceptance you get paid? Anyway, most climbers, contractors and employees, worry about getting paid or where they will be working in a month if this work dries up. It is very similar to construction, like it or not. You work, and then you don’t. You get paid, and then you don’t. Rinse, repeat.
I am surprised how many companies don’t pay their employees. I got screwed out of expense money once, $5K, where I had to go to the New Jersey Department of labor for justice. I did get paid, because I took days off of work, got all of my documentation and logs together, and had a great case to present to the judge so I got paid. I kept good records. For all of you that think your company will do that, good luck! I hear that all the time, because people really hate paperwork. For all of you, learn the hard way.
Keeping the job is tough. Getting laid off really sucks, but it is very common in this business. If a company asks you not to work because they may call you back soon, don’t hold your breath. Instead look at the industry to see what is going on.I remember when AT&T was going to roll out a new build and then they didn’t leaving Mastec with egg in their eyeafter they ramped up for the work that never came. Big hit to them for the training. The funny thing is that AT&T cried the blues about not having the money to do that, you know, thecompany that just paid $49B for DirecTV, didn’t have the money for the rollout. They should do something with the AWS-3 bands, something has to happen there, right? They don’t owe the climbers jobs, they owe the stockholders a profit, I get that, just do better planning and stop making poor plans, that’s all I ask.
OK, back to the point. Many employees complain about getting fired because their company didn’t want to contribute to unemployment benefits or they get accused of poor workmanship or something else that is very hard to prove. Then the company will hire people when they need them when the work picks back up. Hey, welcome to free enterprise. All companies want to hire Einstein’s yet they all want to pay for grunts. Am I right? By the way, if there is a drug test and you test positive, that’s a tough one to fight. I think that POT is the one thing that people lose their jobs over most of the time. Even though many of you argue the legality of POT, it doesn’t matter what you think, it matters what company policy is and if you get caught. For all of you that want to argue that POT is not a drug, I don’t care, neither is alcohol but if your company has a policy about being on the tower drunk, then you will get fired. If you are on the tower and you are high and you fail a drug test, then you will probably get fired. If there is an accident and you test positive for any of these, then you will get fired and the company will lay all the blame on you. But hey, from the feedback I get, most of you just don’t care.
Having a good customer really helps. I look at Verizon Wireless and see that they are starting to use the same contractors over and over again. Do you know why? They are learning that you need to trust your contractors. To Verizon it isn’t always about the lowest bidder, but the lowest proven qualified bidder. This way they have crews and companies they trust and the shareholders are happy. I see that as a great balance. Notice I said proven because many people can look good on paper, but these crews have proven their worth by doing quality work repeatedly.
So when making a stand for safety, most climbers believe they have it figured out. They think what they do is the safest they can be. Maybe it is. They are still there, right? However, their real worry is getting paid. They want to work and get paid, that is the real issue here. I overlooked that when I first got into this. For some reason I thought safety was the #1 issue, when in reality it’s #4 or #5 after pay, expense money, and working. Many climbers have other issues, family, friends, or addictions that they will put ahead of safety. It’s out there. Some guys just like the rush of taking chances because they don’t think it will happen to them.
One of the reasons for poor safety is because many companies cut back due to cutting margins to win business. How about when the company tries to win the business by lowering their bids? They may cut back manpower, but workers bring in the money. Safety costs money! Safety training and equipment is very easy to cut. They all cost money and they think that no one will miss those extra fisks, Petzl IDs, ropes or rope grabs if they just disappear from the new crews kits. Or they won’t be replaced.
Lowest bidders come from the RFP process. The RFP process is hard, it is a tough business. They take time to respond to, they are generally too vague and miss details, and they take a lot of people to work on both sides. Then you pick a winner or loser depending on the margin to win. When you low bid you may expect to make it up in change orders and they you get a strike against you for too many change orders, but the reality is that you need to identify the problems in the scope prior. If you do work outside of the scope, you deserve a change order, but get it approved first! Understand the job prior to arriving to the site if at all possible. With all the site documentation out there you should have some idea of what your crews are getting into. Take the time to study the job’s scope of work!
This is why when you bid on 50 sites at a time, it is very hard to judge what will need to be done. That is where the GC will push the crews. The crews need to make some common sense decisions and stand firm on pricing. That is easier said than done, especially with 2015 being so slow and so many companies going under or changing industries. Many young climbers have left the industry, do you blame them? I don’t because I know that we all need to feed our families, don’t we? I worry about my job, but I still think we need to face reality.
So who will be the lead for climber safety? From what I see the leadership will need to be the business owners. The customers, like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile will drive safety by forcing the crews to be certified by the NWSA. Get ready to go through the certification process if you want to do carrier work. I am trying to let you know now because it will be a requirement. It is going to be hard to fake and they will request all of your certifications. Tower companies and carriers will drive this certification along with NATE. The NWSA will be the certification overseer but it will be up to you to be certified. Will the training companies play a part, hell yes. You still need to learn about it and you still need the hands on. Your crews will need to add certifications, from the NWSA and from the training companies. Add that to the list of expenses you need to cover. It will be part of doing business. If you ever did wireless work in Louisiana or Texas on oil fields then you probably already took these certification courses in a testing center. I have, and you need to do it!
By the way, if you don’t pay someone who does work in your house, they would turn it over to collections and you would take a hit on your credit. How are these companies immune? They are not, they play the odds that you will not take them to court, that simple. If you sue them or file complaints with the state’s department of labor, then they know you are serious and you can make a difference. The problem is that the wireless industry is made of very small companies that mostly do work themselves and they may not have time to go to court or they are afraid to take their customer to court for fear of losing future work. That has to change today!
If your company does NOT have the balls to take them to court, then report them to NATE with a complete explanation of the problem. Maybe NATE can help.
Recently a young man died by climbing a tower for the fun of it. I hate that people think they are there for their amusement. It’s bad enough that many people getting paid to climb communications towers are poorly trained. Now you have people that think its fun to go up with no gear and act stupid. My hope here is that the police actively prosecute all of these people to the fullest extent of the law. Not because it is trespassing or simply wrong. To show these people that it is against the law and that they could die.
Fences help, they are the first deterrent. I also know on some towers they had the ladders covered with plates and locked to keep people off. Some towers had barbed wire around the legs to keep people off. I think the best thing is to have cameras at every site. Although the owners rarely have anything at the site other that the hardware, so it would be up to a tenant to install the camera and put it in the tower. Say like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile. I wish they all would do it just to keep the tower safe. I know they all alarm their cabinets or shelters, but there is not alarm on the tower and I really don’t know how you would do that.
So the young man I spoke of, (information here), was a thrill seeker and climbed for fun. Why climb? Apparently it was fun, but now he is dead. It is truly a shame that his family has to live with this horrible thing. This kid could have gotten trained to do this as a career and gotten paid for it! Why didn’t he look into that so he could have made money doing something he loved? We may never know why, and now his parents have to bury their son. What a sad story when this kid thought he could defy gravity with any safety equipment.
We see it all the time, these pictures of people doing this. I get that they think it is fun, and it probably is until they get caught or they die.
So do the right thing. If you see someone at a site that should not be there or not following the proper safety rules, like 100% tie off, let the tower owner know immediately. Tell them about it. Do the right thing so that they get the boot and you aren’t an accomplice. So many people just pass on by and say that it’s not their problem. How would you feel if you did nothing and then they wound up dead? I would feel horrible, but, I know many of you probably would say they got what they deserved. Well, what if you were considered an accomplice because you let it happen? What if you got a fine for letting it happen? Then you might care.
So pay attention to towers and who is on them. Let’s hope that the wireless field workers can act as a community to make the tower sites as safe as they can be by having qualified people on them. Keep the tower owners in the loop and alert them of this crap when it happens. Be aware and help each other out.
You know, in the old days when deployments were controlled by a tech who would oversee most of the work, things went very well, very smooth, albeit slower. I think that the broadcast engineers probably handle most of their deployments like this because they manage their sites very closely. In the cell carrier business the carriers don’t really have a site owner other than maybe the techs that work on it after handoff. When the site is being built they may notify them of the installation schedule to make sure the installation teams have access. It is very different today.
The PM will oversee the entire deployment. The RF Design team will create the design. The Site Acquisition team will find the sites and work with RF Design to fine tune the design and determine details like the antenna downtilt and power. The Site Design team will engineer and create drawings for each site. The Network design team will create all the back-end design for the core and the integration. Logistics will need to make sure that all the kits are set up properly and ready. The installation teams need to get it installed properly. The commissioning teams need to get the site powered up and the backhaul ready. The integration teams need to get the site updated and integrated into the core. The optimization team must make sure it is optimized into the cluster. Then you have site acceptance.
This is taken from the book I am writing, I thought you might appreciate this high level overview of the wireless deployments steps. Of course I write more detail in the book.
Deployment is more than just the installation. It will cover the RF design which should be done in the beginning but many companies forgo this because they feel that the system doesn’t need it. If someone feels that confident, great. Then you need to do the survey. Many now use Google Earth for this in today’s world and for indoor they use drawings. That usually is good enough but I still think that you should visit the site to make sure that everything is the way it is on the drawing or web. If you run into any issues then someone has to make changes and eat the cost.
Then you have the optimization, which is an art and a process. For the initial installation many of the installers are doing the preliminary optimization as part of the commissioning since they are on site. Having the installer do this is easy and cheaper than deploying a team to do the optimization immediately. The carrier may have some type of optimization tool or server then that will help with optimizing.
Deployment of the small cell, mini macro, and CRAN is very similar to the Macro cell but it will have to be cost-effective. This is something that many people did not understand I the beginning, including myself. We have to change our way of thinking. Backhaul was the real issue. Installation has a procedure and has to be done correctly, but the backhaul was an issue and when we started this we thought we had to have fiber at every site. We don’t, there are plenty of alternatives, which I will cover later. For now let’s just understand that you could use wireless, fiber, copper, or a cable modem for backhaul. The other issue is that many carriers wanted a dedicated dark fiber connection, which is a lot of money, but an awesome connection. That thinking has changed to save on costs.
Now that we understand that we need to be very cost-effective we know that we can be flexible on many issues that could have been show stoppers, but now they just slow us down. The small cell/CRAN is cheaper and very cost-effective and the mounting assets are plentiful. The backhaul is still an issue, but at least we have options.
RF Design – this is generally where the RF team will determine the need for coverage based of need, complaints, and holes. This is changing because now the carriers are filling holes by responding to customer need, not looking at RF holes anymore. Just because there is no coverage doesn’t mean they need coverage. So they look at statistics and complaints, then they fill the hole or place the sites as needed. Of course, a Greenfield deployment is going to follow every step possible.
Site Acquisition – this is where a team will look at the RF design and try to find sites that fill the need. They don’t just find sites, that is how it used to be. Now they need to look at the site, the owner, the permitting and zoning, the availability to fiber or some type of backhaul, and then pick a cost-effective site.
Site Design – this is where the site, the individual site will be looked at and the design will be done. They may need to do a site survey to determine what will be needed for the installation, the backhaul, and power. They may also need to create drawings for permitting and zoning.
Network Design – this is usually the part where they have to assign the name of the site, the IP information, the RF information, the expected neighbor lists, the addition of the site to the core, schedule the date of integration and adding this site to the rest of the neighbors and maybe the cluster. This is a “behind the scenes” task that most people forget about, but it is absolutely critical. It needs to be done.
Logistics – I would bet most people overlook this and think that it’s part of installation. The reality is that if someone isn’t paying attention to logistics there will be major delays. Usually the PM has to make sure that it is all coordinated properly but unless you have the logistics of where to put all the hardware and how they will get to the deployment crews, you will have major delays and lost costs.
Installation – now you can install the hardware, the backhaul, the fronthaul, and the power. Finally you see the equipment at the site and hopefully it will be ready for the next step.
Commissioning – this is where you will power up the cell, test the backhaul, make updates to the firmware if necessary.
Integration – this is where you will complete the upgrades, add it to the core, and possibly turn up the site if it’s ready. They may or may not go live. They will also do some testing with someone on site to insure it’s working the way it’s supposed to. With LTE they will do upload and download tests. If there is voice at the site they will be required to do an e911 test to make sure it works. It must be done at the site and it must connect to 911 for any emergency.
Optimization – this is where they will have the site optimized for peak performance not only with RF, but also downloads, uploads, working with neighboring sites, and so on. The Optimization teams will consist of RF and DT, (drive teams), that will make sure that each cell site is operating properly and working in the cluster properly. The site will need to be integrated into the core. The handoffs will need to be tested. The cluster will be tested together and all the cell sites need to work together, seamlessly for the system to work well. Remember that voice, text, and data all need to be tested in the real world before the system can be accepted or brought live. This step is critical. The metrics and Key Performance Indicators, (KPIs) of this step will determine what changes need to made to the system. For instance, do the antennas need more downtilt? Does power need to be adjusted? Did a cell handoff to the wrong neighboring cell? This is all worked out and cleaned up in this step.
Project Management – PM is the overall management of the project. You will have several PMs, they have become an integral part of every aspect of deployment. You will have a PM that oversees the overall project, not one but several. Generally you have one for the customer and one for the company in charge of the project. Then you will probably have one for each aspect of the deployment and then each company may have their own PM to oversee the deployment and to be the interface between the customer and the work crew. It is the job of the PM to insure the project moves forward and to solve any issues in any aspect of the project and to set the proper expectations for delivery. No easy task.
Wrap up – So there you have a brief overview. I have more detail in the book but this is going to help you understand what is involved in these rollout. There are many more steps in each task. Some people think you build it and then turn it on, it is not that straight forward. It takes skills and talent. For all of you that do this, good job. It’s a shame these tasks don’t pay better.
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I have been looking at Sprint and working with them is very hard. They originally said they wanted to lower the number of vendors, which makes sense because they have to manage each one. However now they seem to be working with more companies than ever. I am not sure what they plan to do. Softbank is calling the shots now. So what they are doing in Japan they will do here in the US, that’s the reality. All the companies they work with there will have a great advantage over here.
I was readingRCR magazineandFiercewirelessand then I read the Sprint Blog put out by Dr. Sawand they keep talking about the deployment and what they plan to do. All I can say is crap or get off the pot! Let’s get moving already! For crying out loud we have been hearing about this and seeing the RFPs for the last year, and yet I don’t see any movement that wasn’t already planned in 2013. I assume they are looking around for the best price but I would think they would want to start showing progress at some point. They have 120MHz of the 2.5GHz band, band 41, that anyone would be happy to have, but let’s go! Get moving! We have hundreds of crews looking for work and they want to make sure that they are keepingbusy. I am glad that the Macro deployment is moving, slowly, but it is moving. I can’t believe the shareholders don’t notice this. Bandwidth is valuable and they are not deploying it to the best of their abilities. They seem to talk about it all the time but they still are just talking. That like talking about your new work truck while it sits in the garage and does nothing. Let’s get to work and build a great network! Let’s see if Softbank is as smart as they say they are!
I believe that Softbank is doing all that they can to make sure that the project takes off in an organized fashion. However, from the outside in it can look like paralysis by analysis. If Softbank did this before they should already have a plan, they just need to get the right contractors.
It looks like they will move ahead soon. I want to congratulate Airspanand Nokiafor the win of the small cell & mini macro deployment for Sprint. Way to go! I wish you the best and think that the solution will be impressive and groundbreaking here in the USA. Also, Mobilitiegot a big part of the offer and should be very happy with managing the offer. I believe they are also helping with the financing of the network. FYI – important note! Mobilitie is hiring!
Whatever they build out they will need to make sure that they have a plan in place to optimize the network. That is the key to making sure it performs. They also need to understand that voice is still a key part of the network. Do they have a good migration path for VoLTE or will they just worry about data? I hear about all of that spectrum but they need to make sure they have a plan in place to offer a voice solution as well. Some of us still make phone calls on our mobile phones.
I really like the fact they plan to use small cells to the maximum efficiency they can. I hope it is a success. If they can move up in quality in some urban areas then they have a real shot at growth. Don’t get me wrong, I may criticize Sprint but I am hoping that they can improve. That will push all the carriers to improve. Their coverage will need to improve not only outdoors, but indoors as well. Remember that a majority of urban calls are made in the buildings.
creating a black list of companies that do this. How do we do it? If someone doesn’t pay you, don’t work for them again ever after taking them to small claims court. Make sure they know that you take it very seriously. Now this sounds easy, right? If you are a small company then you know that to take time off is to lose money. However, it can’t hurt to file the paperwork, can it? Take the time to file, to make sure the company gets served. Take the time to let your customer know that you mean business. It sucks now but it will pay off in the long run. Then make a list of people not to work for, remember why you won’t work for them. Ask the contact why they didn’t pay and log it. You may be called to share this with someone in the future, that is up to you what you do with it but if you have a team, let them know who you don’t want to work for!
loss. That’s what it means to underbid! PMs don’t’ like change orders unless they are needed, and often they are needed. Contractors like change orders if it adds money to the bottom line. However, when a contractor’s reputation is that they ask for too many change orders, then they have a hard time winning bids. Make sure that you can justify every change order!
the underbidders will always be out there. The good news is that some customers like the best workers and will stick with the contractor that sticks to the price while doing good work, and will show up on time. I know that these companies get steady work. There is a glimmer of hope by cutting out some layers and showing the potential of some of these companies.
ways to do the work more efficiently and for less money. That’s the real goal, improve processes, cut time and costs and still deliver quality work. If this was the focus of most companies, then life would be pretty good. Let’s concentrate on the process, better ways to do things. Listen to the people on the front lines so you can make changes to the design up front. Then you can be the low bidder with the best margins if you can become very efficient and find balance between great work, quality, efficient processes, and profitability. This will make the customer rely on your for more and more work. 
I am asking you to help the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? What if it were you? Would you want help? Who would help you if you were hurt? Who would help your family, your spouse, your children if something happened to you? Do you see the people who are hurt?
