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OSHA & FCC Best Tower Climbing Practices

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That’s right, the FCC and OSHA DOL have teamed up to use their superpowers for the good of the tower climber. These are two of the most influential divisions of government on American business, the world really, that worked hard to provide a safety guideline for an industry where people die every year. They knew there were issues that need to be addressed and they acted.

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Did they do it alone? NO! They asked the tower industry, held workshops, and released the RFI  for the tower climbers to fill out, anonymously if needed. You all had a say. If you didn’t participate, then you may not have been in the industry, or you didn’t make the time to participate in this momentous event. That’s right, OSHA reached out to the field workers for help. Hey, if you did nothing, then you probably don’t expect anything.

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I am proud to say that I not only participated, but I went to the workshop at the FCC office in DC. I took a day of my time, drove several hours, completed the survey, I did all that I could to help. What did you do? All the people at the conference were very supportive of the initiative. There were many vendors, company owners, carriers, and groups like NATE and the Hubble Foundation and the Tower Family Foundation. The workshop information can be found here. This happened back in 2014, so it took a lot of time to make it happen. Yes, I was blogging then, and I had been trying to help more climbers back then.

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One more thing, I think we should all thank the participants of OSHA and FCC who worked diligently to create this and try to raise awareness of the tangled web of climber’s safety.

I don’t climb anymore. I do more engineering, sales, and planning work. I consult, and I write books, and I teach. I coach. So, I am not currently active in the climbing industry other than I bid work, I am still active and keep in touch with the climbing industry. I knew I had to move on, but I still have a passion for this industry. While it’s not as active as it once was, it’s still a critical part of the communications industry. I only did it for 10 years or so, but I really did enjoy it. I learned a lot of what to do and what not to do. I also learned that it was a completely different lifestyle. A job and a lifestyle that takes some adjustment, one where your life could end any day you go up in the air. I worked with some of the best people I ever met and some of the worst people I ever met. It is an amazing industry.

There is one thing that we all agree on is that it’s not as profitable as it used to be.  The carrier specifically made it a commodity. This means that the experienced climbers are leaving the industry by retirement or just looking for new opportunities. It didn’t seem to matter much because there are plenty of new, inexperienced recruits willing to put their lives on the line so that you can use Tinder on your smartphone, isn’t great how far technology has come?

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Therefore, the FCC and OSHA knew they must get involved, they wanted to save lives, and the best way to do that is by prevention. If they fine a company, it’s too late, the person is usually dead. The aim of this is to make the job as safe as it can be so that we prevent death. I hear about the lawsuits and how people get screwed and get hurt, and some people will never recover. I have also seen people try to scam the charities and industry. Like I said, some of the best and some of the worst people. I think it’s sad that people try to cheat charities, but it happens.

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OK, back to the subject at hand, the guidelines. They can be found below:

You can download the best practices document.

First, I want to thank the people at the FCC and OSHA that made this happen. Commissioner Wheeler helped to get the ball rolling, but Commissioner Pai has done a great job of keeping the ball rolling, twitter @AjitPaiFCC if you want to tweet him and tell him what a great job he’s done. Many people participated in the workshop and worked all the way to the end. I know that I was contacted personally by Jessica Douma of OSHA and Michael Janson of the FCC. They really worked hard to see this project all the way to the end. It was no quick or easy process. It takes a team, as I listed below.

Let’s all thank the following:

  • Claire Wack, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC
  • Jessica Douma, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
  • Michael Janson, Associate Chief, CIPD, WTB, FCC
  • Erin Patterson, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
  • Joseph Jenkins, Team Leader, Marketing and Outreach, Office of Apprenticeship, ETA
  • Matthew Warner, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC

When you read the document, you will see it’s broken down into the following parts.

  • Introduction and Background
    • This is obvious, right?
  • General Topics
    • Here they copy general programs that the FCC and OSHA have for the tower climbing industry.
    • An overview of Safety and health programs and contracting practices.
    • An overview of verification of subcontractors.
  • Tower Climbers and Ground Crew Employees
    • This is on the front line!
    • This goes into how each group or participant in the tower work is responsible for defining and following safe practices. From the climber to the crew, covering contractors and crew member at the site or preparing to go to the site. General safety recommendations.
  • Carriers and Tower Owners
    • This section covers how the tower owners should not only vet the contractors but have reporting procedures in place to report incidents. Have the processes and protocols in place. Manage complaints properly, log them and attend to them.
    • They also cover audits, training, and record keeping. Carriers and tower owners are being asked to participate these practices. This spreads it across the industry. Communication is the key.
    • Carriers are asked to provide realistic timelines for deployments. Think about the resources and set up a timeline that makes sense for that project. (Someone’s life depends on it!)
    • Tower owners are asked to inspect their tower, provide anchor points where needed, and update leases to mandate safe installation procedures that do not impede anchor points. They need to meet standard TIA-222-G, have a way to report unsafe conditions easily, allow drones to do more work, and ask for photos of their tower from the contractors working there. Keep a record of what you get!
  • Turfing Vendors
    • First, my opinion – These guys need to be mentioned here because they throw the most climbers all over the place. AT&T has done a great job using turf vendors then laying all the blame on them. They were the scapegoat that AT&T was being investigated for all the deaths that occurred years Wireless Estimator has a good record of climbing deaths by year here.
    • This covers training, job specific training, vetting contractors, and outlines ow they should work with contractors.
    • They cover communication, reporting, incident investigation. Yes, the turf vendor has a serious responsibility to investigate any incidents or unsafe practices. You need to identify SMEs, (Subject Matter Experts), that can help you do this. When I say SME, I mean someone who really knows what they are doing and they have been doing it for years, not the senior guy on a new crew. We here to save lives people!
    • Communicate openly, provide ways to communicate up and down the chain! Have procedures and processes in place so it’s clear how everyone should work, be trained, and report problems and incidents.
    • Work site safety practice, this should be defined clearly.
  • Tower Construction and Maintenance Contractors
    • Here is the front line, again, only the big dogs, or should I say the big tower dawgs? They started with the front line, and they’re ending with the front line.
    • Auditing and incident investigations are outlined. While most of you may have this in place, it’s always a good idea to update and see what has changed.
    • Outline your work site and safety practices, tailgate meetings, cover safety but don’t become so redundant that it’s blown off. Keep it original and interesting. That takes research and work. Review the JHA, keep it onsite, and update it as needed.
    • Record keeping and communication. Do I need to say more? Records of employee training and certifications so that they are available to all parties involved.
    • Training – again, train all worksite employees, not just the climbers. Right?
  • For additional information, here are some sites that may help:

There you go. The FCC and DOL did the best they could to outline this. Tower worker safety seems to be improving in the industry. It pays to be educated and updated.

If you’re interested in what industry leaders are saying, Wireless Estimator does a great job of putting together the voices of the industry at http://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2017/industry-applauds-osha-fccs-long-awaited-communication-tower-best-practices-guide/.

NATE also had good things to say at https://natehome.com/safety-education/osha-fcc-communication-tower-best-practices/ where they also have praise.

Jeff Williams posted a detailed letter at https://blog.npstc.org/2017/06/02/fcc-osha-offer-tower-safety-guidelines/ which summed it up very well.

5g-deployment-plan-front-cover-3k-pixelsWhat does 5G deployment mean? Find out, “The 5G Deployment Plan“, in PDF, eBook, and Paperback!

 

 

 

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention!

See Ya!

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The foundations below do beautiful work, helping families in their time of need. Climbers often get seriously injured or die on the job. The foundations below support those families in their time of greatest need! 

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Hubble Foundation helps the families of climbers in a time of need and beyond with financial support and counseling!

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Tower Family Foundation supports the families of tower climbers at the time of crisis when a climber falls with financial assistance and more.

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Wade4Wireless BlogCast

FCC DAS and Small Cell Workshop 2016

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FCC DAS and Small Cell Workshop 2016

Once again the FCC is working to improve broadband access in the USA. For that, I say thank you. This time they had a workshop to understand what DAS is and what small cells do. Hey, the FCC is busy trying to improve this wireless world for you!

If you missed it, don’t fret. All 6 hours and 57 minutes are on YouTube at https://youtu.be/UHtr5if7wzo to see what happened, trust me, it is easier to watch there than on the FCC website. If you are interested in the presentations that were at the workshop, go to https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2016/05/distributed-antenna-systems-and-small-cell-workshop then scroll down to download the presentations. The FCC is really great at sharing information.

So what did we learn? We learned that this is a great way to promote your company. Sorry, but that’s what many people did However, I did learn a lot from this.

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Distributed Antenna System, DAS, is mostly associate with indoor coverage. Although, there is outdoor DAS where they deploy radio heads like they would small cells.

Small cells are really small cellular BTS systems that offer a low power, small foot print unit that can be deployed indoors or outdoors.

This workshop was a showcase of studies showing how the DAS and small cell solutions can provide a multitude of solutions for public safety and carriers.

For public safety, DAS provides first responders with indoor coverage so that the communications are reliable for anyone entering a building in an emergency situation can remain in contact with their teams. In today’s world this is absolutely critical. The desired signal for first responders is above -95dB. This should allow fire rescue, police, and emergency responders to maintain RF coverage in all cases. The way this is done in today’s buildings is to put the antenna and signal boosters inside the building. Critical communications are not cheap, but they are necessary if you value life. DAS creates this reliability and level of safety.

I am shocked that most municipalities don’t have written requirement for this. When I look around some states have taken this seriously while others don’t’ want to be bothered. Even after a major incident happens, the government doesn’t seem to react soon enough. If they make the requirements then they know that building owners will put it in because an inspector, usually the local fire department, could go out and approve this. An example of the sprinkler system was brought up and how they are in every large building now. It was a great analogy.

Carrier coverage is different. We all rely on our smart phones in today world for work and convenience. However, the carriers are no longer going to pay for the indoor coverage unless they see a large payback. They will only do it for large customers. The carriers say that broadband is a utility. So the carriers should be regulated like utilities, right? Sorry, just a quick dig there.

So the carriers want to have the building owners and businesses pay for their own small cells and DAS systems. I am fine with that but they need to find a way for these units to be deployed inside building with their support, but the way it is now they want to control it. That may change soon with the deployment of LTE-U.

Qualcomm’s MulteFire was mentioned several times. It seems like this may be the way that small cell coverage for multi carrier requirements may be the wave of the near future. MulteFire is a LTE-U format where it can run LTE in unlicensed spectrum without the licensed support.  Apparently many companies are relying on this to move ahead.

One more thing that was covered extensively is the stealth deployment to make the municipalities happy. For outdoor, or even indoor, antennas have to be hidden to make people feel safe and make the companies look good.

I brought up the note that broadband is becoming a utility and that people expect it. Yet it was brought up again and again how when new buildings go up, broadband is generally an afterthought, not in the original plans. I believe they should replace the telco rooms with data rooms and allow for wireless and fiber access to buildings at the same time they plan electric and water access.

This wasn’t just all about public safety and carrier class. Wi-Fi was also brought up several times. Broadband is part of our life. It is more than a convenience. If you don’t believe me, then tell me how many of you don’t have Wi-Fi in your homes? If I drive through my neighborhood I see so many Wi-Fi hotspots because everyone around me has a Wi-Fi router in their house! Do you?

I also noticed how many people talked about outdoor small cells. Stealth is a huge topic. Power access is another issue that came up again and again. These are all things that make small cells expensive to deploy.

The expense was brought up again and again. Remember that no matter what you deploy you need to worry about zoning and permitting, power, looks, and backhaul.

If this subject interests you, then look at what the FCC put together. This is a great opportunity to learn from what they did. It can be a workshop for all of us.

https://youtu.be/UHtr5if7wzo

https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2016/05/distributed-antenna-systems-and-small-cell-workshop

 

Wade4Wireless BlogCast

CBRS Citizens Broadband Radio Service Update

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I am so excited that the FCC will be releasing more spectrum for the rest of us. The Citizens Broadband Radio Service, (CBRS) here in the USA. I am not talking about the Billions of dollars that the US carriers need to spend to get LTE spectrum. I am talking about the spectrum that you can get just but filing and spending slightly less than a billion dollars. That’s right, the FCC will soon be releasing 150 MHz of 3.5GHz spectrum in the 3550 to 3700 MHz range. Oh boy, more spectrum that we can put LTE on, I mean you, the people that need it the most to create smaller wireless networks and possibly a carrier neutral system where they could roam onto. It would be LTE so the problems roaming from Wi-Fi to LTE would be resolved, can you believe it?

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I know that some OEMs, like Ruckus, Nokia, and ip.access are pretty excited to sell some product in this area. I want to deploy in this area. Now all we need are UE devices with the spectrum in it. I am not too worried because that small company out of San Diego, Ca, is supporting it. You may know them as Qualcomm, I know them as one of my former employers. Not to mention Intel and Google love it! I see something big coming together. If the cable companies were smart, they would jump on the bandwagon now! There is also Federated Wireless who is planning to release something for this band.

However, let me explain some more detail.

  • It’s in the 3550 to 3700MHz range.
  • 150 MHz of spectrum.
  • It is called Authorized Shared Access, (ASA) here in the USA and in Europe they are doing something similar called Licensed Shared Access, (LSA).
  • It is supported by Ruckus (recently bought by Brocade), ip.access, Google, Nokia, Qualcomm, and Intel.
  • Ruckus and ip.access already have products available.
  • It looks like a good model for neutral host solutions indoors.
  • Spectrum would be openly available with federal government getting first dibs and authorized access to the spectrum first.
  • Remember that the government has priority so if they use it then your listen before talk could shut you down.
  • 3 tiered structure that has;
    • Tier 1 = Incumbents – the government who is already using it. Military radar on ships and ground. Fixed earth station receivers, and a few that already have broadband licenses. The broadband licensed people will be transitioned to Tier 2 and 3 in about 5 years.
    • Tier 2 = Priority access licenses – Licensed by auction for a 3-year term, 10MHz channel, in the 3550 to 3650MHz spectrum, could be used for offload, PTP, PMP, utility, enterprise broadband. (I see the carriers sucking this up, but who knows. I would say Google, but seriously, what have they paid for so far?)
    • Tier 3 = Generalized authorized access – new users with no interference protection. Minimum of 80MHz and maximum of 150MHz, 3550MHz to 3700MHz, licensed by rule, could be used for small cell, campus systems, offload, wireless broadband, or backhaul. (Get creative here. This is where we could make a small cell system, small companies that can’t afford to contribute billions to the FCC, you know, the small businesses who once could afford to get licenses and build wireless systems.)

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So what is going on now? The FCC is working with a group to get input on SAS and ESC. What is that? Read below.

  • SAS = Spectrum Access System, they are looking at administrators and how it will be handled. SAS interface is still being worked out.
  • ESC = Environmental Sensing Capabilities, looking for operator applications.
  • YouTube at https://youtu.be/Ypd9-IWg5hM which gives you an idea of what is going on. It is 68 minutes long, just a heads up. Meeting was on February 16th.
  • Purpose of the meeting was to review how to move ahead, even though it seems the standards are not finished.
  • Hosted by the Wireless Telecommunication Bureau (WTB) and Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) of the FCC.
  • At the meeting were players from Verizon, AT&T, Amdocs, Federated Wireless, CTIA, Google, Wireless Innovation Forum, Keybridge, ASRC Federal, Comsearch, and a few more. If Nokia was there, I didn’t hear them.
  • The FCC is requesting input, https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-77A1.pdf that will help them how to move ahead with SAS and ESC.
  • Responses/proposals are due April 15th.
  • This may help decide who will be the SAS administrator and how it will be monitored. It will also help us understand how it will be coordinated and monitored. Remember that this has to be fair and balanced. (can it be with Google, AT&T, Verizon, and CTIA there, not sure that will happen.

So could this be the neutral host system that we’ve been waiting for? It’s licensed and we won’t have to worry about interference in the unlicensed band. Of course, there is the worry of government ships coming close to shore and the listen before talk causing problems.

If you build a system in this band then you, in theory, would not need to be anchored to a licensed band. You could build your own system on this, once there are devices for this band.

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I really hope this succeeds, and I will tell you why. If we can get this going and growing then it should open up the doors to newer spectrum, more spectrum, then people like me could build a system that enterprise users could use. A way for the carriers to roam into a new area without licensed free, but with LTE in a lightly licensed solution that could let the device stay in LTE mode, just a different band. We may even be able to aggregate it someday.

Think of how many small cells that we could sell in this band! How much more we could expand systems? The WISPs and cable companies could build out the system in an area quickly. All we need are devices. This is something that they could really offer to the carriers for offloading, much better than Wi-Fi in my opinion because it would be lightly licensed.

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Unfortunately, it may all rely on the carriers asking the device makers to add it to the devices. I believe that Qualcomm and Intel will make sure the chips have it and it gets in devices, but they will need the carriers buy in. We all know that the carriers are bullies when it comes to things like this. So if they say no, then what?

I see this as another stepping stone for 5G and densification. It will be another tool in the toolbox that we can use to improve coverage in a very clean way.

If you want to learn more, the Wireless Innovation Forum has a PDF slide deck at http://www.wirelessinnovation.org/assets/ssc%20webinar%2017%20june.pdf and FCC definitions at http://www.wirelessinnovation.org/fcc-definitions if you want to learn more.

I am still trying to figure all of this out. I hope this band becomes the indoor standard or at least plays an integral part in the broadband ecosystem because it should mean more business for most of us. I hope it’s not another carrier dominated band that once again makes it harder for the smaller providers break into the market. I get it, Wi-Fi has potential, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could spend some money on spectrum to avoid 5 other hotspots stepping on us? Will the FCC allow it? Probably not if the largest carriers have their ears, which they seem to most of the time. Whether you love or hate T-Mobile, they seem to keep AT&T and Verizon Wireless in line. I don’t see T-Mobile making a play here, which is strange because they could use the spectrum. Not sure why they are conspicuously absent.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention!

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FCC DOL Tower Safety Workshop Panel 3 Breakdown

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Here we are for the third and final panel which covered TIRAP and Telecommunications Workforce Development, let’s get to it.

OSHA has released the initial version of the “Communication Tower Best Practices” document coauthored by OSHA and the FCC. Click here to download the PDF. For those of you that don’t know OSHA has a website for the Communication Tower industry here.

This panel covered the RFI that OSHA put out last year to the tower climbing community, the people on the front lines, for Information on Tower Climber Safety, OSHA-2014-0018, and click here to learn more about it.

I will be at the NATE Unite conference February 23rd and 24th, will you be there? Let’s talk if you are! So who is going? The exhibit floor, map found here, where I will be the 24th to meet and greet as many people as I can! The schedule, found here. See you at NATE Unite! Remember that the TFF will auction off a professional drone package, details here. 

Thank you FCC and DoL/OSHA for putting this together, for taking the time to show you care about making this a better industry.

Video of the workshop found by clicking here.

  • ModeratorsIMG_3393
    • Joseph Jenkins, Team Leader, Marketing and Outreach, Office of Apprenticeship, ETA
    • Matthew Warner, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC
  • Panelists:
    • Dave Anthony, Shenandoah Tower, outstanding guy and on the board of TIRAPIMG_3396 (1)
    • Chase Hammock, TIRAP Apprentice, MUTI/Sabre Industries
    • David Sams, SBA Communications, Vice Chair for TIRAP board
    • Laurie Gebhardt, Verizon Wireless
    • Jonathan Adelstein, PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association, President and CEO of PCIA
  1. Opening Remarks
    1. Dave Anthony gave praise to NATE and many other organizations for all of their support to the tower technician workforce. He explained how complex the business really is and how much sacrifice the tower workers give each day. He also brought up how common training certification will make a difference in the industry. It is important that we continue to educate and train the tower workforce moving ahead. This documentation and standardization will lead to uniform safety across the industry.
    2. Chase told us that he sees TIRAP a bit differently because he is the climber on the front line. He also mentions how many changes he has seen in this industry and went through the history of his training. And how much better it is now compared to when he started. How MUTI training took training from a one day class to a week-long training program. MUTI training makes the climbers safer and professional.
    3. David told a story how when he started with SBA he was on his 10th day on the job and he got a call that one of his foreman fell and died. He then said how SBA had no safety program. He went to management and explained that they need to follow the regulations from OSHA and they needed to make changes. Two years later they lost one of their climbers from a fall in Florida. Today they have a serious and dedicated safety program. He sat down with Scott Kisting about how to make changes in the industry.
    4. Then Laurie opened with how the demands put on the network demands a vast number of people with a wide variety of skills to roll out the network. It is important to Verizon that they know that people are properly trained. TIRAP is just such a program where the workers training is standardized and nationally recognized. Verizon has established programs to verify the vendor’s safety programs and certifications. They have hired a third-party to verify the contractor’s certifications. They don’t want anyone to get hurt or lose a life building their network. They feel that standardization across the industry will really help.
    5. Jonathon talked about his time with the FCC and thanked everyone for focusing on safety on the 20th anniversary of the telecom act. He pointed out how telecom has exploded in growth. He then said how growth means that the programs to train the works needs to be set and standardized for the workforce. Then he said how the workforce needs to provide an opportunity for the workers. They are bringing in academic institutions and veterans to build careers in this industry. To develop a career.
  2. First question asked by Matthew Warner. Has TIRAP advanced its 3 main goals, safety, quality, and job advancement for workers?
    1. Dave responded with how pleased he was to develop the training standards for each of the climbers to do their job at each level, and how TIRAP is supported by volunteers. By pursuing this course it will make the industry better with safety and standards.
    2. David agreed with Dave and also said how it’s self-funded and full of volunteers. He feels what they have accomplished in the past year is remarkable with the job titles and curriculum they have set up it a great start. They are working to get more codes for more job titles. Although slower than they would like it to be it is making progress. They are looking for volunteers to help.
    3. Laurie felt good about the push forward but she thinks that they could improve by getting more HR departments involved in this program. There is plenty of work to be done and they would love to have more people help.
    4. Jonathon said that they formed an apprenticeship program that stretches across the industry and that is a first. There is a long way to go but it’s a start-up, a small group that is really working on big ideas. They really want to make it grow quickly. It’s difficult to help all the companies with the help they need because of the small TIRAP group. He would like to hand it to the companies so they can see how much it will help them improve.
  3. Joseph said about how TIRAP took a lot of time creating ONET codes so that the jobs can be recognized by the DOL, why is this so important?
    1. David said that SBA has job titles and job description to provide uniformity to their workforce across the nation. This apprenticeship program is providing a career path instead of just a job. This states that the tower industry in wireless will provide a career path for them to earn money and build it into more.  The ONET code is the catalyst behind all of that.
    2. Then Joseph followed up with, “what is the major advantages of providing ONET codes regarding safety quality, job advancement, and universal understanding of qualifications for this industry.
    3. David came back pointing out that the training curriculum is based on the ONET code in the job title. Each person has their qualifications based on that curriculum so they should all be trained the same. He said that the agreement between TIRAP and NWSA agreeing on the training so that the industry is completely aligned no matter how you get trained, with for NWSA or through TIRAP, the standards are the same and uniform.
  4. Then Matthew asked Chase if he could explain if he would want to see TIRAP trained people working for him and with him. Especially if he went to another company.
    1. Chase said that as a TIRAP member you start as an apprentice and then you work your way up. If he were to go to another company then he would have the certification, the training, the card, and the new company would know exactly what he is trained for. If you don’t have this certification then you really don’t know what the new guy was trained for. With TIRAP you have the structure in the training so you know that they know how to be safe and do their job.
  5. So Matthew asked if the training changed. with MUTI in the last 4 years?
    1. Chase said when he started training was 1 day with going up one tower and making sure you know how to tie off. Now they have class study and tower training that lasts a week to go over training and a competent training class. They also have continued education with teams that come out and do audits of the climbers knowledge
  6. Then Matthew asked a question from the audience, “A new climbers first time on the tower should not be on the job,, are tower owners willing to allow access to the towers for training?”
    1. Chase said that they do have a training tower as well as classroom so it will not be a=on the job but there is on the job training.
    2. Then David jumped in and said that its SBA policy not to allow any training on their towers due to the risk and liability and that they do not have the faith in how most folks dot he training, and that they have their own program. That is SBA policy.
  7. Joseph then asked how Chase would improve training to ensure that he and his team is safe, what could companies to make them all safe?
    1. Chase responded stating that no job is more important than the tower climber’s life so if they feel at risk they should now they don’t have to climb. That should filter down to the climber so that they can stop the job at any time. They save an acronym called SAUCE, Stop, Assess, Understand, Communicate, Execute, this is what they do when there is an issue at the site.
  8.  Matthew has followed up with stating that they have good practices, how do we make that a best practice for the industry.
    1. David said that everything they do they are trying to make a common practice. He also said how the workers spend a week in training first before they are deployed. They are taught what they need to know which is very similar to the TIRAP curriculum.
    2. Jonathon said that TIRAP is really about sharing best practices, looking at how they can do things right. This is being spread across the industry with TIRAP. They are working to developed more training. They are also promoting TIA standards and getting the word out in the industry. Now TIRAP is working on videos on YouTube to be released to train the workers to do the job right.
  9. Joseph ask Chase, have you noticed that following TIRAP procedures that you are improving your practice in the job have you been able to notice when someone is doing something wrong that you can improve the practices?
    1. Chase said that he spends more time with his crew then with his family, so they are family and it makes them look out for each other. He is picking up and showing the new workers how to improve their work. He also learns from others and to learn from them
  10. Matthew asked about how you know when the contractor is telling the truth about their training?
    1. Laurie said that they evaluate the contractors on several factors, safety, length of time in the industry, and track record with OSHA. There really is no set of criteria to evaluate how good they really are. So they like that if they could have a uniform way to see what their workers can do with uniform certifications. This will help align contractors with the certifications. How does a carrier know who does the actual training versus someone who just copied credentials. So with TIRAP setting a uniform training and certification program to let them know what they can and cannot do.
    2. Then Matthew asked what would be the ultimate solution for that, but ONET codes won’t really help the carriers, but what would help Verizon verify who is qualified?
    3. Laurie would like to see a way that they could look at a database it would really help. There isn’t anything at this time but the sooner they have it the better.
    4. Then David brought up that this is a real problem in this industry. He said the way to stop these companies it to catch them in the industry, but doing site audits.
    5. Then Dave said that NWSA will help align their training credentials with a database lookup. This training has 37 different jobs that they will code which means one size does not fit all, but each one will be specialized. So they are being very specific about the training and certifications which is specific to the scope of work.
  11. Joseph asked what is TIRAPs method for validation of training and how will this be different from internal training programs?
    1. Dave came back and said that the federal government will have a role in this. Credentials will back up what they say and the government will back up prosecuting anyone with false credentials.
  12. Joseph asked if the TIRAP board could do more to create standardized training modules and does the all-volunteer TIRAP board have the resources to complete this?
    1. Dave said they need more time and money. They are taxing OSHA to support them which needs more time and money to support this program. Dave asked them to step and be all in. They need the support of the government to help them achieve the goal, the commitment to support them.
    2. Then Jonathon brought up that this is a startup phase but they expect that when the larger companies start to pitch in then they can quickly adopt the apprenticeship programs then things will start to roll ahead faster.
    3. Then David said that the program for the smaller companies that can’t hire a training staff, it will really help. What a great way to train veterans to be trained and use the GI Bill to get trained.
  13. Matthew then asked what TIRAP could do to help veterans.
    1. Dave (on the board for Warriors for Wireless) brought up that veterans are looking to build a career because they are always looking to advance. The wireless industry didn’t have that before but now they are building career paths for the people to get a job that they can succeed in and grown. A career that they will enjoy. A career that they will support their family with.
    2. Jonathon said that this is the perfect industry for veterans because they are team oriented, safety oriented, and many are leaders. Maybe they want to move into different jobs and that is open to them now. The GI Bill could be used to train the veteran workforce and help them move ahead. The men and woman of the military are perfect to build a culture of safety.
  14. Matthew wondered if Verizon would pay a higher rate to hire TIRAP trained contractors.
    1. Laurie said that the job does not always go to the lowest bidder but to someone who is the most qualified and has the training in place. She said that Verizon understands that when a contractor says they need a man lift that they would allow that.
  15. Matthew then asked could third-party auditing contractors, would that help.
    1. David said it is very hard to stop this, no matter what you do it may not stop. They ask for the training certificates for the people on site and they did over 500 audits last year. The problem is that you have several companies that play this game and do not train people properly. He doesn’t think that audits could help.
    2. Laurie said that audits would be a good place to start but it will not be enough. It’s a step in the right direction.
  16. Matthew asked, Most companies are money driven and TIRAP would be driven by company owners, so if new companies pop up during the busy time, how would you know who is trained and who isn’t?
    1. Dave said that the workers will not get the certificate until that worker is qualified and passes the certification program in TIRAP and NWSA. The on-the-job training for TIRAP is more thorough and requires more validation. The apprenticeship part of that will help as well but it takes time to get all of this in place. The workforce will be trained for their specific job, then there should also be a no tolerance policy for the cheaters. There isn’t one thing to be done but all of it has to be done right. It take time and adjustments to do it right. Do we love money or do we love the people that work for us? Dave asked his guys to stand up and we all applauded because he made the point that he loves his guys and he doesn’t want to see any of them get hurt. He thinks that all contractors should decide what they love more, their people or money. He hires the right guy for the job. He states that each company and worker will stand the test of time and that the industry is moving in that direction. We want to build something that is enduring.
  17. Then Joseph asked how TIRAP works for the climbers for someone who has been in the industry for years.
    1. David said that they can test out at each level.
  18. Closing remarks
    • Dave said that we got a long way and let’s work it together. Each group has to do what they need to do be successful.
    • Chase said that safety starts with the company so if the company isn’t safe then the climber will take shortcuts. Don’t let complacency creep in because if you get complacent on the tower then you have accidents. Stay 100/100.
    • David thanked the FCC and OSHA and thinks that the industry needs more workshops like this. He said that he does not want to investigate any more fatalities, he has looked into 17.
    • Laurie said that safety is paramount and it needs to be the culture at all levels from the climber to the contractors to the engineers to the carriers. Everyone needs to accept that they have a role in safety. For the culture change we need to stop focusing on the money and focus on each other so we all are safe for the next time.
    • Jonathon said that we are in a special industry, wireless broadband that improves not only our lifestyle but for public safety. This will make changes by creating jobs and providing safety. We need to align the safety with the growth and the demands for mobile data. We need to do it right.

Then Kathy Pierce, a volunteer with the Hubble Foundation, gave a moving speech about her loss. Her son died 2 years ago and she was so emotional when she spoke of her son, Chad Weller who died working on a water tank about 2 years ago on March 19th in 2014. She was very emotional and it was so sad, it is very hard for her to talk about this. Kathy talked about how you need to climb with a clear mind. Safety isn’t someone else’s responsibility, it is yours. Everyone involved needs to be held accountable. It is not just one person’s fault. She brought up how her son made a difference in that company and she found it very sad that it took her son to die for that company to realize that they need to improve safety. Why does it take anyone’s family member to decide that they need to be strict on safety? She said that her son made a huge impact on their lives when he was here and now he is making a big impact on others now that he is gone. Kathy asked us all too truly commit ourselves to make a change to make the industry safer for all involved.Then Michael gave the closing thank you to all that attended and to his team.

IMG_3404 (1)I would like to thank the DOL and OSHA and the FCC for doing all that they do to help this industry become safe and professional.

The thing is I have met some of the absolute best people I have ever know in this industry, but I have also met some of the worst people I have known in this industry. I would like to see everyone in this industry become the best they can be and see the level of IMG_3401 (1)professionalism rise to the top of all industries. I pray I get to see that day. Let’s all work together for a safer and happier future in wireless. Let’s work together to make this happen. I spend a lot of spare time writing about this and not everyone likes it, but for all of you that appreciate it, thank you!

Remember that the FCC and OSHA are here to help. They are our friends in the endeavor to overhaul the industry. Sooner, the professionals will run the industry and the other will fall behind and out of this industry. It’s more than a dream, we IMG_3400have all the people that were at this panel working to make sure that it happens. I see great things for the future. I see the value added to each task added to this industry with a pride that wasn’t always there. I am honored to take that step with each of you that want to see a successful and safe wireless deployment into 5 G and beyond.

Remember that the FCC and OSHA are your friends! They are working hard to help you become better at your job and safe!

Get the Wireless Deployment Handbook today!

You need to download the Wireless Deployment Handbook eBook that covers professional carrier end to end deployment of LTE small cells, CRAN, and DAS to show you the proper way to plan for deployment then execute, planning and action without the mistakes.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

I am asking the carriers to provide numbers for workers to call to report payment issues and contractor issues. I didn’t hear from any of them yet, If you know it let me know at wade4wireless@gmail.com, but for now, call OSHA!

OSHA cares, don’t be afraid to call the number below and explain to them what is wrong at the site when you feel the work site is not safe! CALL OSHA to report unsafe work conditions!

To report an emergency, fatality, or imminent life threatening situation please contact our toll-free number immediately:

1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

OSHA is asking for public comment on Safety and Management,  click here..

Click here for Newsletter sign-up!

Order Tower Climber Logbook Today! Log your job, your high time, your drive time, and track your crew’s work!

Video of the workshop and information found here.

OSHA Complaint web site for non-emergencies

Complaint information and whistle-blower protection explained

How to file a safety and health complaint

OSHA contact page to report unsafe working conditions

SOW Training CoverScope of Work tutorial for the contractor.

Listen–> iTunes or Stitcher

Tower Safety for all your safety training!

Tower Safety and Instruction  

official logo

Give to the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? Who supports Hubble? The wireless workers and the tower climbers, that’s who! 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?

Wade4Wireless BlogCast

FCC DOL Tower Safety Workshop Panel 1 Breakdown

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Hello everyone. On February 11th I went to 445 12th St SW, Washington DC, which you may know better as the FCC headquarters. What was I doing there? I was invited to participate on a panel of the Tower Safety Workshop. First off, I think that it’s great that the FCC and DOL/OSHA got together to do something like this for the tower industry. Not only for the tower industry, but for the wireless industry! The FCC shows that they care enough to host this and OSHA is making every effort to understand the problems out in the field. They are working to support all efforts to prevent death and injury at the tower site. It will take a team effort to make this happen. Who is on the team? The FCC, DOL/OSHA, wireless carriers, tower climbers, wireless contractors, and everyone working in the wireless and broadcast industry. This means you! It needs to be a team effort. I consider myself part of that team, do you?

Thank you FCC and DoL/OSHA for putting this together, for taking the time to show you care about making this a better industry.

Video of the workshop and information found by clicking here.

First off, let’s look at what the problem is. Tower climbers die. They die working on tower when they fall. There are many reasons for the accidents. They could be due to a poorly trained climber or crew, a climber got complacent or lazy, shortcuts were taken, or maybe it was just an accident. Sometime accident happen or equipment just fails. When someone falls from over 80 feet off the ground it usually ends in a fatality.

If you think it isn’t a big deal, you don’t understand how a death can affect a family. So let me ask you to visualize something. You’re at a site watching the climber go up the tower. You see them put all their gear on, you see them attach the safety gear and perform 100% tie off. Or, maybe you don’t pay attention to what they are doing at all, maybe you’re worried about your job. Then look again, and imagine that it’s a child, your child, going up the tower. Imagine that your child is making a mistake or not tied off properly. Imagine you see your child slipping off that tower from only 50 feet up and there is nothing you can do! Now how do you feel about that climber, knowing that it could be your child falling. That they will die if they make a mistake? It really puts it in a different light knowing that someone’s child, possibly your child, could die. Many people lost children because of this over the years. This is why we will prevent as many as we can. We would like to prevent all of them if possible. Nobody wants to lose another family member.

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There was so much covered at the workshop. So much more that I can really cover. I intend to cover most of it and point out things I agree with, disagree with, and things that were missed. I really can’t get it all in one article.

Video of the workshop and information found by clicking here.

There were 3 panels and several speeches. I don’t want to slight anyone but I would like to cover the parts that really stuck out.

I don’t want to discount the opening speeches that were made by some very important people in the industry.

  • Tom Wheeler, (FCC Chairman and if you don’t know who he is, IMG_3371wake up), opened it up with a speech on the loss we have seen in the industry and as long as we have one death, it’s too many. There were 3 recorded climbers that died this year, the only acceptable number would be ZERO!
  • Roger Sherman, (Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau,
    IMG_3374FCC), who brought us up to speed with all of the work that has been done so far. He thanked everyone for making progress. He thanked Kathy Pierce for all that she has done to show us how the loss affects families. He pointed out how in today’s world most American’s smartphones are more than a convenience, but a way to get work done and a part of our everyday lives.
  • Eric Seleznow, (Deputy Assistant Secretary, ETA, DOL), IMG_3379oversees the national apprenticeship programs. He was happy how far TIRAP has come in the past year and a half. He was very happy that the FCC and DOL could work together for this effort.
  • Matthew Colengo, (Chief of Staff, DOL), talked IMG_3382about the progress that has been made and gave a special thanks to Kathy Pierce for all that she is doing to improve work conditions and the treatment of tower climbers. He also brought up Ernie Jones and gave Ernie credit for all that he has done in the industry and how sad it was that we lost him.

First off let’s cover Panel 1, (my panel), that covers the changes that need to be made to the FCC/DOL Guidance for Best Practices for improving Safety. If you’re watching the video, this starts at 26 minutes in.

  • Moderators
    • Claire Wack, Attorney Advisor, CIPD, WTB, FCC
    • Jessica Douma, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
  • Wade Sarver, (me!)
  • Jason Becker, National Radio Operations Branch, BLM
  • John Parham, Jacobs Engineering Group
  • Don Doty, National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)
  • Kevin Schmidt, National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA)
  • Angela Jones, Union Wireless, who is a structural engineer, project engineer, and certified climber.

Questions:

  1. Jessica asked how should company’s go about creating an environment where climbers can report unsafe conditions or a dangerous situation without fear of reprisal from their direct boss or up the company chain?
    • I brought up that companies need to have an open culture. The climber should not only be able to report it to his boss but if they have an issue then take it farther up to someone else in the company. Angela mentioned how their company being smaller, allows the climbers to be able to do that. John pointed out that NATE’s magazine has article in Tower Times by Tom Bunk about how the culture should be open and geared around safety. Jason talked about how they have reports daily for the climbers to review ahead of time.
  2. Jessica asked about contractual controls since there could be so many contractors between the carrier and the climber.
    • Kevin brought up that the carriers will implement training requirements. Don said that this is already common place for the most part and that we need better supervision and oversight. That is when I brought up that we need a way to audit the safety at the sites and that the climbers on site need to have a number to call to report incidents of climbers without credentials. Reporting to the boss won’t cut it, there needs to be a better way to report problems. Then Don mentioned they a credentialing system is being implemented to require all climbers on site to have the proper credentials and a way to verify them. He said that it will become mandatory at some point and required by the carriers.
  3. Claire asked John his thoughts about the contracts
    • John brought up that the contractors language will help but he also mentioned that it’s up to the tower crew companies to have the proper culture, that even policing may not be enough. He said that you can’t subcontract safety, and he it has to be in the culture of the company. He pointed out that OSHA has a hotline that people can call to report incidents directly to OSHA, the 800 # for them to call.
  4. Claire then asked Kevin about how contracts are packaged for bidding and how that would affect the climbers at the bottom of the bidding chain.
    • Kevin mentioned that the tower work is subbed out in bulk quantities to larger subs which then goes out to smaller subs who in turn may sub it out to even smaller subs before it gets to the climber. He then pointed out that at the top of the food chain no one really knows who is out at the site, specifically the carrier. Now that the new certification program coming it will raise the standards. John brought up that complacency is a real problem and that we need to keep the climbers alert on their job because one oversight or mistake could be the end. He said that the climbers need to have good discipline. He stated that all the workers need to be on the same page as far as a common safety message. I mentioned that it is a good idea but how do you instill this into all the tower companies spread across the country. Then Jason pointed out that the work has to be done in the beginning of the contract and to report the close calls and problems on site to record all issues that the climber ran into on site, reporting is very important. Then Angela pointed out that the tower needs to have proper anchor points, that many are not designed the way they should be for safety. John agreed and pointed out that often training is done with a perfect scenario but in the field there are more situations that they don’t encounter in training.
  5. Jessica asked Angela what more we should do on the tower to improve safety.
    • Angela brought up that towers need to have dedicated tie off points and that they need to eliminate dangerous mounting situations like the T arms on monopoles often called the widow maker. Then she brought up that TIA-222F and 222G has many of the requirements. TIA-222G actually has a chapter on proper rigging. How experienced climbers know how to handle some of the situations. John added that the site supervisor should be qualified to supervise and climb, to have the experience to lead the climbers to do things the right way.
  6. Claire then asked a question from the audience. Does the accredited ANSI program void their current ComTrain certification?
    • The answer was written on the card, which said it’s a supplemental certification so it will not void the certification.
  7. Jessica followed up with the structural discussion about what can we do for the existing towers, can retrofitting be done to make them safer and address dangerous towers out there.
    • Angela told us that you could improve the towers out there, not all but many could be improved and made better. She said if given the choice they would prefer to build a new tower.
  8. Jessica then asked Jason what occupational medical surveillance is required say for physical fitness and fit to climb and should it be addressed.
    • Jason answered with the medical check that they need to pass prior to getting hired, and they are looked at annually. Now, out in the field there’s a safety meeting checklist for the tailgate meeting where they not only ask for credentials but ask about medicine and general health. Don said that physical fitness matter and that they should make known any issues that could affect their climbing, mentally or physical or chemical. Don mentioned how STAR was a good program to address these issue and he brought up the safety culture plays a part in this.
  9. Jessica asked me about how the traveling and long days affected the climbers.
    • I brought up that it’s up to the crew leader to make the call about work. I brought up that many crews put in 14 hour days when they are busy, they work extra hard to get home. Therefore the planning needs to be worked out ahead of time to include travel time so that the climbers get the rest they need and that the foreman or crew lead needs to make the call and it would be a better call when the planning is done better. Awareness will make training a requirement and make the contractor look at the drive time as well as the work time.
  10. Claire followed up with a question to John about how to structure bids so that everything is taken into account and that the crews that you hire are in a good financial position to complete the work.
    • John said safety is up to the crew but can be helped with proper planning. When planning out a deployment it takes a lot of work. Now his company works with partners who they select ahead of time. Then, along with that contractors, they plan the work out ahead of time, 60 days, 6 months, and 12 months in advance. Then they can look at the time allocated for each job. They also try to balance the work so that the cash flow to the climber is steady and keeps the workers working. I commended him for doing that and pointed out how much work it was to do that up front and how that was not done in the past. John then said how the upfront work saves time on the backend. Jason brought up the model that the Navy has to lay out the preplanning looking at all of the resources, the time, and the tasks. Then I brought up that the partners program is a good idea because if you work with a partner you know them, what they can and can’t do as well as more about that company than a blind bid. John then said that they work very closely with their partner and have them work in their offices.
  11. Claire then asked Kevin how do you start the partnership programs and how do you know that they have qualified climbers and technicians
    • Kevin said right now there is only the paperwork but when NWSA comes out then you can look up the NWSA number to make sure they are all certified properly. Then Jason mentioned that for the inspections that need to be done at the towers and that there has to be oversight on the climber’s performance, they need to be trained to think about how they tied off and lay out the risks. Don mentioned how the tower is installed once and will be climbed hundreds of times and they anchor points need to be planned out. Angela then talked about OSHA tiers for safety to see that the towers are engineered for safety.
  12. Jessica then asked about how newer companies that need to train a skilled workforce, how would they plan out the work and keep the trained workforce?
    • Don mentioned how broadcast went through the downturn with the transition from analog to digital and how the work dried up. He then said that he was able to transition broadcast workers into wireless workers and how they have to transition the workers if they can. I then said if there is not work, what will you do? If there is no work then you can’t pay the people. So would they come back to this industry after what they have been through? I don’t think so. John agreed and pointed out that work does slow down and pick up. He mentioned that maybe the government could help with zoning and permitting to allow work to move ahead at a better pace.
  13. Then we wrapped up, Claire asked us each for our best practice ideas.
    • Angela said that make sure that the tower is engineered properly top to bottom for safety by having the proper anchor points at the right locations.
    • Don said that NATE is working with ANSI on A10.48 to release the criteria for safe practices with the construction and maintenance for towers.
    • Kevin said that the contractors should train properly and make sure everyone on site is certified and then each climber should tie off 100% and stop the work if there is a risk to anyone on the crew.
    • John says planning is the main thing is planning.
    • Jason said they should always climb as partners, work together, climbers are interchangeable and they all are prepared for any problems that might arise. They also provide safe practices.
    • I said that there has to be a way to report unsafe towers to someone other than the tower owner. I also said that the climbers need to get paid for their work, it is the #1 complaint that I get.

Order Tower Climber Logbook Today! Log your job, your high time, your drive time, and track your crew’s work!

Then we closed and Jessica said that they will revisit the best practices document to make updates based on what they learned in this session. This was the end of panel one.

I will have more on panels 2 & 3 in later articles.

Video of the workshop and information found here.

So here is the breakdown, it went well and we discussed a lot of good ideas. Now they need to be implemented. The culture needs to change. The change needs to come from the tower company’s leadership. If you are a climber, then I would ask you to change the culture of your crew as best you can. Take safety seriously, listen to each other, and work together. Don’t be afraid to point out problems and issues and call the OSHA hotline when you have to. Learn from each other about the best way to do things and have discussions not arguments. Remember that there is no perfect way to do things but if someone has a better idea then maybe listen to it. If your way is better, don’t just say it’s better, explain why and what you have done in the past. We need to make a safety culture.

Get the Wireless Deployment Handbook today!

Get the Wireless Deployment Handbook eBook that covers professional carrier end to end deployment of LTE small cells, CRAN, and DAS to show you the proper way to plan for deployment then execute, planning and action without the mistakes.

Now, the reality is that most climbers won’t care. That is why I believe that the culture needs to start at the top. We really need to work as a team with a common message. I also would ask all climbers to keep a log of what they do each day. If you track what you do then you have a record of what you’ve done. I talk to so many people that think that their time sheet is all they need, but it is not your time sheet is it? It belongs to your boss and you don’t have a log of what you’ve done, who will they believe? I think it’s a good idea to protect yourself. Most of you won’t because it’s just a job, until someone gets hurt. Then all you have is regret. Remember, if you keep a log then you can come up with ways to improve each week.

The main theme we have here is that we’re helping this becomes a career, not just a job. We want the tower industry to be full of professionals. Professionalism will start with you and the way you do your job. Certifications are necessary, but your attitude is also something that could help improve the image of the tower industry. Let’s work together on this.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

I am asking the carriers to provide numbers for workers to call to report payment issues and contractor issues. I didn’t hear from any of them yet, If you know it let me know at wade4wireless@gmail.com, but for now, call OSHA!

OSHA cares, don’t be afraid to call the number below and explain to them what is wrong at the site when you feel the work site is not safe! CALL OSHA to report unsafe work conditions!

Panel 1 ends at 89 minutes.

To report an emergency, fatality, or imminent life threatening situation please contact our toll-free number immediately:

1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

OSHA is asking for public comment on Safety and Management,  click here.

Video of the workshop and information found here.

OSHA Complaint web site for non-emergencies

Complaint information and whistle-blower protection explained

How to file a safety and health complaint

OSHA contact page to report unsafe working conditions

SOW Training CoverScope of Work tutorial for the contractor.

Listen–> iTunes or Stitcher

Tower Safety for all your safety training!

Tower Safety and Instruction  

official logo

Give to the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? Who supports Hubble? The wireless workers and the tower climbers, that’s who! With no support from the carriers or 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?

Wade4Wireless BlogCast

The FCC and DOL OSHA Tower Safety Workshop

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Yes, it’s time again for the FCC and DOL tower safety workshop. Of course, when I say DoL I really mean OSHA in this case. The agenda can be found here.  I am going to be on a panel for the workshop to discuss not only the problems in the industry but also some solutions.

  • Quick notes for those of you outside of the USA
    • FCC = Federal Communications Commission
    • DoL = Department of Labor
    • OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Association which is part of the DoL

The workshop that the FCC and the DoL have put together is going to be in the Headquarters of the FCC on February 11th. The announcement is here. The FCC is in the Commission Room at 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC, 20554. The admission is free so if you can make it, if you can get the day off, I highly recommend that you show up and listen, participate by asking questions, and learn.

If you want to view the discussion remotely the go to t http://www.fcc.gov/live to see what’s going on.

This is very important, to submit questions during the conference, then send an email to livequestions@fcc.gov  or Tweet the #FCClive hashtag.

I was there in October of 2014 for the last conference where the FCC and DoL announced the creation of TIRAP. We shall see what TIRAP progress has been made in the past year and who has adopted it. What do you know and remember of TIRAP? Do any of you in the field know about TIRAP and has it made any difference in your life? Let me know by entering the information in my contact form below. To learn more about TIRAP you can go to http://www.tirap.org/ and see what they have been up to. Personally I didn’t see a major impact in the industry yet, but I really want this to be a success. I am still waiting for that major impact.

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FYI – OSHA has a tower communication safety site, https://www.osha.gov/doc/topics/communicationtower/index.html, which at this writing looks like it really hasn’t been updated in a while. It still shows the deaths from 2014, not 2015. It still has announcements from 2014 and it seems there have been no updates in 2015. In 2014 this was great, unfortunately it seems that it hasn’t been updated since then. Come on guys, let’s get with it. Tower workers are still working and deaths have still happened, but they have been lower.

  • To get more information on the workshop reach out to the following people;
  • Let’s talk agenda;
    • 9AM Opening Remarks:
      • Roger Sherman, Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
      • Dean McKenzie, Acting Director, Directorate of Construction, DOL
      • Eric M. Seleznow, Deputy Assistant Secretary, ETA, DOL
      • Tom Wheeler, Chairman, FCC
    • 9:30AM First Panel Discussion: FCC/DOL Guidance on Best Practices for Improving Safety;
      • Angela Jones, Union Wireless
      • Don Doty, National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)
      • Jason Becker, National Radio Operations Branch, BLM
      • John Parham, Jacobs Engineering Group
      • Kevin Schmidt, National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA)
      • Wade Sarver, Wade4Wireless.com
      • Moderators:
        • Claire Wack, Attorney Advisor, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
        • Jessica Douma, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
    • 10:30AM Second Panel Discussion: Comments Received in Response to OSHA’s Request for Information on Communication Tower Safety (OSHA-2014-0018);
      • Dr. Bridgette Hester, Hubble Foundation
      • Craig Lekutis, WirelessEstimator.com
      • Nick Vespa, Southeastern Towers
      • Richard Cullum, Crown Castle
      • Moderators:
        • Michael Janson, Associate Chief, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
        • Erin Patterson, Regulatory Analyst, OSHA
    • 11:30 Third Panel Discussion: Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) and Telecommunications Workforce Development;
      • Chase Hammock, TIRAP Apprentice, MUTI/Sabre Industries
      • Dave Anthony, Shenandoah Tower
      • David Sams, SBA Communications
      • Jonathan Adelstein, PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association
      • Laurie Gebhardt, Verizon Wireless
      • Moderators:
        • Zachary Boren, Senior Advisor, Office of Apprenticeship, ETA
        • Matthew Warner, Attorney Advisor, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC

Here we are again looking at safety in the tower industry. There have been fewer deaths this year, thank GOD! I believe that we have had 2 slow years in a row for the industry. How many people have left the industry? From what I hear, so many. There will be an uptick in work in 2016, so we will need climbers. Will the guys that left come back? Only if they need the work and money because they know what the lifestyle is like. Travel, long hours, hard work, fair pay if you’re lucky, and then tossed aside when the work is done. Not the ideal American dream if you ask me and I have been part of this for years. I love wireless, I love RF, and I think that the wireless communications is the coolest thing in the world. However, it has problems that need to be fixed. Problems that need to be addressed.

Unfortunately, many tower climbers are not helping the situation, that’s right, this is not a one-sided argument where you are the victims. It will be a team effort to make changes. I am very optimistic, I feel we can solve the problems in the industry if we work together, if we all care enough to make change. I want to see this improve but I am tired. Remember, a quote that is NOT in the bible yet one we hear quite often, “GOD only helps those that help themselves” which something that most people say but very few people own. I believe it and I try to follow this advice along with the serenity prayer, which I know this version, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Again, not in the Bible.

I am concentrating on the deployment side of the industry lately because I really feel we can make a living deploying small cells and DAS because I love the engineering side. I still want to see the tower industry improve and I will do what I can to help, but it needs to be a team effort and one that the workers need to commit and have a voice as much as the owners and carriers. I am pointing this out because it’s easy for all of us to complain and bitch, but when it comes to doing something, that takes work, it’s an inconvenience, and something that few people do. It’s not my job but I have tried to help. If you want to learn what I think about this subject, I will put it in my newsletter, you can sign up below. Just say “Newsletter” in the notes section.

To see the replay of the 2014 session, go to https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2014/10/workshop-on-tower-climber-safety-and-injury-protection.

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FCC and DOL Safety Review

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There is a great effort in its second year, put together by the FCC and DOL to align safety nationwide in the tower industry. They have collaborated to create TIRAP, an apprenticeship training program similar to what unions and utilities use in other industries. The next meeting will be Feb 11, 2016 at FCC Headquarters. I plan to be there. They are going to align the communications industry with the workforce rules, meaning that the FCC knows the tower industry and the DOL has OSHA who knows safety. The 2 departments of the US government are aligned to create a model for safety in the USA. One that we should be proud of. I believe that collaboration is the key and that OSHA doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. They are trying to align their rules with the tower work that needs to be done.

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It is never a good year for the tower industry when we lose even one climber, and this year we lost several, including Ernie Jones who did more for the tower industry than almost anyone.

So this was a bad year but the losses were lower, and what is the theme? Pay attention! We lost a few veterans and someone new who if the people training here would have been paying attention they would have had her on a rope grab. This was a tough year even though the losses were less than previous years. Any lost life in the industry is terrible.

So how can we help each other out? By working as partners! We give each other grief when the other screws up, so make sure that you have someone watching over you and pointing out your mistakes. Be proactive! This is why the boy scouts have the buddy system, for support and to keep each other in line. Don’t think it will happen to you? That’s what Ernie. A seasoned veteran who got distracted just for a minute because he was busy. We really should be working in pairs as partners.

We also have NATE who created the NWSA to create a standardized certification program. While there isn’t much available yet for the climber there are rigging certifications from the crane industry that are paving the way for climbing certifications. This is quite an undertaking for this group. They have been trying to get more and more out there for the climbing technician.

If an accident happens, there is support for the injured workers and their families. There is support for the families of the fallen climbers. We have the Hubble Foundation and the Tower Family Foundation who do all that they can to support the victims of these horrendous accidents. They don’t ask too many questions but they are available to support whoever it would be, the families or the injured. Once someone has a detrimental accident chances are good they will never work the same again. If they are fallen then their families will never truly recover, but they need financial aid, which both groups do, because the banks don’t really care why the families can’t pay their bills. These financial problems can snowball as families have to pay for medical bills. It’s even worse when they have to pay the funeral bill. I see the fundraisers on GoFundMe.com when families need help.

So what can you do? If you are in the industry you can do several things. First, be safe and pay attention by looking out for yourself and your workmates, don’t’ let your smartphone distract you when climbing or driving. Second, give to the charity of your choice on the websites for the TFF or Hubble. Finally, let’s support the FCC and DOL as they come together to promote safety for the wireless worker at tower sites.

And now, some notes and history, helpful and reminders.

Tower climber risks:

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/02/20/hazardous-poop-look-out-dangerous-bird-and-bat-poop/

http://wade4wireless.com/2015/05/29/osha-rfi-response-for-hazards-and-incidents/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/08/20/do-or-die-are-you-in-over-your-head/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/08/06/trucks-ropes-heat-and-near-misses/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/05/28/my-top-11-rooftop-hazards/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/05/17/rf-awareness-are-you-aware-seriously-are-you/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/08/13/near-miss-stories-lessons-learned/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/09/09/feedback-3-near-miss-drugs/

Injured Tower climber Support

http://wade4wireless.com/2015/11/02/when-a-climber-falls-who-cries/

http://wade4wireless.com/2015/11/09/tff-dont-blame-dont-judge-just-help/

http://wade4wireless.com/2014/07/11/interview-part-1-with-dr-bridgette-gette-hester-founder-of-the-hubble-foundation/

My IWCE presentation on YouTube about Tower Climber Safety. If you want the PowerPoint slides, just ask. I presented this in early 2015 at IWCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFzad7zjjdQ

That’s all for this week, be smart, be safe, and pay attention.

I hope this helps, for more get the eBook! Find out where to get the eBook here. 

By the way, the carriers need to free the small cells! Find out more by clicking here. 

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Give to the Hubble Foundation because if you don’t help these families, who will? Who supports Hubble? The wireless workers and the tower climbers, that’s who! With no support from the carriers or 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?

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What is the FCC 600MHz Auction?

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Welcome to the Reverse and Forward Auctions presented to you by the FCC! The FCC put all of this together to free up more spectrum for the carriers. Don’t we all want more spectrum? Doesn’t the world revolve around bandwidth? Don’t we all want to have live video streaming all the time on our smart phones? Isn’t that the American dream? Ask any teenager, isn’t that what they really want? Life, love, prosperity, and bandwidth is what we all desire. 

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Did you know that the FCC is trying to buy back the TV licenses in the 600MHz bands? All this so they can sell more bandwidth to the carriers. I would imagine the broadcasters would love this since they should make tens of thousands of dollars. Some may make millions! How you ask, read on my friends.

They are doing it with an incentive auction, how cool is that? It is supposed to happen March 29th, 2016, but dates tend to slip, especially when something is this complicated. Well, I think it’s complicated. I am sure the FCC has it all figured out, right?

Why would the carrier want 600MHz? I would think that for rural applications it would cover farther. 600MHz is great for rural dog-tags_clearbackgrondcoverage, the properties allow it to travel through the air very well with limited power. I believe that building penetration should be pretty good as well depending on the building walls and windows. Of course it’s more bandwidth, which in today’s world is worth billions according to the last AWS-3 auction.  

Downside? 600MHz is going to make the cell coverage larger, so in an urban area it may cause self interference, where the cells will carry into the nearby cells causing self interference. With LTE you have ICIC, Inter-Cell Interference Coordination, which will really help you minimize it, but in the real world you need to put so much more work into self interference when it carries so well. It really will cause more work for the RF engineers and the optimization engineers. I would imagine that down-tilt will play a big part in this. As well as frequency planning, with all the bandwidth being used they probably want to push it all through, but with these issues they need to plan out each band carefully.

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Why is the broadcaster willing to give them up? I believe many of them want to get out of over-the-air broadcasting since it is not as profitable as it used to be, especially in urban areas where everyone uses cable or broadband to watch TV. If they don’t see it as profitable then this is a way for them to retire or maybe fund a new broadcast model to start-up by partnering with someone else. I think that many of them want to get a piece of that $900M (or more) so to find a partner, someone who would be willing to work with them on the multiple channels available on the existing channels out there. I don’t know if many of you look at OTA, over-the-air, channels but the new digital channels allow 2 or 3 channels to be broadcast on one band. So why not partner with someone and share the costs. Each partner can broadcast their content on their channel and share the broadcast equipment expenses. To me it makes sense, but what do I know, I used to be in paging and I thought that was awesome. (For those of you who don’t know what paging is, you made my point.) 

How will it work? Well, here is what I read.

Reverse Auction – This is where the FCC will request that broadcasters give their licenses back to the FCC. They will set a price for each license based on location, population, and I imagine coverage. They will release the details soon. I didn’t see them yet. They will have a price they will set to offer to the broadcaster to start at. The broadcaster will need to apply to have their license accepted into the auction. They must also be willing to relinquish the licenses, there is no going back if they get the minimum amount. Got it? They will have a minimum they will get, set by the FCC. So it isn’t like they will leave empty-handed. However, if the price drops below what they FCC says they should get or if no one bids on that license/frequency band, then the broadcaster gets to keep their license. They must get the bare minimum to give it up. From what I read the FCC will have $900M set aside for all of the auctions. All of them, but who knows what will happen.

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Forward auction – This is where the FCC has reserved bands they got from the reverse auction and put them up to bid from the carriers to get. The carriers will bid on them based on location, bandwidth, and economic area. I was going to go over how the FCC is going to set the opening bids, but I am confused, that is why you hire consultants that handle this stuff. However, not to leave you empty-handed I will quote the FCC from their public notice found here. “Forward Auction Bidding. We adopt our proposal to offer two categories of generic spectrum blocks for bidding in the clock phase of the forward auction: “Category 1” blocks with potential impairments that affect zero to 15 percent of the weighted population of a PEA; and “Category 2” blocks with potential impairments that affect between greater than 15 percent and up to 50 percent. Prices for frequency-specific licenses will be adjusted downward at the end of the assignment phase of the forward auction by one percent of the final clock phase price for each one percent of impairment to the license……….. To implement the final stage rule established in the Incentive Auction R&O, we adopt the proposed average price and spectrum benchmarks of $1.25 and 70 megahertz of licensed spectrum, respectively. The benchmarks will help to ensure that winning bids for the licenses in the forward auction reflect competitive prices and return a portion of the value of the spectrum to taxpayers without reducing the amount of spectrum repurposed for new, flexible-use licenses. We also adopt our proposals for triggering an “extended round” to give bidders the opportunity to meet the final stage rule without moving to another stage, except that an extended round will not be triggered if the shortfall is greater than 20 percent.” Got it, good!

The carriers will get FDD 5+5 paired spectrum (or maybe 10+10). I am not sure why they don’t go with any TDD and hand over a 10MHz channel, but what do I know. Maybe that will change.

Then, the auction happens! The carriers will be bidding on the licenses that the broadcasters have based on need and what they really want. This is how the money is passed from carrier to broadcaster.

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By the way, clause #287, “Paperwork Reduction Act Analysis”, they may reduce paperwork but they didn’t reduce any words, wow!

OK, so I simplified it. If you are going to get involved, then go to the links below and check it out. The best thing you can do is hire a consultant, not me, to walk you through this. Maybe a lawyer that knows and understands how the FCC is going to do this. If you want to learn more than read the documents and get involved. Let me tell you, I just skimmed the document. It is very, very long.

I would like to thank RCR and Fiercewireless for getting me to the proper FCC documents.

http://www.rcrwireless.com/20150820/policy/fcc-lays-out-next-steps-in-600-mhz-incentive-auction-process-tag2?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rcrwireless%2FsLmV+%28RCR+Wireless+News%29

https://www.fcc.gov/blog/next-steps-road-incentive-auction

http://www.rcrwireless.com/20150806/policy/fcc-releases-600-mhz-auction-rules-stomps-t-mobile-increased-reserve-request-tag2

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/fcc-lays-out-600-mhz-auction-roadmap-will-kick-process-early-fall/2015-08-20?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-releases-auction-coordination-plan-mexico/143544

https://transition.fcc.gov//ib/sand/agree/files/600MHz.pdf

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official logoI 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? Click here to learn about the wonderful work they are doing. Please support hurt climbers and their families by donating to the Hubble Foundation. Show you care for people in wireless. Not everyone has a safe job in deployments. The Hubble Foundation helps support the people who get hurt building the wireless systems that the world relies on.

 

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Will the Tower Industry Police Itself?

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I recently put a post out about unionizing tower climbers. The main response from the many people who were against unions, (many using the auto industry as the standard), coming into the tower industry told me the industry should police itself. I agree, it should. Is that happening? Apparently not, 12 deaths this year and who knows how many near misses and injuries. Isn’t that what the industry is doing now, policing itself? Apparently not, OSHA is policing the industry. Shouldn’t part of the responsibility fall on the carriers and the customers? I would think so but when something happens no one really investigates the end-user or the tower/monopole/water tank owners. Maybe the tower owners who say they are going the extra mile to make sure their towers are safe, but when an accident happens they are not looked at either. Apparently it is up to the climbers to police themselves. Some tower crews do an outstanding job while others don’t. That’s the way it is. OSHA is doing all they can. The FCC is helping. PCIA is setting training standards. Vocational schools are starting classes. The FCC and DOL got together to create TIRAP, a voluntary program defining an apprenticeship program to follow. I think it’s a great idea, setting a standard for all to follow. You know, like the voluntary wearing of seatbelts. I mean, did they really need to pass a law to make people wear seatbelts? Oh, right, yes, a law was passed because no one cared about wearing a seatbelt until it was a law and the police could pull you over for that reason. Did drivers police themselves in that case, no, and it didn’t cost near the money that tower climbing safety training and gear does.

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How many people have to die before there is more intervention? Apparently more than 12 a year. Listen, no one wants anyone to die or get hurt. We really want everyone to be safe. I know that equipment fails and accidents happen and that will continue to happen. I would like to think that we are doing everything we can to be safe. However, I still hear about the horror stories of the industry where companies will initially get everyone trained until they get all the contracts from the carriers or turf vendors. Most companies start with good intentions. Then to save money they do on the job training (OJT) and skip the formal training. So is this the way we are going? Saving money by doing the minimal amount to get by? No first aid or CPR or ongoing rescue training, just the bare essentials to get approvals and then just hire whomever to make more money. This is where they should have in-house training so they can tailor the safety program, but so often this can be corrupt as well. In house programs can be great, I have seen some awesome trainers but by the same token I have seen companies pull the plug on the in-house program because of time and money. This is why TIRAP was set up, to set the standards for training, OJT, and apprenticeship as to prepare the new climbers for the career ahead of them. It costs time and money, two things that the climbing companies have a hard time getting. Look at MasTech, they trained a whole group of people only to have AT&T pull the plug and force MasTech to lay them off. Who do you hold responsible for that debacle?

Deployment and tower climbing digital products to help with your needs. If you are starting out I have an eBook or Audiobook, Tower Climbing: An Introduction and  Field Worker’s Aid for Tower Site Work. Learn and understand the SOW and how it can help you get paid or at least take the customer to court go ahead and order my SOW Training files. Go ahead and share the information! Let others know.

Something to think about, the carriers are spending over $44 Billion to buy spectrum. There will be so much work coming up in the next 3 to 6 years. Much engineering work has been automated but crews are still needed to hang equipment on towers, poles, monopoles, and water tanks. Wouldn’t it be nice if we trained people properly and if they got the ongoing training they needed? Would it be great if they got paid for the work that they did? Getting paid is part of safety because safety is not cheap, training and safety gear costs money. If you don’t get paid you may have to cut back. Who is monitoring the payments to the contractors? It doesn’t appear to be the end customer.

So is the industry policing itself? In some cases, yes. There are business owners that run the company like they care. They train and they support their workers. They fire customers that don’t care about safety and put the schedule ahead of a life. They select who they wish to work with and for. They take the time to show that the business of safety and training is a culture, not an annoying practice to follow because the customer told you to.

I know many climbers and foreman and project managers that care, they know that a life is valuable. I also am hearing about more and more that don’t care because they have a schedule to keep. Everyone looks at an accident to see how to prevent it, but who is looking at the industry to make sure it’s policing itself? It should be every climber out there who has a foreman or PM that asks you to put the job ahead of their life. The reality is that a select few, (some climbers, some crew owners), and OSHA. They are trying to prevent this from happening in the first place. The FCC is assisting. The problem with relying on the government entities is that they are overwhelmed and understaffed.

So I would like to ask Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile to put safety and site audits in their budgets for the upcoming growth. They really not only need to be following up on the contractors and the Turf vendors but dropping in to see the work happening unannounced. They should be talking to random installer during and after the installations to check the pulse of the industry. That is something they could do to make sure the GCs are doing their job. They should be hiring trained and competent crews. They should also follow-up to see that those crew are getting paid! I think that is why AT&T wanted to deploy with someone like MasTech, my opinion only! I believe AT&T would like to see the industry improve. I also think that Verizon Wireless really wants to make sure the deployments are safe and paid for.

By the way, do you know why people don’t stay in wireless? It is usually because of the business practices and getting paid. It is so hard to stay involved in this business. People that stay in wireless do it because it is a passion. How does the industry reward them? By torturing them with horrible schedules, low pay and poor business practices. For instance, if you get hurt on a job, you may not get paid because they will bring someone else into complete it. So you are injured, out of work, not getting paid, and the customer just moves on, status quo, business as usual. Meanwhile, the hurt climber and their family are left alone to deal with the legal issues that ensue. Who is there for them? Hubble Foundation and that’s about it outside of friends and family. The lawyers are there, but they may be looking out for one of the companies involved, not the person.

Be smart, be safe, and pay attention. You should have a plan in place even though you may need to improvise. After all, you need to have a guide to follow for the project and for safety.

Support the Hubble Foundation! When a climber gets hurt, they are there. When a climber is stranded they are there. When a climber gets stuck somewhere they are there. Would you want someone to help you out if that happened?

By the way, OSHA has not updated their site yet with the latest fatality numbers. OSHA Communications Tower

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Wireless Deployment and the AWS-3 Auction

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I would like to wish all of you the Happiest of Holidays! A very Merry Christmas! May you all be home and blessed over the Christmas holiday with loved ones!

So, this may seem like a strange subject. I mean most of you are thinking that the AWS-3 auctions will lead to more work, but how and when? Well, that is why I am here. I want to break it down for you so you have an idea what the auction is and how it will affect the industry.
Let me start by saying this is my opinion and I am putting this out for informational purposes only. I read a lot about this and thought you may want to know how to plan for future work.

I hear all the time about people that aren’t getting paid, do you know what would help? Understanding that the SOW can be the document to get you paid! I have a free PDF that gives an overview of the SOW, free eBook, a SOW Overview. If you think it helps, then go ahead and make the investment for the SOW training package. Remember how important it is to get paid, define your work, and understand the change order process.

Let’s start with what is going on. The FCC release more air, that is bandwidth to raise money for the treasury and for FirstNet. Remember that FirstNet intends to spend $7 Billion, with a B, for their deployment. Now, this is a tremendous amount of money, but it probably won’t be enough to do what they want to do but I will get into that later.
Let’s go over some acronyms. AWS = Advanced Wireless Services, pretty simple, right. EA = Economic Areas. CMA = Cellular Market Areas. Now, let’s break down the frequency allocation.

Block Frequency Bandwidth MHz Area type # of licenses
A1 1695 to 1700MHz 5 EA 176
B1 1700-1710MHz 10 EA 176
G 1755-1760/ 2155-2160 10 (2 channels X 5MHz) CMA 734
H 176-1765/ 2160-2165 10 (2 channels X 5MHz) EA 176
I 1765-1770/ 2165-2170 10 (2 channels X 5MHz) EA 176
J 1770-1780/ 2170-2180 10 (2 channels X 10MHz) EA 176

The FCC was hoping to raise $10 Billion but the bidding is over $40 Billion so far. This is good for the USA and paying some debt down as well as funding FirstNet without tax payer money. However, who is paying The carriers, they need to dish out this kind of money before sticking one antenna in the air. The government will get that money up front and then more money in the form of taxes on your cell phone bill, and they are higher than ever. (Once again, the government found a way to double dip, but that is another subject. But I am getting off point, sorry.) There are 70 companies bidding on this. This is the first auction since 2008. There is an incentive auction scheduled after this one.

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So, this is the knowledge you need to understand what it is, but how does it affect wireless deployment. Well, that is obvious, because the carriers will want to build ASAP. This will happen but not until the OEMs, like Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and maybe others get the product together, the testing takes place, and then devices have to be made. So that would probably be 6 months to a year after the build. Then the fun begins, site acquisition and then deployment. So when this deployment happens it will likely be LTE Advanced. I am not sure if they will wait for 5G. So then the deployments happen with all of the Remote Radio Heads (RRH) being put on the towers. This is a lot of loading. I would imagine that 2G networks will be decommissioned soon. So that will definitely happen o make room for this. Then the 3G networks will start to be decommissioned, but that will take a long time, maybe 5 or more years.
To put this into perspective, the carriers are mostly finishing up their current build. Sprint is still building out their Sprint Spark initiative but Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile should finish up in 2015. Then in 2016 I would expect things will start to heat up again. Remember that the carriers need to make the money back to show return on their investment. They also need the bandwidth because data is being used at an amazing rate. All customers ask for is more, more, and more. So how will they make their money back? Customers will need to pay for it and the deployment. It won’t be free to build but they must have a business plan to in place for payback. Just remember that the first place they will look to lower costs once again will be the climbers, fair warning.

Oh, by the way, FirstNet will also be ready to deploy early 2016, I hope, to get their network constructed. They have a huge task ahead of them because they committed to covering the continental US and all territories. That is a huge area. They also will be looking for partners. Will the carriers help out, who knows. What about Google? I think that would be the perfect partner because they could become a wireless carrier in a short time. Just my opinion! When FirstNet does build, it will be a lot of work all across the nation with the LTE build and the backhaul. The backhaul will be a combination of wireless and fiber, maybe both for redundancy.

So there it is, in about 18 months there will be deployment, beefing up towers, testing, optimizations, and more. Just in time to hear about the introduction of 5G. Then the upgrades will begin. Chances are the OEMs will be ready with mostly software updates but the antennas may have to be changed. Then 3G will be decommissioned.

So there should be plenty of work. Will the industry be ready to comply? Will the climbers have standard safety compliance? Will the schedules be reasonable? Will the tower crews get paid? We will have to wait and see.

Also, in audio and eBook formats get your copy of Tower Climbing: An Introduction so you can listen while you’re driving or too busy to read!

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Listen, this is the time to support the Hubble Foundation because they are looking after climbers and their families that can’t take care of themselves. When a climber gets hurt, they want to help. When a climber is stranded and needs help to get home, they are there. When a climber gets stuck somewhere because they won’t get paid, they are there. Would you want someone to help you out if that happened?

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