NATE Leadership Addresses "Matrix Pricing" Challenges in Nashville

At the South Wireless Summit in Nashville this week, NATE CEO Todd Schlekeway and Chairman Victor Drouin delivered a candid assessment of the tower contracting industry. The presentation highlighted a stark reality: while inflation has surged over 25% since 2020, carrier "matrix pricing" has remained largely frozen, effectively turning reputable contractors from "price makers" into "price takers."

House Committee Advances Bipartisan FirstNet Reauthorization

The House Energy and Commerce Committee officially reported H.R. 7386, the FirstNet Reauthorization Act, to the full House with a unanimous 51-0 vote. This critical legislation ensures the continued operation of the First Responder Network Authority, which provides a dedicated, preemptive wireless broadband network for millions of first responders. As we noted in our press release following the vote, “This reauthorization provides the necessary certainty to continue the deployment of 5G upgrades and expanded rural coverage essential for emergency response."

Experts Call for Historic "Rewrite" of the 1996 Telecom Act

At a Thursday Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing, leading telecom experts and former FCC commissioners called for a complete modernization of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Witnesses, including former FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly and INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering, argued that a law written before the era of 5G, AI, and mass-market broadband is no longer sustainable.

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