NATE Hosts Rep. Greg Landsman for Cincinnati Tower Site Visit

NATE, with member companies Crown Castle and Matrix Telecom Solutions, hosted Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) at a Crown Castle tower site in Ohio's 1st District, walking the congressman through how vertical real estate firms, contractors and technicians build, maintain and deploy wireless and broadband infrastructure. Participants briefed him on workforce development, training and safety protocols, and the industry's legislative priorities. "Folks need reliable cell service and broadband in their communities," Landsman said, thanking "the people who work hard every day to build and maintain the towers that keep Ohioans connected." Visits like this put the workforce directly in front of the lawmakers who shape permitting and deployment policy.

Dish Moves to Erase $7.6B in Tower Claims at Sale and Confirmation Hearing

At the combined sale and plan-confirmation hearing, Dish Wireless asked the court to wipe out roughly $7.6 billion in lease claims from tower operators—arguing it owes nothing to Crown Castle, American Tower and SBA because the FCC forced EchoStar to sell its spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX. EchoStar is the stalking-horse bidder at about $300 million for the network assets, and the FCC's $2.4 billion escrow trust, reserved for the infrastructure companies Dish owes, remains far short of the claimed exposure. The rulings coming out of these hearings will set how much member companies recover. (Claims breakdown.)

Recap: 2026 NATE-EHSCP Summer Symposium

NATE and the Environmental, Health & Safety Communications Panel convened in Bloomington, Minnesota, Aug. 11–13 for the summer Board of Directors meeting, committee sessions and the EHSCP symposium—moving priorities from discussion to action across safety, standards and workforce, the committee work that sets the association's agenda for the year ahead.

The Anchor Point—NATE's August Safety Bulletin

NATE's monthly safety bulletin is out, spotlighting products, standards and a field safety story—part of the push to keep practical, timely safety guidance in front of crews every month.

Last Call: NATE STAR Initiative Enrollment Closes Aug. 31

Applications for 2026–2027 STAR (Safety, Training, Accountability and Reliability) recognition are due Aug. 31—this week. Every company, returning or new, must apply to earn or keep the credential carriers and turf vendors weigh when awarding crews.

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