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Crown Castle International Corp. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NextG Networks, Inc. for approximately $1.0 billion in cash (subject to certain adjustments). NextG, the largest provider of outdoor distributed antenna systems (“DAS”), currently has over 7,000 nodes-on-air and a further 1,500 nodes under construction. In addition, NextG has rights to over 4,600 miles of fiber. DAS is a network of antennas connected by fiber to a communications hub designed to facilitate wireless communications services for multiple operators. The acquisition will expand Crown Castle’s portfolio of DAS, providing additional wireless coverage and capacity solutions to customers beyond those areas traditionally served by towers. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012. Crown Castle expects to fund the acquisition with the issuance of debt. Read more

NextG Networks, Inc., a leading provider of fiber-fed distributed antenna systems (DAS) that enhance network coverage, capacity and performance for wireless carriers, has announced it has launched DAS-based LTE service in the City of Orlando, Florida, and surrounding area, for a major carrier. This is believed to be the largest DAS network in the Southeastern states. The project had a very aggressive construction schedule to meet the LTE service launch date. NextG teams had to bury over 60 miles of fiber conduit in both residential and business districts. "We are very excited about building such a large network in Florida," said David Cutrer, CTO and co-founder of NextG Networks. "Our experience building very large DAS networks enabled our team to complete Orlando's system before the operator's LTE market launch." "The huge popularity of smartphones has put a tremendous strain on existing infrastructure. LTE, a data-only 4G (fourth generation) service for smartphones and other mobile devices, will improve the user's experience enormously," added Cutrer. Read more

NextG Networks announced it has launched DAS service in the City and County of Santa Barbara, California, for a major carrier. NextG, in cooperation with officials and community associations in the Santa Barbara area, has deployed more than 110 DAS sites to significantly increase wireless coverage and capacity in the region to meet customer requirements. The sites conform to the region's strict demands that the small, inconspicuous DAS antennas blend aesthetically with the environment. Read more

NextG Networks announced that Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC), a global, integrated media company, in conjunction with Crossfire Media, has presented NextG Networks with the 2010 Wireless Backhaul Distinction Award. Read more

NextG Networks announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners. Inclusion in the AlwaysOn Global 250 signifies leadership among its recipients' peers, game-changing approaches, and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players in the Global Silicon Valley. Read more

NextG Networks announced that Steven J. Moskowitz has been named its chief executive officer, effective immediately. Read more

A federal court in New York has dismissed a lawsuit against NextG Networks and other defendants, including the Town of Hempstead, New York in connection with its deployment of a distributed antenna system (DAS) in the community of Merrick within the Town of Hempstead. In rejecting the claims of the Merrick Gables Homeowners Association, the court recognized the overriding public policy promoting the deployment of broadband, competitive wireless networks such as NextG's DAS networks, which enable wireless carriers to add greater coverage and capacity to their networks. Read more

NextG continues to broaden its service to the top eight U.S. Metropolitan Markets; 1,500 additional sites under development NextG Networks, Inc. has achieved an industry first with the launch of its 5,000th DAS site, through buildouts of its coverage base in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, where it has long held a dominant position.Read more

NextG has secured an all-equity investment from a group of investors led by Madison Dearborn Partners. As a result of the transaction, which also includes Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures and Meritech Capital Partners, the group of investors has acquired a majority ownership position in NextG with Madison Dearborn as the largest shareholder. The investment provides NextG with added financial strength and operational expertise to build on its past success and continue to execute its proven strategy of providing high-quality service to its wireless carrier customers while allowing for expansion of its geographic presence. Read more

NextG expanded its East Coast presence with the launch of its latest DAS system in the Greater Boston, Mass., area. With hundreds of strategically placed DAS nodes and more than 150 miles of new fiber added throughout the region, the city of Boston and nearby municipalities such as Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, Everett, Chelsea and Lynn are now receiving much-needed wireless performance, capacity, and coverage enhancements. Read more

NextG successfully launched its largest DAS system to date in the densely-populated five boroughs of New York City. With more than 1,000 DAS nodes providing wireless coverage for more than 130 square miles in the Bronx, Staten Island, and parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, NextG believes that the New York City DAS system is the industry's largest outdoor DAS deployment. Read more

NextG successfully launched a large new Northeast DAS network. With just over 400 DAS sites providing coverage over 110 square miles, the network provides a new mobile telecommunications infrastructure for metropolitan Philadelphia residents and visitors. Read more

“If you have tried to use your cell phone on a game day, chances are you experienced less than satisfactory service. Last year, Ole Miss contracted with a company called NextG Networks to build a vendor-neutral DAS for improving cell coverage. NextG’s first university customer was Notre Dame. Others include the University of Texas, Oklahoma University, and the University of Southern California. The first cell phone vendor to participate in the Ole Miss DAS is AT&T.” Read more

"These facilities expand the capability of a cellular network dramatically," Peter Broy, director of government relations at NextG Networks, told City Council in an initial presentation in October. Ocean City [NJ] residents and visitors experienced a virtual shutdown of service during busy summer weekends — when more than 100,000 people competed for bandwidth to connect their smartphones, laptops and other wireless devices with the rest of the world. Read more

"The engineering is complicated and it is not until after the first game that we are able to optimize the network to its full capabilities," said Bo Piekarski, vice president, product development and marketing, NextG Networks. "At some of the stadiums, [NextG personnel] are on site and making changes during the game." At halftime, while the coaches are giving their pep talk, one can imagine NextG engineers huddling and talking about where additional system capacity is needed. Among the college stadiums that NextG has deployed DAS are the University of Wisconsin, Notre Dame, University of Texas, Texas A&M, Ole' Miss and Northern Illinois University -- institutions that take their football pretty seriously." Read more

“Since Verizon Wireless turned up their new cellular nodes on campus, signal strength improved so much we can now receive calls in areas of the building we never could before,” said Mark Misic, director of Technology Resources and Facilities Management in the NIU College of Business. ITS engaged NextG Networks to create a distributed antenna system using existing NIU fiber and small Verizon Wireless antennas to eliminate the need for large towers.” Read more

"Distributed Antenna System (DAS) providers need to understand the safety and reliability concerns of utility companies if they want to avoid contentious relationships over pole attachments", said NextG Networks Inc.’s Norine Luker, senior director, utility administration at the DAS provider. Speaking on a panel session during PCIA’s DAS Forum “DAS in Action: Capital View” summer program, Luker … acknowledged [utilities’] primary concern was safety and reliability. Read more

Some cellphone users on campus should soon see improved service. A new Distributed Antenna System, or DAS, being installed by NextG Networks should be placed into service for AT&T phone customers [by Spring 2011]. UW Physical Plant and outside vendors are now prepping sites for electronics installation. DAS is a departure from the standard cell tower. Instead, the system relies on a network of small antennas (less than three feet in height) placed throughout the campus. Read more

"Distributed antenna systems are gaining traction as an alternative way for service providers to fill in coverage or add more capacity to the wireless network when macro cellsites are not an option, as well as a way for smaller carriers trying to get to market quickly. However, these small antennas that usually sit on top of utility poles face their own challenges in an unsettled regulatory environment." Read more