More installation, small cell, FTTP and equipment news from around the Web:
> 3M is set to purchase Capital Safety in a $2.5 billion deal. Capital Safety makes equipment that is used to prevent falls by workers in the tower industry. Release
> Grande Communications, a provider of broadband, TV and phone services for residential and business customers in the Texas markets of Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, San Marcos, Waco, Corpus Christi, Midland and Odessa, has acquired Centrovision, a company that provides broadband and video services in Bell County, Texas, including the city of Temple. Article
> Major League Baseball's $300 million plan to have Wi-Fi and distributed antenna systems deployed at all MLB ballparks is set to be mostly complete by the end of this year. Mobile Sports Report article
> ABI Research believes that consolidation in the global market for set-top box makers is likely to continue. Release
> Webpass, a wireless ISP, is now offering businesses 500 Mbps download and upload speeds for $55 per month using point-to-point technology. Article
> Anritsu and Bluetest have announced their continued collaboration via updating an integrated OTA solution with the companies' latest product offerings. Release
> Laird has announced equipment that is designed to protect electronics used in telecom, industrial, analytical and medical applications. Release
> MassiveMesh, a Wi-Fi service provider, has been winning some broadband customers away from incumbents in Troy, N.Y. Albany Business Journal article
> Texas Instruments has introduced a power-efficient wideband radio frequency synthesizer. Release
> The FBI is investigating reports that vandals on ten occasions over the past year have sabotaged fiber cables in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of the cable is underground and the incidents mostly involve AT&T cable. SFGate article
> NPD Group is reporting that millenials are twice as likely as the general population to have a smart home device installed at their residence. Release
> Spirent Communications has announced that EMT Labs selected Spirent as the exclusive vendor for MIMO and A-GNSS OTA testing, as part of a CTIA OTA testing effort. Release
And finally… In Iowa this past weekend, there was a 73-mile bacon-focused bicycle event. Getting people out of bed early on Saturday for a 73-mile trek isn't easy, but then again, bacon can be a powerful thing. Article