UPDATE 1-MasTec's Q2 net drops; Q3 view lags market

* Q2 EPS $0.18 vs $0.25 a year ago

* Q2 rev up 28 pct

* Sees Q3 rev about $550-$575 mln vs est $620.6 mln

* Sees Q3 EPS $0.28 vs est $0.36

Aug 4 (Reuters) - Communication and energy infrastructure provider MasTec Inc's (MTZ.N) quarterly profit dropped 23 percent, hurt by higher expenses, and the company forecast third-quarter results below analysts' estimates.

The company forecast third-quarter earnings of 28 cents a share, on revenue of about $550 million to $575 million.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 36 cents a share, before special items, on revenue of $620.6 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The delayed start of its Ruby Pipeline will shift revenue and margin into the fourth quarter, MasTec said.

For the second quarter, net income was $14.6 million, or 18 cents a share, compared with $19.0 million, or 25 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue rose 28 percent to $495 million, while operating expenses rose 26 percent.

Analysts on average had expected earnings of 15 cents a share, before special items, on revenue of $462.9 million.

Shares of the company closed at $11.05 Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Divya Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Unnikrishnan Nair)