Our Q1 2019 Wireless Update Top 10 Takeaways

A few weeks ago we visited a large investment bank to present our Q1 2019 Wireless Update  findings to a group of investors and attended some private meetings.  Here is a short recap of our top 10 findings.  

1. Applications for new towers has been rising slightly.
2. Of applications to the FCC for new structures, nearly 70% were from mid-size tower companies or from large carriers.

3. Of the applications from mid-size tower companies, a large percentage are for build-to-relo (BTR) towers.  BTR towers are purposely built near existing towers with the intention of pilfering tenants from the existing tower. 
4.Of all applications, over 40% are for BTR towers.

5. Tillman Infrastructure was the most active of all mid-size tower companies by a large margin, not surprisingly given that they focus on BTR towers.
6. Of the applications for BTR towers, 80% are within ½ mile of $AMT or $SBAC towers.

7. Submitting an application doesn’t mean the tower will be built though- as less than 33% of applications are currently shown as built.
8. Texas was the most active state for applications.

9. Of the carriers, $T was the most active in terms of new tower applications. 
10. Guess who wasn’t?  $AMT, $CCI, $SBAC, $S, $TMUS

Care to learn more?  We can be retained to provide bespoke research on topics specific to the tower industry.  Contact us if you want to talk about what we can do to help you understand the tower industry better than your peers.