When making complex decisions, the key is robust information that can help you evaluate competing options and weigh multiple considerations. With a partner by your side that knows the lay of the land and has the flexibility and experience to address your specific needs, you have a leg up in getting to the best solution.
Decisionmakers charged with expanding the reach of reliable, high-speed internet want to reduce burdens, shorten cycle times, and stay within budget—no matter where they operate their network or what kind of operator they are. No one raises their hand to ask for unnecessary complications or costs.
American Tower’s e-book is designed to help you choose the right network buildout strategy by offering concrete information on the risks, costs, and benefits of building a new structure or using an existing one.
Over four chapters, we aim to help you make a well-informed decision that’s right for your business. This fourth blog examines the role the right partner can play in getting to that outcome.
Asking the Right Questions
Choosing the best approach to wireless network infrastructure often comes down to just three key questions:
- Is there already a suitable tower in the right location?
- Do I have the resources to build and manage a tower?
- What is the timeframe I need to be up and running on the site?
Our e-book provides the information you need to address each of these questions.
- Chapter one explores what it takes to acquire land on which to build a tower or secure the rights to use existing infrastructure. The build scenario, for example, involves obtaining the zoning approvals and permits necessary to construct a tower. Have you considered the regulatory and environmental approvals involved and the potential implications to timelines and costs?
- Chapter two dives deeper into ownership and operation of your own tower. Even after getting the permissions to use the land and build the tower, you’ll need to manage tower construction and operate and maintain the tower long term. Learn what might be involved in terms of capital expenditures, site preparations, securing the needed workers and build materials, and the maintenance, security, insurance, and compliance requirements associated with long-term tower operations.
- Chapter three helps decisionmakers better evaluate the collocation option, presenting such factors as rollout efficiency, speed and cost, simplicity, and infrastructure availability. Meeting your target timeframe to be up and running is important to any business, but especially when you need to meet funding program deadlines for coverage and service offerings in rural areas. The chapter’s Leasing vs. Building Responsibilities chart guides you through eight considerations that are likely part of your decision framework.
Strengthening Your Hand With the Right Partner
Chapter four of the e-book examines the role of an expert collocation partner in meeting your business objectives. If you’ve made the choice to collocate on an existing tower, you still need to access strategic information and tap into resources critical to a successful network rollout. American Tower has many ways we can help.
With nearly 42,000 wireless towers across the U.S., we can help you identify the right locations and accelerate network expansion projects of any size, type, or scale. As one of the largest tower owners in the U.S., we have the resources to offer creative solutions to your unique challenges and requirements, including the specialized needs of WISPs and rural operators bringing vital connectivity to high-need areas. Our dedicated teams of site specialists, engineers, technical experts, and project managers stand ready to take some of the weight off your shoulders.
Finally, local government agencies, WISPs, and other providers are often deeply rooted in communities and want to promote their long-term resilience. Too often, insufficient access to the internet goes hand in hand with environmental vulnerabilities. As you strive to get to market more quickly and cost effectively, with new wireless services for the communities you serve, you deserve a partner like American Tower with a track record of minimizing environmental impact and operating sustainably.
Easing the Journey
The choices made on a journey shape the experience, and the better the information at hand, the easier it is to understand the pros and cons of different options. Let our e-book guide you through network optimization decisions, so your journey is marked by greater ease and, ultimately, business success.
About the Author: David Flint
David has more than 25 years of telecommunications industry experience. As a long-time member of the American Tower sales organization, he’s had both regional and national responsibilities. Today, he’s leading business development for our energy initiatives, including the Oil & Gas and utilities markets.
