Making it more efficient for mobile network operators and Vertical Market customers to collocate on prime rooftop sites for urban market densification and fixed wireless offerings.
Mobile network operator and Vertical Market customers have emphasized the increasingly important role rooftops will play for fixed wireless networks in crowded urban environments.
To support their deployment and densification efforts, mobile operators are focused on finding more rooftop sites in strategic locations with the right height and getting their equipment installed and running within their network as quickly as possible. We’re focused on helping them achieve these goals.
We’ve been improving the way we manage rooftop sites for awhile now. You may remember previous blogs where we told you about the steps we’ve taken to bring the rooftop application process closer to the tower application process. Here are some additional improvements we’ve made to our rooftop operations to help mobile operators get connected more efficiently.
Dedicated Real Estate Managers
We believe the key to providing our customers a positive rooftop collocation experience is our strong relationships with cooperative rooftop owners. We have established a dedicated team who works diligently with owners to provide exceptional service and develop mutually beneficial agreements.
This dedicated team of real estate account managers works closely with building owners to provide the ideal portfolio of rooftops in dense and populated markets. These experts specialize in specific geographic regions and property types, such as hotels and shopping malls. They know our rooftop portfolio inside out and work closely with rooftop owners to ensure a smooth collocation transaction.
Through the close relationships our real estate managers have with our building owners, we can provide our customers a smooth collocation. Our customers are also fully supported by our sales account managers, vertical market managers, and account project managers every step of the way. Sales account managers and vertical market managers are responsible for preapplication and leasing activities, as well as developing and presenting siting solutions that best meet a customer’s build plan. Account project managers oversee the entire leasing process, including obtaining lease signatures and maintaining communications on amendments and nonservices projects. Our goal is to provide our customers with a dedicated team to provide a streamlined and consistent experience.
Prime Locations in Major Urban Centers
Our robust rooftop portfolio includes almost every type of commercial structure:
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Class 'A' office buildings and skyscrapers in major cities, including the John Hancock Center in Chicago
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Major hotel chains with national holdings
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Apartment and condo buildings across the country
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Casinos in strategic locations
The height of our approximately 5,500 managed rooftops vary based on these locations. 53 percent of the rooftops stand between 10 to 49 feet above ground, and 24% of our structures are situated 50 to 99 feet above ground.
We’re always working to expand our rooftop portfolio, but in a very careful and purposeful way to ensure our rooftops remain strategically important to our customers.
More Easements to Simplify and Accelerate Deployments
When we have an easement agreement with a building owner, we’ve essentially purchased the rights to the rooftop for a very long period of time—usually several decades. This agreement structure provides a great deal of flexibility, because we can install equipment on the rooftop without the time required to get separate consent from the rooftop owner. We already have easements for a number of key rooftops, and we’re working to establish more.
We also have a large number of rooftops with right-to-lease agreements. In these cases, owner approval is required before equipment can be installed, but we have established rights to the rooftop space. When building owner approval is needed, our real estate managers step in to work with the owner and ensure the approval process moves along as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Committed to Continuous Improvement
While the rooftop collocation process and deployment timeframe are different than our tower experience, we strive to simplify and accelerate your projects. We are working on additional improvements and will share more information with you in the coming months.
In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about how you can leverage our rooftops portfolio to densify your network and start finding sites. To learn more about our rooftop leasing options, contact your sales representative or get in touch with us at leasing@americantower.com.
