By Braden Hall
Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless made headlines when it leased and sold its towers to American Tower. For most, this business deal made sense. Each side actually gained from the deal. With a major change in ownership of towers, it is helpful to take a fresh look at some of the benefits to the biggest tower companies.
Although the reduction of competition among tower owners could increase prices for carriers, there are also many benefits to tower consolidation. Foremost among these is industry standards that come from having only a few competitors. Tower networks divided among many companies would make the industry fragmented. Information and practices would lack uniformity between owners, and that would eventually affect carriers as well. Uniformity means smoother transitions in the future and improvements as new technology becomes available.
Consistency for tower owners allows them to concentrate their resources, both monetary and manpower, on other areas. Instead of spending time working on networking with other companies, the focus can be on providing better and more coverage in areas that need it. New tower projects can be researched and designed. Even better care can be exercised when choosing local contractors for new builds, avoiding contractors with poor safety or performance records. Problems can be identified and their solutions implemented across many locations.
These new improvements point to the need for comprehensive training programs and classes for employees, workers, and new hires. For the wireless tower industry to remain successful, it needs standardized educational tools. One way to do this is to partner with local educational institutions – technical colleges, universities, and high schools – to establish core standards. Funding can be initially provided through private, state, and federal grants.
It is a great time to be working with the tower industry. Exciting new technology is being developed. There are plenty of opportunities for those just entering the workforce and those looking for a new career path. People already in the industry should be pleased at these latest advances and looking forward to the progress.
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