With a growing tower portfolio that tops 10,000 sites, a charitable mindset toward the communities it serves, and a multinational focus, U.S.-based Phoenix Tower International (PTI) has secured its global position as a wireless infrastructure leader in seven short years.
Acquiring and developing more than 10,000 sites in 16 countries was a major milestone for PTI. With a global presence in the United States, Latin America, Caribbean, and Europe, PTI has additional expansion plans into at least two markets this year with more to come. To its business partners and customers, PTI presents a unique dichotomy: a global footprint and a local approach. 
PTI saw major growth last year in France, Ireland, the U.S. and in signing a purchase agreement to acquire sites in Italy. Respectively, PTI entered an agreement with Bouygues Telecom to construct up to 4,000 new towers over 12 years across mainland France; closed on 650 towers and committed to acquire over 700 newly constructed towers over eight years across Ireland from eir; acquired 197 wireless towers in the U.S. from Tower Ventures; and rounded out the year by signing a purchase agreement with TowerTel, establishing a portfolio of more than 4,000 sites in Italy.
“We were built from day one [in 2013] to be a multinational wireless infrastructure company, focused on our customers’ and business partners’ needs and opportunities across the world. Being multinational differentiates us from the regional providers and being private and entrepreneurial differentiates us from the larger public tower companies,” adds Dagan Kasavana, Chief Executive Officer.
PTI’s mission and values have guided the organization internally, exemplified by a tight-knit team despite physical distance across three continents. The same holds true externally, “We operate in 16 different countries with different cultures, languages, and governments, but our core values unify us and guide us in our business goals,” adds Kasavana.
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Operationally, PTI ensures seamless processes across different countries and continents, leveraging cloud-based site management and financial reporting software and robust Globally focused Asset Management and Accounting teams in the Dominican Republic. “As we enter new markets, we rely on our existing systems and processes to scale accounting, site tracking, landlord administration, billing, and collection,” explains Kasavana. “We focus on hiring highly-skilled people in each market to be out in front of our customers. When our customers need assistance, they work with an expert local team to grow the business because everything is integrated.”
A worldwide perspective also provides a bird’s eye view into industry best practices that can be applied to new markets. Kasavana explains, “We’re seeing 5G deployments in the United States before Latin America, so we’re able to prepare and advise our customers on forward-thinking plans for deployments. We are able to do the same thing with small cells and DAS. We’re starting to see really unique backup power solutions in the Caribbean, and we can take that technology and apply it to other markets where the grid may be more stable, but where our customers are looking to lower costs or transition to more clean energy.”
Kasavana’s team shares more than industry knowledge. Giving back has always been a core value of PTI. PTI’s WINGS Foundation supports all 16 markets through various giving and volunteer initiatives. Each year, a portion of PTI’s budget is allocated to support non-profit organizations, and team members all receive PTO time to dedicate to an organization of their choosing. “We focus on children, both children’s education and those who are in need. We know that by focusing on children, we will develop them into leaders for their communities which will ultimately help to break the cycle of poverty and strengthen the communities over time,” says Kasavana.
In October, Ernst and Young recognized Kasavana as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Florida Award winner. “I was really happy and humbled to be honored by Ernst and Young, but I never would have won the award if it weren’t for all of our amazing team members and my partners at PTI who have helped to build this business,” says Kasavana. “When you’re so focused on driving the business forward each day, it’s nice to also reflect back on this great business and be proud of what we’ve built.”
And what PTI has built has never been more important. “The wireless industry is the backbone of the global virtual economy. With the onset of Covid-19, telemedicine, virtual education, ecommerce, and other applications have burst to the forefront of peoples lives and are made possible because the wireless infrastructure industry supports them,” says Kasavana.
Looking ahead, “It’s great to be in on the beginning of 5G. It’s really a new starting point for the entire industry,” says Kasavana. “We’re going to focus on expanding the business, being true partners to our customers, differentiating ourselves, and continuing to live by our mission and values.”
PTI has strong backing by the Blackstone Group and John Hancock Life Insurance. While its business includes DAS, small cell deployment, fiber, and marketing for over 100,000 third-party real estate sites, its first love for macro towers, looks to be an everlasting one.
For more information, visit www.phoenixintnl.com, or call 1-561-257-0557.
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