Wireless Network Infrastructure Building at a Blistering Pace - ETI
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May 19, 2021

Wireless Network Infrastructure Building at a Blistering Pace

The following transcript has been edited for length and readability. Listen to the entire discussion here on The Broadband BunchThe Broadband Bunch is sponsored by ETI Software.

Founded in 2016, Tillman Infrastructure broke ground on its first tower location in 2018. By 2020 they had over 1,000 macro towers in the US. Alex Schwartz, VP of Business Development with Tillman Infrastructure is the guest in this episode. Discussion points include:

  • Wireless Infrastructure Thinking Carrier-First
  • Wireless Infrastructure Towers
  • Working with Wireless Infrastructure Networks
  • Wireless Tower Infrastructure Build For Need
  • Wireless Infrastructure Network Leader

Craig Corbin:

Welcome to the Broadband Bunch, a podcast about broadband and how it impacts all of us.. The Broadband Bunch, as always, is sponsored by ETI Software.

Craig Corbin:

In the race to bring broadband connectivity to all those on the wrong side of the digital divide, tremendous investment is being made in the expansion of network infrastructure services for telecom providers around the world. Over the past five years, a new competitor in that race has quickly become the most prolific communications tower company in North America. Here today to share the amazing story of Tillman Infrastructure is their vice president of business development, Alex Schwartz. Alex, welcome to the Broadband Bunch.

Alex Schwartz:

Hey, Craig. Very pumped to be here. Thanks for having me on.

Craig Corbin:

It’s so exciting to talk with you, and it’s been exciting for me in beginning to learn about Tillman Infrastructure. But before we get into that, a lot to cover. For those who might not be familiar with how you came to be with the Tillman organization, give us your background, if you would.

Alex Schwartz:

I think like most people in wireless, I just fell into it. It’s one of the best fall-ins that’s happened to me. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and I knew for sure that I was going to be a media executive. I worked in sports media and advertising. And a friend of mine called me and said, “Hey, do you want to build cell towers?” And I said, “Sure, why not?”

Craig Corbin:

When we talk about, in the open, you mentioned that it’s only been five years that Tillman Infrastructure has been around. That’s a very short time compared to many in the industry. Give us a bit of the background on how Tillman Infrastructure came into being.

Wireless Infrastructure Thinking Carrier-First

Alex Schwartz:

We have only been around for five years but have accomplished a huge amount. So Tillman Infrastructure, we were founded by Tillman Global Holdings, which is run by a man named Sanjiv Ahuja, who is the former CEO of Orange Telecom over in Europe and has built other infrastructure companies across the globe. To mention a few, we’ve got Apollo Towers in Myanmar and Eaton Towers in Africa.

Alex Schwartz:

Essentially, what he saw in the United States was a hole in the vertical infrastructure marketplace, which was, essentially, what would it look if you had a tower company that had real scale across the United States, but also was founded on an ethos of fairness and with a carrier-first mentality, someone who could be creative and aggressive and really help carriers across the country solve major business problems?

Wireless Infrastructure Towers

Alex Schwartz:

That’s really how Tillman was founded. In the past five years, we have really only been building four of them. And I’m not sure if you saw, but we announced late last year that we’ve surpassed the 1,000-tower mark and are continuing to build like gangbusters.

Craig Corbin:

If anyone in the audience knows anything about that part of the communications industry, tremendous involvement from so many different aspects to make towers become reality. And the fact that you’re averaging that many towers every year is phenomenal.

Craig Corbin:

I’m a little bit curious about something you mentioned in your last response about the mindset, which is having, as a company, an ethos of fairness. And that’s something that I know is refreshing to hear, because that is a very different take on the world of competition, especially in communications. Obviously, it’s working well to take that approach. From your perspective, personally, what’s it been like to be a part of an organization with that kind of mindset?

Alex Schwartz:

I’d say that our growth is really fueled by two things. One is the ethos of fairness. That carrier-first mentality, can’t be overstated enough. I think if you look at the industry, especially in this country, you see a lot of players that I like to refer to as the water in the Sahara model. It’s very aggressive. You’re extracting the most value possible without having really any regard for your customer, and essentially just because you can.

Alex Schwartz:

What we found is that that’s not necessary. We can work with the carriers, with our customers and really solve problems. Whether it’d be speed to market or long-term sustainable operating expense or creativity in a network deployment. That’s really where we thrive and has led to a lot of our growth. The other thing I’d say is we’ve gotten really good at building towers.

Alex Schwartz:

One thing I want to call out is that when we say 1,000 towers, that’s not 1,000 towers that were acquired. That’s built macro towers. That’s not small cells. That’s not rooftops. That’s steel in the ground. And the operational excellence of Tillman has really been a driver of that success and growth over the past few years as well.

Craig Corbin:

More to follow up on that as well. And when we talk about towers, Alex, we’re talking about vertical real estate. What are your targets with regard to having occupants in that vertical real estate?

Alex Schwartz:

Obviously, we want as many folks on our towers as possible. That’s a similarity. Any tower company, that’s the name of the game, are lease-up and tenancy. It’s a big advantage for us. So another big thing about the fact that we built these towers and didn’t buy them is we know what we have. We designed them from spec. They’re brand new. I take for granted, again, because I’m new to the industry, the fact that doing a structural on a Tillman asset is really a formality. Because the steel is so new, the foundations are so new, and we built them for multiple carriers. But we’ve seen really great growth across the portfolio, not only in terms of building new towers but also leasing up as well.

Craig Corbin:

That’s exciting. And I think it’s safe to say that Tillman Infrastructure would be considered an industry disruptor given the fact that you have made such a tremendous impact in a relatively short period of time. What’s your perspective of that thought?

Alex Schwartz:

I’d say that we absolutely are a disruptor and it’s something that we are proud of. And I think that we continue to disrupt the market in a way that drives value for our customers. I mean, that’s the primary focus of our company and what has led to success. We see it over and over again, with also that operational excellence as well.

Craig Corbin:

When we talk about disrupting the industry, that’s really, as I see it, part of how Tillman has approached the tower construction industry here in North America. And it’s always interesting to me when an organization can come in with the financial wherewithal to build as many towers as you have in such a short period of time that obviously has begun to build a phenomenal reputation in the industry. What do you get as feedback from those that you deal with about the impact that Tillman has made in five short years?

Alex Schwartz:

I think that the feedback overall is, “Wow, you guys are easy to work with and you’re really fair,” which I know sounds like it should be a given and should be something that is a gimme, but it’s not in this industry. I mean, one example is we announced a partnership with WISPA, which is the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association last year. And they had their first in-person event about a month ago in WISPA America.

Alex Schwartz:

And in walking around, it seems like that partnership and announcing it and really solidifying it has reset the lens by which tower companies view WISPs. And so, especially with the pandemic and how important work from home and learn from home was, we feel really proud that we’re a driving force, a tip of the spear in setting the market and helping those folks bring such a critical service to their communities.

Working with Wireless Infrastructure Networks

Craig Corbin:

I’m glad that you got to experience WISPA America, Claude Aiken, and the group at WISPA do a phenomenal job.

Alex Schwartz:

Unbelievable.

Craig Corbin:

That’s a part of the industry that is so active right now in expanding their respective footprints across the nation, with the effort to connect the unconnected. It has to feel good, I would assume, from your standpoint that both personally and professionally, Tillman Infrastructure can play a vital role in that process, because wireless providers are very nimble, very agile, able to go into situations and begin service in a relatively short period of time. But the towers are a huge part of that equation.

Alex Schwartz:

We’ve got brand new towers, secured compounds. And even though our portfolio is suburban and rural mostly, we do have some urban sites, we’re lucky enough to have fiber at, actually, probably closer to 90% of our sites, which is a huge advantage for WISPs in terms of deploying their networks. So, as far as deploying the equipment for the WISPs, we treat them really fairly.

Alex Schwartz:

And that also means treating them like we would a tier-one customer, like in AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Dish, what have you, we’re treating everybody the same. We turn around NTPs very quickly. We allow for a very quick leasing process. And I think it really matters to these folks who are trying to get such critical service out there as soon as possible.

Wireless Tower Infrastructure Build For Need

Craig Corbin:

You’re listening to the Broadband Bunch. Broadband Bunch, sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber, by DxTEL, and by ETI Software Solutions. Our guest today, the vice-president of business development for Tillman Infrastructure, Alex Schwartz. And Alex, you made mention of dealing with wireless providers. And, obviously, you deal with a wide variety of topography when it comes to constructing and I would assume that the ability to provide, build, to suit applications is a big part of what Tillman Infrastructure does. Am I right?

Alex Schwartz:

Absolutely. So, I mean, the way I like to say it is that Tillman does not have a field of dreams mentality. When we approach business or projects, it’s not an “if you build it, they will come” kind of situation. What we’re doing is we do purely build a suit work for the carriers. They say, “Hey, here’s a site we need, this is why we need it, and this is when we need it by. Tillman, go out and build it.” We don’t do anything on spec. We need that security from the anchor. And it’s proven to be really a good solution for us, and very lucky that the volume of the build has been so high.

Craig Corbin:

Part of the equation in looking at the short-term future for communications is the concept of 5G and how that will impact the need for capacity with regard to infrastructure across the country. How does Tillman Infrastructure take a view of what 5G will mean to your industry?

Alex Schwartz:

I think what it’s going to mean to our industry is a further need for vertical assets. More poles closer together, if for us we view it as a real positive. And obviously, I think that we’re just scratching the surface in understanding what the applications of 5G are going to be, and what it’s going to bring to the surrounding communities. But we think it’s really great for our business and great for our partners.

Craig Corbin:

You had mentioned, Alex, earlier of the relationship between Tillman Infrastructure and WISPA. You also have a relationship in place with CCA. Talk about that.

Alex Schwartz:

Yeah. It’s a great partnership that we have with the folks at CCA. They also work incredibly hard to service underserved portions of the country. And I think the commonality there with them and really any of our customers is, again, that we’re treating them incredibly fairly. And we’re supporting that organization and its members, helping them grow and develop both the network and as an institution

Craig Corbin:

Yeah. For those who are not aware of CCA, the Competitive Carriers Association. And to your point, Alex, much of what they and their members are doing is serving rural customers. And that’s something that is so important in the conversation of bridging the digital divide, getting connectivity to those who are unconnected. And given the fact that there is such a current focus on funding opportunities for expansion of service, what does Tillman Infrastructure look at in the next 5 to 10 years with regard to their role in assisting all these providers across the country and being able to fulfill their obligations with grants and loans that are being distributed in huge amounts? Talk about that, if you would.

Alex Schwartz:

That is a super great question, Craig. What we do is we work with the carriers directly on figuring out what it is, what part we can play to help them roll out that network. Whether that is operationally in terms of getting them on the sites quickly and helping them to identify sites that say match where they’ve won CBRS spectrum, or where they’ve won RDOF grant, that’s an analysis that we take on personally and help them with and do, matching up Tillman Infrastructure assets to counties that they need to build out, to also coming up with creative structures to give them the flexibility to deploy that over time as quickly as possible.

Craig Corbin:

When we look at Tillman Infrastructure, part of a much larger organization, Tillman Global Holdings, and go back to what you mentioned very early in the conversation, that ethos of fairness. And that’s part and parcel, I think, also of the culture-driven approach to Tillman Global Holdings. Your perspective there.

Alex Schwartz:

Yes. I think that ethos of fairness is a common thread throughout each Tillman company. And in the US, we’re talking really about three. There’s Tillman Infrastructure, which is our tower company, our vertical asset company. Tillman Networks, which is a full services construction company doing anything from backup power deployment to installation, integration, and optimization of active network equipment and procurement. And then also Tillman Digital Cities, which is an in-building and private networks company.

Alex Schwartz:

I think if you take a step back and look at it what the Tillman North American companies can do is we’re getting to a spot where we can go to a carrier and provide a holistic network deployment and solution. One that leverages that operational excellence that I keep harping on, but also that sets them up for long-term success from an operating expense perspective and the like.

Craig Corbin:

Just to follow up on that, I think that’s a very key point. When we talk about what Tillman Infrastructure brings to the table, it’s not just building the tower. It is a complete portfolio of capabilities and services to your customers. And I know that from your perspective, it has to be nice to have in your back pockets so many different things that you can offer to perspective customers going forward.

Alex Schwartz:

It’s an absolute blessing and it keeps things very interesting. It’s really wonderful to be able to come up with holistic network deployments and solutions there. It’s really exciting. I think that as we see what’s going on with the investment that the carriers have made in C-band and a need to roll out the network in new and more aggressive ways, I think that Tillman is really incredibly well-positioned to get that done for any number of partners in the United States.

Craig Corbin:

We always like to ask our guests here on the Broadband Bunch what we call the Back to the Future question. If you can hop in the DeLorean, take yourself back a couple of years, and whisper something in your ear that would have changed the trajectory of the company’s development and sped up success, now granted, that would be very difficult to do given the fact that Tillman Infrastructure has done so much in such a short period of time. But I will ask the question anyway. If there’s something that you could go back and whisper in your own ear at any point in the past, that would positively change things going forward, what would that be?

Alex Schwartz:

Honestly, I’m not sure if I can think of anything. I think it’s probably a function of us having the success that we have had, and also not having been around for quite so long. Honestly, Craig, I think that we’ve done a really good job. We’re blessed to have a super great team. It’s a group of people that are both incredibly hardworking and incredibly creative. And so, at this point, I think that what I would tell myself is to keep doing what you’re doing.

Craig Corbin:

I think that’s sound advice. And obviously, given the track record that Tillman Infrastructure has, great things are in store in the future. If I can then ask you the converse of the Back to the Future question, pulling out the crystal ball for a look down the line, what do you see as the growth opportunities in the next 5 to 10 years for Tillman Infrastructure?

Alex Schwartz:

I mean, I think, honestly, despite the huge success we’ve had in these past few years, I think it’s only just the beginning. I think the networks are growing and densifying. And the need for what Tillman can offer as far as a holistic and turnkey network solution, one that gets a network rolled out quickly and cost-effectively both from a capital expenditure and an operating expense perspective, is going to lead to huge growth for our organization over the coming years.

Wireless Infrastructure Network Leader

Craig Corbin:

It’s obvious that you enjoy being part of the Tillman Infrastructure team. Given their amazing approach to the business and the industry and all the opportunities that are there, what has been the best part of your tenure with Tillman?

Alex Schwartz:

The best part of my tenure with Tillman, it’s hard to say. I can’t overstate how lucky I am or how lucky I feel that I was brought into this organization and trained up and trusted. Everyone here, both in Tillman Infrastructure and Tillman Global Holdings, it’s an absolute blessing to work with them.

Craig Corbin:

Well, Alex, it has been great to begin to learn so much more about Tillman Infrastructure, the phenomenal success over such a short period of time. Again, more than 1,000 macro sites were built in less than four years. You guys are making quite an impact on the industry. We’d love to be able to check in with you down the line and hear more about Tillman Infrastructure is having tremendous success. Greatly appreciate the time today.

Alex Schwartz:

Thank you, Craig. Really looking forward to it. We’ll have to do that.