Ntelos sells 85 towers
Grain Management announced the closing of a deal to acquire 85 towers from Ntelos Holdings. The towers are said to be worth $2.2 million in cash flow, though the exact cost of the transaction has yet to be disclosed. This deal is termed as only the “first installment” of tower acquisitions between Grain Management and Ntelos. There will be up to 18 additional towers that will change hands between the two companies over the course of 2015.
“This acquisition fits well with Grain’s strategy of acquiring underutilized sites and creating additional value over time,” said David J. Grain, founder and managing partner of Grain.
Crown Castle considers Australian sale
You know you’re a large company when the fact that you’re “considering” a business move makes headlines, and such is the case with Crown Castle. This week it came to light that the infrastructure giant is considering selling its 1,800 Australian towers after receiving recent unsolicited offers.
If the deal goes through, it would be the sale of the largest independent tower company in the country. It would also indicate that the company intends to focus its energies in the United States, which is backed by CEO Ben Moreland stating that he believes the U.S. offers the best risk-adjusted returns.
Velocitel grows tower modification business
Co-locating multiple carriers on a single tower to add capacity can put strain on the tower, requiring structural modifications. In order to service this increasing need, infrastructure services firm Velocitel has acquired FDH, a company that specializes in this sort of tower modification and reinforcement.
“FDH is one of the largest, if not the largest, engineering firm in the wireless industry that does this type of analysis and modification design work. … They do mostly work for the tower owners, which is nice, because Velocitel historically has worked primarily for the carriers,” said Velocitel Chairman James Estes.
Tower news quickies
• Atlas Tower builds first towers in South Africa
Regional / local tower news
- CMPA to consider stadium cell tower proposal in Pensacola, Fla.
- Cell tower talks in Cedar Key, Fla.
- Clarkdale, Ariz., residents protest 65-foot cell tower
- Cell tower going up in Amado, Ariz.
- Planners approve tasting room, cell tower in Calistoga, Calif.
- Cell tower considered for Erwin Lake is near Hatchery Drive in Big Bear Lake, Calif.
- Petition to stop cell tower in Stratford, Conn.
- Cell tower outside Ashland, Ore., meets resistance
- Project keeps Vermont towns communicating during emergencies
- Edgemere-Sackville, Ga., cell tower fight continues
- State Historical Commission: Cell tower ‘adverse visual effect’ to historic district in New Bedford, Mass.
- County planning commission to vote on cell tower in Aiken, S.C.
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