Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Tillman Infrastructure Unite to Build More Cell Towers

NEW YORK, November 14, 2017 — Verizon Wireless is joining forces with its’ largest competitor — AT&T — and smart cities infrastructure builder Tillman, in order to build hundreds of new cellular towers, the company announced on Monday in a press release.

Construction of these new towers — which will begin in the first quarter of 2018 — aims to  fill in gaps in both companies networks and will also provide opportunities to reduce operating costs by relocating equipment from current leased sites.

“We need more alternatives to the traditional tower leasing model with the large incumbents. It’s not cost-effective or sustainable. We’re creating a diverse community of suppliers and tower companies who will help increase market competition while reducing our overhead,” AT&T Senior Vice President Susan Johnson said.

“We look forward to working with Verizon as we establish site locations and sign new lease agreements with additional suppliers in the coming years.”

Verizon Chief Network Officer Nicola Palmer said that her company will continue to invest in technological innovation to provide the best experience for its customers, but that it is “imperative” that the company reduce its operating costs.

“We are reviewing all of our long-term contracts as they come up for renewal and we are excited to develop new vendor partners to diversify our infrastructure providers,” she said.

“Tillman is excited about the opportunity to work with AT&T and Verizon in order to further develop the cell tower model of the future,” said Chief Financial Officer Suruchi Ahuja.

“Over the past year we have built a strong team at Tillman and are committed to rapidly building a leader in wireless infrastructure in the U.S. in order to best serve carriers and the broader communities in which we will enable connectivity.”