Two
leading wireless industry analysts, Ric Prentiss, managing director
-- Telecommunication Services at Raymond James and Associates and Sean
Butson, CFA, principal, Wireless Services and Towers Analyst for Legg
Mason Research, identify wireless services as growing at a faster rate
each year, making the demand for towers robust.
"(Wireless)
customers are being added at a rate of 30 every minute of every day,"
said Prentiss.
According
to Butson, the demand in towers will be driven by a 50% increase in
wireless subscribers to more than 200 million, with a doubling of minutes
per subscriber in one month climbing to 800. Thus making the demand
for more towers imperative for the deployment of successful networks.
Both
analysts made their comments while discussing the annual Tower Summit
and Trade Show, to be held November 12-14, 2002 in New Orleans. The
Tower Summit is the only industry show dedicated to the outsourced wireless
industry and addresses this greater need for towers and in-building
solutions. It offers educational sessions identifying strategic methods
for capitalizing on the growing market.
Andrea
Downs, president of Shorecliff Communications and producer of the Tower
Summit and Trade Show, said: "It's the wireless infrastructures
that support quality networks. The Tower Summit and Trade Show will
educate attendees on the importance of these infrastructures successfully
supplying the coverage and capacity the industry needs in order to generate
growth."
According
to Prentiss, the U.S. government has just recently identified additional
spectrum to be used in deploying even higher speed wireless services,
the so called 3G or third-generation service. Prentiss said, "This
means more antennas and equipment will be needed to ensure successful
deployment, in turn creating a greater need for towers."
The 5th Annual Tower Summit and Trade Show takes place November 12-14,
2002 at the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Since the
show premiered in 1998, attendance has steadily increased, making it
the largest event for the wireless infrastructure industry.
