Blog
July 12, 2025
From Ownership to Access: The Strategic Shift to Mobile Tower Leasing
Mobile operators built and owned their tower infrastructure, controlling their own fate for decades. Although it had a cost, it was a sign of strength and stability. Tower ownership came with significant upfront expenses, protracted building schedules, and continuous upkeep. That model is beginning to expose its weaknesses in the rapidly evolving world of 5G and beyond. Today, a new approach is taking over: mobile tower leasing. Instead of spending billions on infrastructure, operators are instead renting tower space from independent suppliers. This shift is transforming the implementation, scalability, and upkeep of networks and creating opportunities that were previously unreachable.
Why Are Operators Moving Away From Ownership?
When networks expanded gradually and updates occurred every ten years, the conventional ownership model functioned effectively. However, contemporary wireless networks need to be quick, scalable, and adaptable. In-house tower construction slows down operations and consumes resources that may be used elsewhere. Conversely, leasing enables carriers to:- Deploy coverage quickly without building from scratch.
- Focus capital on innovation and customer experience rather than physical assets.
- Adapt to changing technologies like 5G, IoT, and edge computing.
The Rise of Tower Companies
Tower companies, or towercos, are a new type of actor in the telecom ecosystem as a result of this movement. These businesses specialize in tower construction and management, after which they lease space to several mobile operators. Towercos builds shared infrastructure that is advantageous to all, rather than each carrier building its own towers. By housing several tenants on one property, tower businesses make money while operators save time and money. According to GSMA Intelligence, towercos are expected to own more than 70% of cellular tower assets worldwide by 2025. It is evident that the industry is rapidly shifting from ownership to access.Why Mobile Tower Leasing Makes Sense
Here’s why leasing has become the go-to strategy for modern networks:- Lower Upfront Costs Leasing reduces capital expenditures (CapEx), converting them into manageable operating expenses (OpEx).
- Faster Rollouts Operators can expand their networks quickly without waiting years to build new infrastructure.
- Shared Resources Leased towers often support multiple tenants, making them more efficient and environmentally friendly.
- Focus on Innovation Carriers can concentrate on enhancing 5G performance, growing IoT ecosystems, and investigating new revenue streams now that they are not responsible for maintaining the infrastructure.
Real-World Examples of Leasing in Action
- T-Mobile’s 5G Growth T-Mobile leveraged mobile tower leasing to densify its 5G network in urban areas and expand into rural regions without delay.
- Airtel Africa’s Strategic Move Airtel sold thousands of towers to tower companies in Africa and leased them back. This sale-and-leaseback model freed up capital for 4G and 5G investments.
- Dish Network’s Greenfield Build As a new wireless player, Dish Network relied on leased towers to build its network from the ground up, avoiding the costs of physical ownership.