Category: News

From designer face masks to socially-distanced dates, much has changed about how we live now. As we settle into our ‘new normal’, many of us in business are taking stock of the last two years, and realising how differently various industries have been impacted.

In the first year, for example, Zoom shares rocketed by some 600%, while travel, hospitality, restaurant and hotel companies were shuttered and hundreds of thousands of people sadly lost their jobs. In our field of global telecommunications, increased demand meant unprecedented levels of pressure on delivery, and a real push towards new and improved infrastructure.

In the initial months, as millions of households rapidly transitioned to working, studying and socialising remotely, “internet usage rose by 70% and tasked networks that, prior to this point, were working fairly efficiently,” according to Forbes. Getting and staying connected  – for, say the duration of a work call, college class or blockbuster movie – became vital, generating increased average revenue per user (ARPU). Some providers such as Google and T-Mobile donated WI-FI hotspots to households and students struggling with digital connectivity.

A little like plumbing, most people don’t think about telecoms infrastructure until the taps stop working. Now, with so many day-to-day activities relying on seamless connectivity, the eyes of the world were suddenly on our industry in a way that they had never been before. This led to positive effects, including increased public and investor buy-in, as terms such as bandwidth, traffic and fibre optic cables became part of general conversation.

Urban infill sites were prioritised and the planned roll-out of 5G was accelerated, with Ericsson increasing its forecasts for 2020 global 5G subscriptions to 190 million, to 2.8 billion by 2025, all the way to 4.4 billion in 2027, when “around half of all mobile subscriptions will be for 5G”. The Swedish telecoms titan noted that “it is clear that underneath the numbers lies a continuous change in how we act, live and work.”

Figures like these were bound to catch investors’ attention, particularly those casting around for opportunities in more robust markets. Their newly-focused interest in the sector has generated a lot of market movement, with some major purchases, sales and mergers hitting the headlines. This helps to keep capital flowing, paying for ongoing research and development as well as increased coverage in new territories. It is also leading to improved portfolio management, with the help of international asset support providers such as Delmec.

All of this has proved that telecommunications are a vital part of modern life, and a key element of the global economy. The COVID-19 pandemic ignited an explosion of demand, but this is unlikely to slow down with the introduction of AI-led services such as virtual reality entertainment, telemedicine and autonomous driving. It’s imperative therefore that users, towercos, MNOs, investors and service providers continue advancing our telecoms infrastructure, technology and coverage at pace – we’re all stakeholders in this new, fully-connected world of ours.

The towerco industry is one which moves fast, with a constant flow of M&A activity, technological advances and regulatory changes.

That’s why here at Delmec, we work hard to make sure we’re fully up to date on our industry’s developments. One of the ways we do this is by taking part in global networking opportunities like the TowerXchange Meetup Asia 2021.

The event – which has been running since 2014 – seeks to ‘connect the Asian passive telecom infrastructure industry’, bringing together key representatives from the world’s leading tower operators, towercos, investors and suppliers. Delmec were represented on this prestigious stage by a team of experts, including our CEO, Kealan Delaney. 

Market Movement

“Meetup Asia 2021 is an important event for us, in part because it’s an opportunity to examine the major trends and challenges in the Asian market,” says Kealan. “With so much due diligence and towerco expansion in progress, it’s vital we keep abreast of the latest developments.”

Mohan Villavarayan, our Asia Regional Business Manager, agrees, pointing out that the extensive market activity involves not just ‘true’ towercos, but also those with investment fund majority stakeholders, leading to a difference in endgame and long-term views. “Where ROI is concerned investors have a mixed view on selecting a 5G focus versus a traditional portfolio with a mix of macro towers and street furniture,” he says. 

The team also heard much about major movement in the region, with Edgepoint setting its sights on the top two positions in the ASEAN market, and edotco planning for an expansion to achieve 70,000 towers by 2025 – including enlarging its footprint from eight to 10 countries. Developments are also afoot in Indonesia and the Philippines: “ATC is potentially looking to expand their Asian (or rather APAC) footprint from India and the Philippines to Australia,” Mohan notes. 

Increasing Data Demands

It’ll come as no surprise that a hot topic was the global increase in data demand – and the solutions proposed by the world’s leading MNOs. “Growing demand is positive for the industry”, ​​Damien Kelly, our Head of Engineering and Innovation reminds us, “although there are challenges involved in meeting customers’ needs.”  

Urban solutions are still a major focus for the Asian market, and there appears to be acceptance from local regulators around the placement of these poles, albeit with arguments related to height restrictions and alternative placements. Damien notes that many towercos are looking at alternative revenue streams to improve ROI, such as incorporating electric car charging, bin storage and CCTV hosting. “Both MNOs and towercos need to work with regulators to educate them in the technology which will aid the deployment and development of these solutions,” he says. 

Digitisation also presents an opportunity for tower owners to provide proactive digital twins, rather than the traditional interactive models. “Drones and apps are still being used collaboratively,” says Damien, “but discussions at the Meetup confirmed digitisation is a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’.”

A Greener Outlook

One of the main takeaways from the event was that sustainability is a growing focus.  Energy is still a major talking point,” Damien says. “With more and more towercos focusing on their carbon footprint, the industry is looking towards alternative, greener solutions to powering their sites.” Trust is key though, and Damien cautions that wind, solar and improved battery technology now needs major investment and large-scale implementation to prove their value.

Delmec’s Technical Engineer Nikola Erdelja led a related roundtable discussion on ‘Right-sizing infrastructure: Improving site design for greater ROI and sustainability’. The participants  examined what smaller, lighter equipment might look like in the future, allowing the addition of extra operators to existing structures without the need for strengthening, or the possibility of lighter and less expensive new structures in their stead. Recyclable materials were also discussed, as were plans to adapt to a changing climate; it remains to be seen if existing wind maps can meet the more extreme weather conditions that are emerging worldwide.

For CEO Kealan Delaney, an overarching theme of the event was how to increase data delivery in the region. “Our many discussions at this event proved what we all knew instinctively: the new global demand for data is not a temporary blip, but a permanent fixture,” he says. “This means that power management and new, innovative – and potentially actively shared – street, urban and rural solutions are vital.” 

Kealan was also buoyed by the superb feedback garnered by the Delmec team. “As always, I’m very proud of my colleagues, who ably demonstrated their exceptional knowledge and valued experience to key industry stakeholders,” he says. “It’s been great to close 2021 on such a positive note.”

The energy of TowerXChange Asia 2021 reflected the reality of the market today: busy, progressive, and ever-expanding – with Delmec front and centre.

Like most business leaders this year, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the future of work. It’s become clear that workplace changes are no longer a temporary fix to pandemic-related problems: they’re here to stay, in one form or another.

We’ve been fortunate over the last two years that as a globally-active company, we already had a strong digital infrastructure in place. Our established business systems allowed staff to collaborate seamlessly and our tailored KPIs helped them demonstrate their progress, whether in our HQ in Ireland or any of our offices abroad.

However, working remotely has its drawbacks too, as most of us have discovered by now. Personally, I missed the opportunity to interact personally with my colleagues and team members – it’s harder to develop ideas when not meeting face-to-face. Building relationships with stakeholders, clients and partners is also more challenging than it was when I was flying around the world on a regular basis. Employee wellbeing is affected by the lack of social engagement too; there’s a lot to be said for those water-cooler chats on a Monday morning.

After all the upheaval of recent times, most companies are now settling into one of three different types of workplace organisation: a centralised, on-site workforce; a network of remote workers; or a hybrid ‘best of both worlds’ system.

A recent survey by Accenture showed that a majority of workers (83%) prefer the hybrid work model, and that’s the direction we’re taking at Delmec too. We’ve developed a remote working policy that promotes a certain amount of in-person time each week. We find that this is the best solution to ensure safety, offer flexibility and build a positive company culture. Much of our work can be done remotely, but it’s also very important to us that we facilitate social interaction and team development, as well as safeguarding and improving the wellbeing of our employees.

Those Accenture findings point to a number of efforts leaders can make to build a better future of work. These include designing work around people, building digital fluency and leading with humanity – helping to build a “a fail-fast culture of ongoing experimentation and improvement.” My background in engineering and training in Harvard Business School helps me lean into this approach, as I’m solution-focused, and not afraid to get creative along the way.

As a company, adaptation is something we’re familiar with in Delmec, as much has changed in our industry since our formation in the 1970s. We’ll continue to develop our remote working policy as we learn more about how to support our team members in this rapidly-changing environment. We know that the path to growth can be bumpy, with challenges related to communications, training and mindsets.

Experience has taught us that these can all be overcome by collaborating with our teammates, colleagues and partners – synergy shapes success isn’t just a company tagline, it’s a way of life here. Together, we can make sure the future of work is bright at Delmec.

At Delmec, a major part of our work involves advising clients on overseeing their portfolios and optimising their assets. One of the key issues that we see time and time again is a lack of data management. As all our clients know, data accuracy is vital when operating a successful towerco business, particularly across numerous sites and geographical locations. Delmec is here to help, with a range of technical resources.

Inventory Data Management

The relatively simplistic business model of ‘renting space’ can become complicated when it’s coupled with elaborate rental agreements and a network of sites. This added complexity requires robust data management. As these rental agreements are the backbone of the business, it’s crucial that their clauses are adhered to and the towerco has a firm grasp on what is currently being utilised.

This is where the difficulties can occur when portfolios are large and spread over a number of regions and countries. Here at Delmec, we’ve spent many years developing ways to manage this challenge by creating combined scopes and integrated systems to capture and flag any discrepancies between what’s on site and what’s in the operator agreements.

Simplifying and Streamlining

Our TiMS (Telecoms Infrastructure Management System) is a bespoke application and platform where clients can log in to see and manage their site selections, dashboard and reporting suite.

As part of our constant technical innovation, we’ve just rolled out its newest enhancement – the equipment module. This latest addition focuses on simplifying inventory capture during our site visits. It integrates with our TiMS equipment inventory, building a foundation for our digital twin offering. The new development has further streamlined our surveying process by instantly and fully populating our database once the job is completed, with our engineers receiving the data before our teams have even left the site.

Building for the Future

This advanced module will give our clients more visibility of their tower assets, assisting with our overall aim to reduce unclaimed revenue on site. Enhancing our TiMS inventory system has allowed both Delmec and tower owners to access their data easily, helping them to align their current revenue streams.

We’re currently incorporating the new equipment module into projects in Ireland, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Malta. Each site is already reporting favourable results for time and accuracy, with the promise of increased benefits in the future. Ever since Delmec was first founded in 1975, we’ve worked to be at the forefront of every technical and manufacturing progression in our industry. Whether it’s the use of drones or the development of software apps, our qualified engineers are dedicated to finding the best services and solutions for our clients and customers – even if we have to build it ourselves, like this game-changing new TiMS equipment module.

• 

• 

• 

One of the best things about our return to the ‘new normal’ is the chance to meet with international colleagues again – to share knowledge, learn from each other, and collaborate on key concerns for the tower industry.

This year’s TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2021 – held both online and in Dubai – offered just such an opportunity. The event attracted the world’s leading tower operators, towercos, investors and suppliers, including our own contingent of expert speakers from Delmec.

Powering the Industry’s Future

“Meetup Africa 2021 is one of the most important events in our calendar,” says Delmec’s CEO Kealan Delaney. “It’s where we demonstrate our expertise, track the trajectory of the market and identify the key pain points of our client base.”

Our team found, through ongoing discussions and debates at the event, that the biggest pain points for towercos and MNOs in Africa are power and the need for rural sites. Sustainable sources and renewable technologies were much discussed, proving that investment in wind, solar and improved battery technology is needed. “We’ll use this knowledge to develop our strategies to assist infrastructure owners,” Kealan says. “We can help them to access, develop and manage rural sites and ensure they’re linked to dependable power sources.”

Upgrading and Upskilling

Damien Kelly, our Head of Engineering and Innovation moderated a panel discussion with Allan Fairbairn (Helios Towers), Mohammed Almuqbil (TAWAL), Salah Medawar (i-eng Group) and Spencer Crawford-White (NETIS) on technology upgrades, antenna evolution and tower loading and power draw. The panel contributed some interesting ideas about the future of rural towers, including an innovative tower design that would improve transport costs and can easily expand into a strong structure.

It’s clear that fibre is still a long way off in terms of rural Africa, with towercos still heavily focused on large macrocell sites, but Damien believes that “the future could see an active sharing network emerge, with the change from towerco to netco very likely.” Further partnerships on antenna design are predicted too, as the panel’s findings made it clear that vendors, operators and tower owners need to collaborate on future developments.

“This leads to people and talent development, with evolving technologies in an ever-changing industry,” Damien notes. “Recruitment and training will help us gain competitive advantage.”

M&A in the Region

Francois Pretorius, Delmec’s Regional Business Manager led a panel discussion on ‘the new South African towerco landscape’. The lively chat revealed new insights and confirmed that South Africa (SA) is still a key market for M&A. “It’s one of the biggest markets in terms of tower count,” Francois says. “It’s estimated that there are around 27 towercos in SA, with pension funds and investment companies actively investing with the intention of selling off the assets.” It’s been said that almost 75% of South Africa’s 25,000 tower network is set for offloading.

Damien Kelly agrees, noting that M&A frees up capital and changes the evaluation recognition by separating the MNO and tower element of an MNO’s business. “From conversations I had at the event, there’s a lot of finance available for African Towercos right now,” he says.

Delmec’s Experience and Expertise

Towerco attendee SBA, affirmed that the standard of a ‘good site’ still boils down to the same unchanged factors: unique locations, good contracts, multiple tenants and rational OpEx. It’s a simple formula, but one that needs to be managed carefully, given the investment involved.

This is where Delmec can add real value, Francois Pretorius points out, by providing engineering advice, technical recommendations and hard-earned experience in the region. “Our on-the-ground presence and cutting-edge expertise means that we’re well equipped to find innovative solutions to the region’s most commonly-cited challenges,” he says.

Delmec’s CEO Kealan Delaney is reassured that the African landscape is bright for the towerco industry. “TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2021 made it clear that growth on the continent hasn’t faltered, with increased M&A activity and rapid site development.”  The event also proved that Delmec has much to offer in this fast-moving environment. “I’m proud of my team, who shared their expertise and experience in the African market by leading panels, participating in roundtables and engaging in conversations with key stakeholders from all over the world”, Kealan says. “We’ve been operating in Africa for more than ten years, and look forward to growing our presence in the region for decades more.”

Since 1975, Delmec has been focused on providing our clientele and partners with a level of quality that has become renowned throughout the industry. Maintaining this in each of our regions is one of the main challenges Delmec is faced with. From tower audits to design teams, Delmec has invested in tools to assist our employees in preserving the required level of quality so that we can focus on our customers, providing them with data they can trust.

TiMS (Telecommunication Information Management System)

Delmec’s in-house management system – known as TiMS – is a portfolio management tool that is one of the keys to maintaining the Delmec standard of quality globally. TiMS is a continually-growing application which comes equipped with numerous individual tools to assist employees on the ground and in the back office. Recent innovations have improved this functionality even further: our new inventory module allows the on-site surveyor to directly upload all equipment and photographs directly onto TiMS, simplifying the QA process and removing the need for endless paperwork.

Additionally, similar functionality is in place for all types of site audits (structural climbdowns, maintenance, power, etc.). This means that the on-site surveyor can upload a full audit onto the database without requiring paperwork. It also allows for a set selection method for each audit, thereby limiting the options and ensuring information that’s captured is of the required quality from the outset.

QA Process and Governance

As mentioned, TiMS plays a vital role in quality governance across Delmec. The QA process varies from task to task. Within design, each analysis is certified by a senior engineer for publication onto TiMS. For on-site works, the QA process is twofold: firstly, a review takes place of the information once it’s all uploaded to the database, cross-checking photographs against the input data to ensure accuracy. Secondly, an on-the-ground senior resource will periodically inspect on-site works as they’re ongoing, including builds, enhancement works and all surveys. Any enhancement or build works are QA-inspected during and after completion; then a full review of the work takes place and a certification will be issued against the site on TiMS to confirm works are completed and up to the required standards.

Local Contractors

In each of our regions, Delmec sets out to establish a local entity by building a team of in-country employees and using local contractors to carry out required works. This process ensures Delmec taps into the knowledge and expertise in the region from the start, using this as a foundation to build a local team, trained in the Delmec ideology. Each member of the Delmec team is taught to use the tools designed from the ground up for their required task. Local survey teams will use the TiMS and mobile app to carry out all types of site visit – whether it be a full climbdown, maintenance or power audit. Each has a direct section within TiMS, guiding the employee/contractor to provide the necessary information in a drop-down or tick-box exercise.

We’ve designed all of these systems, tools and resources to ensure that quality management is at the heart of everything we do, wherever we are in the world. Our clients, customers and communities know that they can rely on us to provide the highest level of service – at Delmec synergy shapes success, and that starts with an unrivalled commitment to quality.

As part of our global services, Delmec serves as chief structural advisor to several towercos. This means that we provide vital advice and recommendations on the structural management of portfolios. Our engineering team is constantly striving to find improved methods and state-of-the-art systems that will better serve our clients, wherever they are in the world. One of the latest improvements we’re trialling is film galvanising.

Towerco Maintenance

A key aspect of tower portfolio management is maintenance. It is generally recommended that a typical lattice telecom tower has a maintenance inspection carried out every five years, while sites located in corrosive coastal regions should arrange for inspections every two years.

Carrying out these routine inspections and subsequent corrective works may prevent catastrophic failures or expensive replacements when the corrosive problems become advanced. The standard towerco solution for rust prevention is topcoat painting; however, by ‘recharging’ the existing galvanising by means of film galvanising (sometimes known as cold-galving), the steel members’ lifespan is greatly increased.

Film Galvanising

Film galvanising is essentially powdered zinc with an added solvent. Unlike hot-dip galvanizing, film galvanising can be simply painted or sprayed on surfaces. ZINGA is a Belgian company that supplies a one-component film galvanising system containing 96% zinc (dust) in its dry film. It’s a metallic coating, not a paint. What differentiates film galvanising from other anti-corrosion methods is that it combines both passive and active protection in an easily-applied film galvanising system that not only delivers active cathodic protection but also provides a passive physical shield.

In Delmec’s experience, tower painting can sometimes be treated as a visual service by towercos, rather than a structurally functional service. Instead of replacing members, which is costly, structures can simply have their existing zinc protection ‘re-charged’ by applying ZINGA’s film galvanising to the rough surface after appropriate decontamination and salt removal.
As the majority of towerco structures are hot-dipped galvanized and topcoat painted, this new method could be particularly useful in the following areas: applied to freshly-fabricated steel during maintenance and strengthening works; used as re-charge coating for guy wires; and of course, applied to structures where the existing galve coating has deteriorated, leading to rust.

Structural corrosion is an ongoing challenge for many towercos, particularly those with locations on the West African coast, where very high salt concentrates pose a serious problem. At Delmec, synergy shapes success, and that means collaborating with other leading companies such as ZINGA to offer the latest technology and most cost-effective solutions to our towerco clients. Corrosion will always be a formidable opponent in the field of telecommunications, but our engineers are working hard to stay one step ahead, keeping our clients’ towers – and their customers’ connections – working well.

This October sees the launch of one of the most anticipated events in our industry’s calendar: the TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2021.

Founded in 2012, TowerXchange is an independent community for operators, towercos, investors and suppliers interested in EMEA, CALA and Asian towers. Their events are valuable opportunities for the world’s leading industry practitioners to consult and collaborate on key towerco concerns, including the promotion and acceleration of infrastructure sharing.

The organisers have taken a fresh approach this year, as TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2021 is to be a blended event, taking place online and in Dubai from the 5th to the 13th October. Billed as “the world’s only digital and physical meeting place to interact with key decision makers and leaders from Africa telecom infrastructure industry,” it promises to be an exciting opportunity to connect the global passive telecom infrastructure community.

As usual, Delmec will be strongly represented among the speakers. Damien Kelly, our Head of Engineering and Innovation is slated to appear in a joint interview with Allan Fairbairn, Director of Operations and Technology at Helios. Their conversation will focus on the two companies’ long history of collaboration: over the last decade Delmec has supported Helios with many services, including undertaking a data integration project and providing governance structure for their portfolio.

Damien has a busy schedule ahead, as he’ll also be moderating a panel discussion on technology upgrades, antenna evolution and the impact on tower loading and power draw. Together with Allan Fairbairn of Helios, he’ll be posing key questions about managing and adapting aging infrastructure for a 5G-dominated future.

Francois Pretorius, Delmec’s Regional Business Manager – Africa will also lead a panel discussion on ‘the new South African towerco landscape’. Based on his extensive experience in the region, he’ll be asking vital questions about the long-run impact of MTN’s tower sale, the options facing Vodacom and the Gyro Group, and how the industry can take advantage of South Africa’s fibre boom. Of particular interest is the planned conversation around potential solutions to South Africa’s declining operational situation.

TowerXchange meetups have traditionally been a place to highlight the newest technological advances and industry solutions, and we’re proud to contribute our own findings from our work in Europe, Africa and Asia. We’ll be sharing multimedia resources too, with a video montage of one of our successful streetworks operations in Ireland and drone footage of a mast-dismantling project in Ghana.

TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2021 represents an excellent opportunity to keep our collective fingers on the industry’s pulse; staying abreast of developments, planning for the future and connecting with other key operators are major priorities for all the Delmec team. We’re looking forward to playing our part in one of this year’s most exciting industry events – and sharing our insights with you, our customers and clients all around the world.

At Delmec, we know that our people are our strength; we believe that working in synergy shapes success.

That’s why we’re delighted to announce that we’ve been recognised for the fourth time as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies.

Hosted by Deloitte Private in association with Bank of Ireland, the Best Managed Companies awards programme seeks to shine a spotlight on “outstanding private businesses…and the exceptional performance that drives them.” The programme has been running since 2008, celebrating the strategic success, management strength and financial performance of Ireland’s leading companies.

Delmec is proud to have been honoured with this award on four occasions: 2017, 2019, 2020 and now 2021. This global mark of excellence recognises the superior performance of the entire company, not just individuals. It celebrates the efforts and commitment of every member of the Delmec team, whether they’re based in our Irish HQ or our overseas offices in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Noting that we’ve been navigating “one of the most testing years in memory”, Deloitte Private sought to recognise teams “with strong leadership and resilience” for their 2021 awards. In a year like no other, our exceptional team members worked together to create the future of telecom infrastructure in over 30 countries across the globe. As connectivity became more important than ever, our people were hard at work, ensuring that vital communications and digital services were available to all our clients and their customers.

In order to be considered for this prestigious accolade, companies must be Irish or Northern Irish, with a turnover in excess of €10million / £8STG million, and trading for at least five years. The judges review each candidate company under four pillars: strategy; capability and innovation; culture and commitment; governance and financial performance.

The award is a valuable achievement as it helps to increase our market visibility and credibility, includes us in a global network of award-winning companies, and strengthens our ability to attract and retain talent. This is a primary focus here at Delmec, where the remarkable skills and abilities of our international team are what makes our services in demand around the world.

We’re always looking for people who want to make a difference, bring new perspectives, and drive success – for themselves, for our company and for our clients. We’re committed to tailoring career paths that bring out the best in every member of our team, whether they’re engineers or executives, marketers or managers. We provide a dynamic environment and exciting opportunities for people who can contribute to our values: ‘Solve Smart’, ‘Built Brave’, ‘Proactive Partners’ and ‘Talented Teamwork’. If you think this sounds like you, visit our website to learn more about life at Delmec and help us shape the talent of tomorrow.

At Delmec, we’ve seen huge changes in our almost fifty years in the telecommunications field. Over that time, we’ve learned much about the opportunities and challenges posed by rapid advances in technology, and we now believe that shared active networks will be a major feature of our industry’s future.

These will significantly reduce infrastructure costs and allow for the denser, quicker coverage that service-users have come to expect, particularly with the arrival of 5G. The new technology will allow for great leaps in terms of global telecommunications, but only if the speeds and connectivity are there to support them. The upgrades and additions required will be expensive, but network owners who move to share these costs can safeguard the savings for other, service-related strategies.

Whether or not active network sharing becomes a part of our industry sooner or later depends on a number of factors. The major industry players all have embedded positions on the global stage: transitioning from decades of direct competition to a future of collaboration and cooperation is likely to be challenging. In addition, there are existing investments and agreements that will need time to play out before new partnerships can be explored. Finally, the sharing of active networks can be complex, involving technology that is still being developed. That said, we believe that much of what is required is already in existence, and could be applied now if there was a willingness to try.

The most important obstacle is probably the simplest: it will require no small amount of courage to change the status quo, particularly as it may mean forgoing immediate advantages for longer-term opportunities. TowerCos are in an optimum position to drive this evolution, particularly as their positions evolve with the arrival of outside investors. Shared active networks would allow TowerCos to potentially become netcos, i.e., managing both passive and active networks, across multiple telcos.

The brave few that venture forward with shared active network strategies will be best placed for the inevitable shift from access to infrastructure to quality of service. Competition in the future will focus on the offering to the end user: every euro, pound or dollar saved by network sharing is a boon to the company’s differentiation on customer experience and services.

Like most things in life, the issue of shared active networks is nuanced, and no doubt many conversations about its pros and cons are taking place in TelCo and TowerCo boardrooms all over the world. One thing is certain, however: change waits for no man or woman, and as always, Delmec will be there to help our clients adapt and thrive, whatever their future looks like.