Reports indicate that Verizon is considering selling up to 6,000 telecom towers across the US. Estimates suggest that this sale could be worth as much as $3 billion, though discussions are in early stages, and potential buyers have yet to be identified.
This move aligns with an industry trend. Many telecom giants, such as Vodafone (Vantage Towers), Telefonica (Telxius), and Orange (Totem), have divested or spun off their tower portfolios in recent years. Austria’s A1 and Greece’s OTE are also on this path.
For investors, telecom towers represent low-risk, long-term assets. Independent infrastructure companies and private equity firms show strong interest. For operators, these sales provide a financial boost, especially valuable as they invest heavily in rolling out fibre and 5G networks.
However, in the US, much of this tower divestment occurred about 20 years ago. That period saw the rise of independent tower companies like American Tower, Crown Castle, and SBA Communications. These companies now own and lease the majority of the US’s tower infrastructure.
Verizon last divested towers in 2015, selling 11,000 to American Tower for $6 billion. Similarly, AT&T sold 9,700 towers to Crown Castle in 2013 for $4.8 billion. This historical context makes Verizon’s potential new sale notable, as it points to ongoing strategies to manage and monetize assets.
