View the entire newsletter for more articles: 2025 – NJAC County Biz – February
by Matt Watkins, VP Development & Operations, ACE Telecom Consulting
As David Byrne said, “You may ask yourself…” (end Talking Heads reference) – What is a Telecom Consultant and why do they keep calling me? You wouldn’t be alone.
Municipal and County officials are quite familiar with the “legacy” professionals – attorneys, engineers, and various other professionals. They are all very important, and important to know about.
While “Telecom Consultant” may be a less-known term or concept, the potential for one to add tremendous value to your County or Municipality exists nonetheless.
First, what does one do? Generally, a Telecom Consultant refers to an entity that manages matters of wireless telecom infrastructure and related matters. These are generally not the type of consultant who would set up phone systems in your offices.
What are wireless telecom infrastructure matters? Services provided could include anything from ordinance advisory services (ensuring proper and desired use of your public spaces), to site audits (ensuring lease entitlements are being honored and rents are current), to permit reviews (site modification rules can be somewhat nuanced, it’s best to have expert eyes on these), to bid writing and contract negotiations for new and existing tenants.
Why do these things matter to me?
- Ordinance Advisory Services: A Telecom expert should have the knowledge and ability to work with your attorney to provide or help draft language that will offer the maximum enforceable protections for use of your public spaces. If your residents don’t mind looking at unfettered antenna and cable clutter proliferating on your wood poles, this may not matter to you. If aesthetics matter to your County or Town, have an expert work with your attorney to understand what can and can’t be governed, and the implications from putting rules in place or not doing so. Many towns we’ve spoken to have decided this wasn’t important only to find themselves in a corner once the first carrier ROW applications arrive.
- Site Audits: Does your County have any lease rights with wireless carriers? Do you own water towers, monopoles, lattice towers, or buildings that have or might have the ability to house wireless infrastructure? A good Telecom Consultant will perform an assessment of your physical assets, lease rights, and tenant compliance with the same to ensure you’re receiving the right rent or revenue share, and that you’re not missing any opportunities for additional passive monetization! Of the audits performed by ACE Telecom in 2023 and 2024, we discovered over 50% of tenancies were in some way out of compliance. A good Telecom Consultant will leave you with a clear picture of your assets, risks, opportunities, and overall values.
- Permit Reviews: These are not typical buildings or deck additions, there are many industry-specific aspects of telecom infrastructure that should not be overlooked (distance from power lines, size increases related to Eligible Facilities Request rules)
- Bid-Writing/Contract Negotiations: We’ve seen public entities accept lease buyout offers without publicly bidding. We’ve seen public bids with 2-3 respondents. We’ve seen bids with no respondents due to overly restrictive requirements. ACE Telecom Consulting or a similar consultant can help identify potential tenant interest at a location, write the bid, ensure all appropriate parties (not just those following public notices) are involved, driving up value through maximum competition.
“Okay”, you say to yourself, “We need a Telecom Consultant, so how do I choose the right one?” The answer is clearer than you might expect. Ask yourself these questions:
- What is their experience level – not just in number of years or volume of contracts, but breadth of discipline. Is one only a specialist on legal or engineering matters or can they help me on all the other important components?
- Do their references check out – like any of us, if you’re giving someone a contract, you expect them to pick up when you call, to commit to a level of performance you would be happy with. What do their references say about them?
- Do they have conflicts? Can someone objectively represent us while also representing carriers or industry groups in other matters?
- Can they find revenue opportunities? That’s the million – or several-million-dollar question. A good Telecom Consultant will help you find ways to bring in the most revenue possible, making their services a net benefit to your County.
Until the next time, ACE Telecom Consulting welcomes your inquiries. Feel free to contact us at www.acetelecomconsulting.com, info@acetelecomconsulting.com or 201.927.7660.