Outlook for Infrastructure Players Bullish Amid 5G, IoT, WIA Hears

Analysts at a Wireless Infrastructure Association conference last week saw general optimism among tower companies about the future of the infrastructure industry due to the TV incentive auction, FirstNet, 5G and the IoT. Executives generally agreed last week in Orlando. A business backlog "centers around -- 600 MHz, FirstNet, inventory of undeployed spectrum and the general need to spend given the impact of the Unlimited plans on the networks," Wells Fargo's Jennifer Fritzsche wrote investors. Macquarie Capital's Amy Yong saw as positives a potential combination of Sprint and T-Mobile and network densification: “The wireless market is attracting more players, accelerated by 5G, IoT, and the prospect of net neutrality being repealed." Executives saw lots of promise from deployment of 5G by carriers. “There’s a lot of talk about 5G and the applications for 5G,” said Steven Marshall, president of American Tower's U.S. tower division. “The reality is the standards are still evolving.” Major deployments are unlikely before 2020, he said. “That doesn’t mean to say that there isn’t a lot of work to be done now by all of us.” Crown Castle CEO Jay Brown said 5G offers carriers the best opportunity to increase average revenue per user in a way that hasn’t been possible for many years: “Whether you want to think about wearables or autonomous cars, smart cities or any number of applications, I believe there are real opportunities for our carrier customers.”