What will happen to my cell tower lease with DISH now that EchoStar is selling spectrum to AT&T?

Q2 / 2025 Cell Tower Industry Update: Strong Growth, Strategic Shifts, and a New(ish) Competitor

In Q2 2025, the three major U.S.-based cell tower companies delivered strong results and signaled continued confidence in the sector:

• American Tower reported robust growth, with application volumes climbing over 50%; the company is also making heavy investments in ground lease cell tower buyouts to strengthen its long-term portfolio.

• Crown Castle, under newly appointed leadership, raised its financial guidance after cutting expenses and is moving forward with the planned sale of its small cell and fiber business.

• SBA Communications increased its outlook, earned an S&P credit rating upgrade, and announced the sale of its Canadian tower portfolio.

Importantly, industry leaders see direct-to-device satellite technology not as a competitive threat, but as a complementary service—particularly for rural coverage—leaving the core macro tower business well-positioned for future growth.

Meanwhile, following the recently completed U.S. Cellular–T-Mobile transaction, a new publicly traded tower player has entered the scene: Array Digital Infrastructure (NASDAQ: AD), which owns and operates 4,400 cell towers across the United States.

At JW Tower & Telecom Consulting, we partner directly with landlords to help them make informed, strategic decisions regarding:

• 💰 Lease Buyouts – We help landlords evaluate cell tower lease buyout offers, negotiate better terms, and understand the impact of selling their lease rights. CGO, MD7, Nextier, The Lyle Company, SmartLink and Tower Alliance are just some of the companies that the big “3” cell tower companies (along with smaller companies) utilize to negotiate on their behalf.

• 🔄 Lease Amendments & Final Expirations– Whether it’s equipment upgrades, lease renewals, final expirations, or rent escalations, we review and negotiate terms to protect long-term value.

• 📝 New Cell Tower Lease Negotiations – We ensure landlords don’t leave money on the table and fully understand the impacts when carriers approach with new tower or rooftop agreements.

• 📞 Reach out today: jw@jwttc.com | (720) 295-5333

Major owners of publicly traded cell tower companies often engage firms such as Tower Alliance, The Lyle Company, Md7, Smartlink, Nextier, and other authorized agents to negotiate leases for the land beneath their towers.