February 21, 2023
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern 120 minutes
Telecommunications- Cell Tower Lease Rates and Sales
In the world of telecommunications law, one question rises to the top of the list: What is the going rent for a cell tower lease? This program will address that question, with industry statistics, which should be helpful for the thousands of landlords whose leases come up for renewal each year.
The program will also provide municipalities (and all property owners) with the basics of leasing land for a cell tower (or space on a building roof or other structure) for cell antennas, including why 5G has little impact. It is presented by two attorneys with decades of experience representing municipalities and other property owners on cell leases.
In general, the program covers key business issues in cell site leases, including lease rates, who gets the revenues from additional antennas or carriers being co-located at a site, and the major rent increases possible at renewals. It then shifts to avoiding lease terms which can prevent a landlord’s use or development of the property with the lease, and adding lease terms which help preserve these rights.
After covering some more conventional lease terms the program addresses the sale of cell leases and future leasing rights. This includes typical sale prices (often around 19 to 20 times annual revenues); when to sell and when it is not advisable to sell; how to get the best price and terms in a sale; and again avoiding provisions that restrict the development or use of the property. On both cell leases and the sale of leases the program addresses key items that are unique to municipalities. More generally, the program covers such topics as lease term and terminations, access requirements, radio frequency interference, design and camouflage, and radio frequency emissions safety.
Speakers: John Pestle & Jonathan Kramer
John Pestle is an attorney at Varnum, LLP, one of Michigan’s largest law firms. He has represented property owners, including municipalities, on cell tower leases for over 25 years. This includes representing property owners on the sale of over 100 such leases. He is a graduate of Harvard, Yale and the University of Michigan Law School; held an FCC license to work on radio, TV and ship radar transmitters; and in 1996 received the Member of The Year award from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors for his work on the cell tower provisions of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and Arizona.
Dr. Jonathan L. Kramer is the Senior Partner at Telecom Law Firm, P.C., a leading telecom law firm serving local governments around the country. Jonathan and his firm’s 7 attorneys represent local governments and private landlords in cell site leases and lease enforcements; lease sales; cell site permit processing in support of local planners; broadcasting licensing and FCC enforcement defenses; fiber and telephony matters; and billboard leasing engagements. Jonathan is licensed as an attorney in California and New Mexico, and a real estate broker in California. After his JD, Jonathan earned a LL.M in Internet and Telecom Law from Strathclyde University (Scotland) and a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University (Boston). A long-term member of IMLA and NATOA, he is NATOA’s only twice Member-of-the-Year. A 30-year radio frequency and broadband engineer before becoming an attorney, Jonathan and his firm have counseled hundreds of local governments and agencies; participated in thousands of cell site permit reviews supporting government planners, permit enforcements; telecom site leasing; and way too many telecom site lease enforcements.