BOCA RATON, FLA. — Hidden in the middle of mid-Florida’s highlands region, just to the west of Sebring, is a blossoming vineyard welcoming those willing to experience Muscatine wines in a idyllic setting reminiscent of California.
On the lonely road to Secret Gardens, one passes a tower structure owned and managed by SBA Communications Corp.
Soon, this rural site will become one more dot on the nationwide map of 5G network access provided by Dish.
Dish and SBA, founded by Steven Bernstein and publicly traded on NASDAQ, on Monday agreed to a long-term master lease agreement.
The deal, announced on a day when both Dish and SBA released their Q4 2020 earnings reports, gives DISH access to SBA’s nationwide portfolio of wireless communication sites — such as the Lake Josephine Road structure serving a largely agricultural and residential area of Highlands County, Fla.
The agreement, Dish says, builds on its ongoing progress in acquiring access to “the essential infrastructure needed to deploy its greenfield 5G network coast to coast.”
The agreement sees DISH lease towers from SBA.
“SBA is expected to deliver a variety of pre-construction functions, ranging from site acquisition to regulatory and compliance services,” Dish said.
“With experience spanning more than thirty years, SBA brings a valuable team and portfolio to our infrastructure mix,” noted Dave Mayo, DISH’s EVP of Network Development. “This agreement provides DISH with access to key real estate that will help advance our rapid 5G network deployment across the U.S.”
SBA President/CEO Jeff Stoops added, “We believe the quality of our assets and our long history of working closely with DISH will allow us to be a key support to them in their 5G network deployment.”
