The Views of Commercial Building Managers and Owners: 5G, CBRS and LTE

This report, which was sponsored by Crown Castle, Ericsson, Extenet Systems, and SOLiD, presents the major findings of iGR’s recent survey on U.S. commercial building managers and owners, conducted in July 2019. The survey was conducted online of Class A and Class B commercial building managers and owners who were involved in the decision process for deploying wireless technologies.

Why conduct this survey and present its findings? For commercial building managers, this survey shows what their colleagues in the industry think about wireless technologies, how people are deploying in-building wireless (IBW) solutions and how they are getting funded. In short, this survey shows the level of activity in the IBW commercial building space.

The report also discusses the benefits commercial building managers are seeing from IBW solutions and their ability to monetize the improved wireless experience inside the building.

And, of course, being the wireless industry there are many acronyms and new technologies. Survey respondents were asked about their familiarity and understanding of 5G and CBRS, two technologies that are in the press almost daily. For commercial real estate managers not familiar with these technologies, now is the time to get up to speed before they are introduced into the market.

---

Key Questions Answered

• How important are in-building wireless technologies when leasing Class A and Class B buildings?
• How important is the quality of in-building wireless technologies to current tenants in Class A and Class B buildings?
• What types of infrastructure improvements have been made in Class A and Class B buildings in the past 24 months? How do wireless technology improvements compare to other improvements?
• What types of infrastructure improvements are planned in the next 24 months?
• What is building managers’ familiarity with 5G and CBRS?
• How were current cellular/LTE systems installed and funded? How are they managed now?
• How will planned cellular/LTE systems be installed, managed and funded?
• How will planned private LTE systems be installed, managed and funded?
• How can a commercial building manager or owner find out more about deploying an IBW solution?
• How can the solutions from Crown Castle, Ericsson, ExteNet Systems and SOLiD support IBW?

---

Who Should Read

• U.S. commercial building managers
• Providers of in-building wireless solutions, including CBRS
• Mobile operators
• Financial and investment analysts.

---

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Methodology
• What matters when leasing buildings
  • Leasing Class A buildings
  • Leasing Class B buildings
• Wireless connectivity inside buildings
• Building improvements and where wireless ranks
• Familiarity with wireless
  • Awareness and knowledge of 5G
  • Awareness and knowledge of CBRS
• Current and planned networks in buildings
  • Current networks: Cellular/LTE
  • Planned networks: Cellular/LTE
  • Planned networks: Private LTE
• Sponsor profiles

---

List of Charts and figures

• Main drivers of sales/leases in Class A buildings
• Single factor that clinches the deal for one property over the other in Class A
• Importance of wireless technologies when selling Class A commercial space
• Prospective tenants’ likelihood to pay more for Class A office space w/ excellent cellular voice
• Prospective tenants’ likelihood to pay less for Class A office space w/ poor cellular voice
• Main drivers of sales/leases in Class B buildings
• Single factor that clinches the deal for one property over the other in Class B
• Importance of wireless technologies when selling Class B commercial space
• Prospective tenants’ likelihood to pay more for Class B office space w/ excellent cellular voice
• Prospective tenants’ likelihood to pay less for Class b office space w/ poor cellular voice
• Frequency current tenants complain about quality of mobile LTE voice/data service
• Frequency prospective tenants ask about quality of mobile LTE voice/data service
• Infrastructure improvements in the past 24 months
• Infrastructure improvements in the next 24 months
• Awareness and knowledge of wireless technologies
• Frequency current tenants ask about 5G
• When 5G services are expected in buildings
• Frequency current tenants ask about CBRS
• When CBRS services are expected in buildings
• Who installed current cellular/LTE systems
• Challenges of current cellular/LTE systems
• Who manages current cellular/LTE systems
• How current cellular/LTE systems were funded
• How the investment in current cellular/LTE systems was recouped
• Who is expected to design and install planned cellular/LTE systems
• Who is expected to manage planned cellular/LTE systems
• How planned cellular/LTE systems will be funded
• How the investment in planned cellular/LTE systems will be recouped
• Who is expected to design and install planned private LTE systems
• Who is expected to manage planned private LTE systems
• How planned private LTE systems will be funded
• How the investment in planned private LTE systems will be recouped

For additional information on the The Views of Commercial Building Managers and Owners: 5G, CBRS and LTE report, please contact Iain Gillott, at (512) 263-5682 or by email.