Dataset · Infrastructure

Telecom & Fiber Permit Data

Telecom permit data records wireless and fiber network construction as local jurisdictions authorize it: tower builds and modifications, antenna co-location, small cell nodes, equipment shelters, and fiber and conduit routes. Builty structures these nationally at address and route level.

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Sites
Towers, small cell, co-location
Routes
Fiber and conduit
Dated
Filed, issued and finaled
Address
Level of granularity
Why permits

Network build, one local permit at a time

Wireless and fiber buildout is announced in aggregate and disclosed quarterly, but it happens one local permit at a time. A tower modification, a small cell node on a utility pole, a conduit run down a street: each is authorized by a city or county, and each is a dated public record months before it appears in a capital-expenditure line.

What's in the data

What's in the data

The distinctions that separate a new site from an upgrade to an existing one.

SignalWhat it carries
Tower workNew build versus structural modification of an existing tower
Co-locationAntenna additions and swaps on an existing structure
Small cellNode installs, typically on utility poles or streetlights, in the public right of way
Distributed antennaIn-building and campus DAS work
Fiber & conduitRoute construction, trenching, and boring
Support infrastructureEquipment shelters, cabinets, generators and power service
Site geometryAddress, locality, county and CBSA, so build is mappable
Transformation

A telecom permit, decoded

Site work is filed in carrier and construction shorthand.

Raw record, as published
Builty structured output
"MOD EXST 150' MONOPOLE - REMOVE (3) ANT ADD (6) ANT, (3) RRU, SWAP RAD CTR 128', GEN & CABINET ON EXST PAD"Wireless site modification
Work type: Modification of an existing site · Structure: Monopole, 150 ft · Radiation center: 128 ft · Antennas: 3 removed, 6 added · Radios: 3 remote radio units · Support: Generator and cabinet on existing pad
Who uses it

Who uses it

Tower owners & REITs
Co-location and amendment activity across a portfolio, as it is permitted.
Infrastructure investors
Buildout pace by carrier footprint and geography, ahead of disclosure.
Competitive intelligence
Where a network is densifying, and where it is not.
GIS & digital twin
Address and route-level geometry that joins to an existing basemap.
Municipal & right of way
Small cell volume in the public right of way, by jurisdiction.
Broadband programs
Fiber route construction against funded service areas.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Are cell tower permits public record?
Yes. Tower construction, modification and co-location are authorized by the local city or county, and those permits are public records, separate from any federal filing.
Can you tell a new site from an upgrade?
Yes, and it is the distinction that matters most. A new build and a modification of an existing tower are different events with different capital implications, so they are recorded separately.
Is small cell included?
Yes, where the jurisdiction permits it, which is now most of them. Small cell work in the public right of way is typically permitted separately from macro sites.
Do you cover fiber routes?
Route construction, trenching and boring are captured where permitted. Coverage depends on whether the jurisdiction issues right-of-way permits through the same system as building permits.
How does this relate to data center coverage?
Both are infrastructure build rather than property, and they increasingly follow each other. The data center page covers the compute and power side.
Related

Keep reading

Infrastructure
Data Centers & Power →
Overview
US Building Permit Data →
Overview
Permit data by state →

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