Summary of American Tower Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: American Tower Corporation - **Event**: KeyBank Technology Leadership Forum - **Date**: August 11, 2025 Key Points Industry and Company Strategy - American Tower is transitioning from a passive tower business to a more technical role, focusing on data centers and satellite investments [4][5] - The acquisition of CoreSite in 2021 is a significant part of the capital plan, emphasizing the convergence of satellite and terrestrial networks [5][6] - The company is exploring "power as a service" in Africa, indicating a shift towards more integrated services [5] Data Centers and Edge Computing - The company is developing edge facilities, with a focus on the Raleigh data center, which aims to prove the concept of distributed computing [8][10] - Initial investments in small edge facilities did not meet expectations, leading to a reevaluation of strategies [12][13] - Power constraints in centralized locations are driving the need for distributed edge facilities, with Raleigh designed to accommodate modular power increments [14][15] AI and Technological Transformation - The company is in the early stages of AI adoption, focusing on improving productivity and harmonizing datasets from various acquisitions [27][28] - AI is seen as a game changer for operational efficiency, with a focus on orchestrating AI agents across use cases [30] Satellite and Tower Business - Investments in AST Space Mobile are viewed as complementary to the tower business, enhancing connectivity in underserved areas [32][34] - The company believes that towers will remain essential infrastructure, even with the rise of satellite technology [34][36] Spectrum Opportunities - The recent tax bill allows the FCC to auction spectrum, which is seen as a significant opportunity for American Tower [42][43] - Key spectrum bands of interest include upper C band and six gigahertz, which are crucial for future growth [46][48] - The company anticipates that the auction process will enhance capacity and drive new deployments [51][52] Future Outlook - The transition to 5G has been slower than expected, but the new tax incentives may accelerate carrier investments [56][57] - The integration of telecommunications and computing at the edge is expected to enhance user experiences and drive future growth [61] Additional Insights - The company is focusing on modular data center designs to meet the growing demand for power and efficiency [15][21] - There is a recognition of the need for shared resources in the community to support local tech companies [24] - The potential for AI to transform business operations is acknowledged, with ongoing efforts to leverage AI for better decision-making [28][30]