{{short description|American communications infrastructure company}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox company | name = American Tower Corporation | logo = American Tower Corporation logo.svg | type = Public | traded_as = {{ubl|{{NYSE|AMT}}|S&P 100 component|S&P 500 component}} | founded = {{start date and age|1995}} | hq_location_city = Boston, Massachusetts | hq_location_country = United States | key_people = Steven Vondran (President and CEO) | industry = {{ubl|Real estate investment trust|Communication services}} | revenue = {{increase}} {{US$|10.6 billion|link=yes}} (2025) | operating_income = {{increase}} US$4.85 billion (2025) | net_income = {{increase}} US$2.53 billion (2025) | assets = {{increase}} US$63.2 billion (2025) | equity = {{increase}} US$6.70 billion (2025) | num_employees = 4,866 (2025) | subsid = CoreSite | website = {{URL|americantower.com}} | footnotes = <ref name="10K">{{Cite web |title=American Tower Corporation 2025 Form 10-K Annual Report |url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001053507/000105350726000035/amt-20251231.htm |date=February 24, 2026 |publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission}}</ref> }} [[File:American Tower wireless tower Belleville Michigan.JPG|thumb|upright|right|American Tower wireless tower, Belleville, MI. Former AT&T Long Lines microwave radio relay tower, now repurposed]]
'''American Tower Corporation''' (also referred to as '''American Tower''' or '''ATC''') is an American real estate investment trust which owns, develops and operates wireless and broadcast communications infrastructure in several countries. It is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
{{As of|2025|12|31|df=US|post=,}} the company owns 149,686 communications sites, including 42,224 sites in the U.S. and Canada, 27,857 sites in Asia-Pacific and Africa, 32,524 sites in Europe, and 47,081 sites in Latin America.<ref name="10K" />
== History == The company was formed in 1995 as a unit of American Radio Systems. In 1998, American Radio Systems merged with CBS Corporation and spun off of American Tower. Its first CEO was Steven B. Dodge, remaining in the position until resigning in 2004. Following the merger, American Tower began international expansion by establishing operations in Mexico, in 1998, then in Brazil, in 1999.
Around 2000, the company began purchasing numerous AT&T Long Lines microwave telephone relay towers<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2011 |title=Bell System microwave relay system |url=https://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2011/03/bell-system-microwave-relay-system/ |access-date=July 8, 2023 |website=Engineering Radio |language=en-US}}</ref> from the since defunct AT&T Communications, Inc., and repurposing them as cell towers. American Tower also leased antenna space to various U.S. cell phone providers and to private industries. Most of the former AT&T Long Lines sites had their horn antennas removed, either by helicopter or by crane, to make room for more antennas. Since AT&T's Long Lines Program was decommissioned in the 1980s, and the company no longer had any use for the towers themselves, American Tower now owns most of these tower structures across the U.S., totaling 42,965 in 2022.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
In 2004 James D. Taiclet was named CEO<ref>{{Cite web |title=DEF14A |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1053507/000119312515123562/d875061ddef14a.htm |access-date=October 27, 2022 |website=Sec.gov}}</ref> and held the title until 2020.<ref name="CNCB">{{Cite web |last=Imbert |first=Amanda Macias, Fred |date=March 16, 2020 |title=Lockheed Martin's Hewson to step down as CEO |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/16/lockheed-martins-hewson-to-step-down-as-ceo.html |access-date=October 27, 2022 |website=CNBC.com |language=en}}</ref>
In 2005, American Tower acquired SpectraSite Communications, expanding its global portfolio to over 22,000 owned communications sites, including over 21,000 wireless towers, 400 broadcast towers and 100 in-building DAS (Distributed Antenna System) sites. The merger helped establish the company as one of the largest tower owners and operators in North America.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bartash |first=Jeffry |date=May 4, 2005 |title=American Tower to acquire SpectraSite |work=Marketwatch |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/american-tower-to-acquire-spectrasite-in-31-bln-deal}}</ref>
Between 2007 and 2012, the company expanded internationally with operations in India, Peru, Chile, Colombia, South Africa, Ghana, and Uganda.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2011 |title=MTN, American Tower Corp join forces |url=https://www.itweb.co.za/content/6GxRKMYDDWz7b3Wj |access-date=July 8, 2023 |website=ITWeb |language=en}}</ref>
In 2013, the company acquired Global Tower Partners for $4.8 billion. This acquisition added sites to the U.S. portfolio and added operations in Costa Rica and Panama.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=American Tower Corporation Announces Agreement to Acquire Global Tower Partners |date=September 6, 2013 |publisher=Business Wire |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130906005393/en/American-Tower-Corporation-Announces-Agreement-Acquire-Global}}</ref>
In 2020, Tom Bartlett was named president and CEO after Taiclet left to become the CEO of Lockheed Martin.<ref name="CNCB" />
In 2021, the company agreed to acquire the European and Latin American tower divisions of Telxius from parent company Telefonica, comprising approximately 31,000 communications sites in Spain, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, for $9.6 billion.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Telefonica sells Telxius tower division to American Towers Corporation at record multiples for 7.7 billion euros |date=January 31, 2021 |publisher=Telefonica |url=https://www.telefonica.com/en/communication-room/telefonica-sells-telxius-tower-division-to-american-towers-corporation-at-record-multiples-for-7-7-billion-euros/}}</ref><ref name="10K" /> Later in 2021, American Tower acquired CoreSite for $10.4 billion, with its carrier-neutral data center facilities in the U.S.,<ref>{{Cite press release |title=American Tower Completes Acquisition of CoreSite Realty Corporation |date=December 28, 2021 |publisher=Business Wire |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211228005115/en/American-Tower-Completes-Acquisition-of-CoreSite-Realty-Corporation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Naqvi |first=Ali Imran |date=December 29, 2021 |title=American Tower completes CoreSite Realty acquisition |work=S&P Global |url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/american-tower-completes-coresite-realty-acquisition-68227699}}</ref> to strengthen its position in 5G.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clifford |first=Tyler |date=August 1, 2019 |title=Cell tower CEO explains how the 5G rush 'lengthens and strengthens' our growth rate |language=en |work=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/01/american-tower-ceo-the-5g-rush-lengthens-and-strengthens-our-growth.html |access-date=July 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ghosh |first=Imon |date=May 26, 2021 |title=Is American Tower a Winner in the 5G Industry? |language=en |work=Entrepreneur |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/is-american-tower-a-winner-in-the-5g-industry/372937 |access-date=July 8, 2023}}</ref>
In early 2023, the company announced plans to erect 4,000 new towers worldwide, mainly in Africa, India and Latin America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/american-tower-expecting-to-build-close-to-300-sites-in-latam-in-2023 |title=American Tower expecting to build close to 300 sites in LatAm in 2023|website=bnaamerica|access-date=2025-04-03}}</ref> Soon after, it divested from fiber optics in Mexico, selling subsidiary ATC Fibra México to Flō Network.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/american-tower-closes-sale-of-mexican-fiber-business-to-flo-networks|title=American Tower closes sale of Mexican fiber business to Flō Networks |website=BNAmericas |access-date=2025-04-04}}</ref>
Bartlett retired as president, CEO, and a director of the company on February 1, 2024, and was succeeded by Steven Vondran.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=American Tower Names Steven O. Vondran to Succeed Thomas A. Bartlett as President and CEO and Names Eugene Noel as New EVP and President, U.S. Tower Division |date=October 26, 2023 |publisher=Business Wire |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231026217675/en/}}</ref>
American Tower divested from its largest international market, after 17 years,<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/american-tower-sell-india-operations-brookfield-25-bln-2024-01-05/|title= Brookfield to buy ATC India for $2.5 bln, become country's top telecom tower firm|website=Reuters |access-date=2025-04-03}}</ref> selling its ATC India operation to Brookfield Asset Management via Data Infrastructure Trust in September 2024, for $2.5 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/brookfield-backed-data-invit-raises-nearly-1-bln-rare-bond-deal-fund-atc-india-2024-09-05//|title= Brookfield-backed Data InvIT raises nearly $1 bln in rare bond deal to fund ATC India purchase|website=Reuters |access-date=2025-04-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/american-tower-finalizes-25bn-india-exit/ |title=American Tower finalizes $2.5bn India exit |website=Data Centre Dynamics |access-date=2025-04-03}}</ref>
In 2025, American Tower topped the list of the "Top 100 Tower Companies in the U.S."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-15 |title=Top 100 Tower Companies in the U.S. |url=https://wirelessestimator.com/top-100-us-tower-companies-list/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Wirelessestimator.com |language=en}}</ref> and is ranked 363rd on the ''Fortune'' 500.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fortune: American Tower |url=https://fortune.com/fortune500/american-tower/ |publisher=Fortune}}</ref>
== See also == * List of public REITs in the United States
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{Official website|https://www.americantower.com}} {{Finance links | name = American Tower Corporation | google = AMT:NYSE | reuters = AMT.N | yahoo = AMT | bloomberg = AMT:US | symbol = AMT | sec_cik = 1053507 }} {{S&P 500 companies}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Companies based in Boston Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Category:Real estate companies established in 1995 Category:Telecommunications companies established in 1995 Category:Telecommunications companies of the United States Category:Real estate investment trusts of the United States Category:Mobile telecommunications