The Rooftop Gold Rush: David Bacino on the Future of Wireless Real Estate

Jan 14, 2026

David Bacino, CEO of Symphony Towers and a telecom veteran with 40 years of experience, dives into the booming world of wireless infrastructure. He shares insights on how rooftops can be transformed into valuable revenue streams for property owners through smart leasing strategies. Bacino highlights the increasing demand for edge infrastructure driven by technologies like IoT and 6G. He also discusses the challenges posed by zoning laws and speculates about the future of telecom assets, emphasizing their critical role in connectivity.

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ANECDOTE

Forty Years Through The Wireless Ecosystem

David Bacino describes his 40-year journey across carriers, manufacturers, and infrastructure ownership.
He credits varied roles at Nextel, TerraStar, PowerWave, American Tower, and Palastar for his current perspective leading Symphony Towers.

INSIGHT

Infrastructure As The Fulfillment Layer

Infrastructure is the fulfillment layer that enables consumer-driven wireless demand.
David sees value in being on the infrastructure side because it delivers the networks that power everyday devices.

ADVICE

Acquire Rooftop Economic Rights

Buy or lease rooftop economic rights to create an evergreen site inventory for carriers.
Market those rights to carriers to solve coverage and capacity needs and generate long-term revenue.

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In this episode, David Bacino, CEO of Symphony Towers Operating Partner at Palistar Capital, shares a remarkable 40-year journey across the wireless ecosystem—from carrier-side operations to manufacturing, infrastructure ownership, and investment. His deep experience reveals how foundational towers and rooftops are to the wireless networks we use every day—and why they’re more valuable than ever in today’s hyper-connected world.

Today’s guest, David Bacino, leads Symphony Towers, a fast-growing portfolio of over 3,000 tower and rooftop assets backed by Palistar Capital. Positioned at the intersection of telecom and real estate, Symphony delivers turnkey infrastructure solutions that help carriers solve capacity and coverage challenges nationwide. David offers a unique perspective on how long-term value is created through intelligent site acquisition, strategic partnerships, and a customer-first approach.

David breaks down how property owners—from hotels to high-rises—can turn rooftops into revenue-generating assets, and how Symphony acquires those rights to enable carrier growth. He explores the growing demand for edge infrastructure driven by mobile usage, IoT, autonomous vehicles, and emerging technologies like 6G. Whether it's enhancing dense urban connectivity or serving rural and hard-to-reach zones, towers and rooftops remain essential—and David makes a strong case for why that won’t change anytime soon.

With a leadership style grounded in clarity, trust, decision-making, and team unity, David also discusses the culture he’s building at Symphony: nimble, collaborative, and aligned around a shared mission. He emphasizes the importance of being flexible in a rapidly changing industry—and taking the hill together.

From emerging revenue streams to the evolution of infrastructure strategy, this conversation is full of insight for operators, investors, developers, and anyone shaping the future of wireless connectivity.

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