RCR Wireless
  • News
  • Channels
    • 5G
    • 6G
    • BSS OSS
    • Carriers
    • IoT
    • Network Infrastructure
    • Open RAN
    • Private 5G
    • Telco AI
    • Telco Cloud
    • Test & Measurement
  • Resources
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • AI Fundamentals
    • Analyst Angle
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Fundamentals
      • 5G NR Release 17
      • AI
        • Telco AI in 2025
    • Podcasts
      • Let’s Get Digital with Carrie Charles
      • Wireless Connectivity to Enable Industry 4.0 for the Middleprise
      • Well Technically…
      • Will 5G Change the World
      • Accelerating Industry 4.0 Digitalization
  • AI Infrastructure
  • Programs
  • Events
  • RCRtv
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
RCR Wireless
  • News
  • Channels
    • 5G
    • 6G
    • BSS OSS
    • Carriers
    • IoT
    • Network Infrastructure
    • Open RAN
    • Private 5G
    • Telco AI
    • Telco Cloud
    • Test & Measurement
  • Resources
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • AI Fundamentals
    • Analyst Angle
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Fundamentals
      • 5G NR Release 17
      • AI
        • Telco AI in 2025
    • Podcasts
      • Let’s Get Digital with Carrie Charles
      • Wireless Connectivity to Enable Industry 4.0 for the Middleprise
      • Well Technically…
      • Will 5G Change the World
      • Accelerating Industry 4.0 Digitalization
  • AI Infrastructure
  • Programs
  • Events
  • RCRtv
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Add RCR Wireless as a preferred source on Google
  • Qualcomm 6G Insights
  • Huawei Content Hub
  • Qualcomm – 6G Vision
  • OSS/BSS Channel
  • RCRTech Roundtable: AI Infrastructure
RCR Wireless
RCR Wireless
  • Advanced Mimo
  • Mobile mmWave
  • 5G Positioning
  • Green Networks
  • Metaverse
  • Automotive
  • Industrial and Wide-area IoT
Copyright 2021 - All Right Reserved
Home - Hot Topics in Telecom with Ken Schmidt of Steel In The Air
Let's Get Digital with Carrie Charles

Hot Topics in Telecom with Ken Schmidt of Steel In The Air

by Carrie Charles June 19, 2024
written by Carrie Charles June 19, 2024 Share
LinkedinEmail
Share 0LinkedinEmail
357

In this episode of 5G Talent Talk, Carrie Charles speaks with Ken Schmidt, President of Steel in the Air, Inc. Steel in the Air provides guidance to thousands of clients across the United States on cell tower and cell site leases. Ken’s many years of experience has led him to become a pivotal thought leader in the industry, using his knowledge to guide hundreds of municipalities through the complexities of cell tower lease issues. His expertise also extends to assisting private and public landowners, as well as major entities in the airline, subway, university, and public utility sectors.

They discuss the increase in activity the wireless industry has seen in the first half of 2024 as well as how master lease agreements between public tower companies and wireless carriers have changed significantly, with carriers now looking to alternative private tower company models for more favorable terms. Ken also shares his thoughts on how the meteoric rise of AI will change the telecom industry and how individuals can adapt. Being open and willing to change is crucial for both survival and success.

Watch the Episode Here:

Listen to the episode here:

Important Links

  • Ken Schmidt on LinkedIn
  • steelintheair.com

About Ken Schmidt

Ken Schmidt 2

Ken Schmidt is the President of Steel in the Air, Inc. Steel in the Air provides guidance to thousands of clients across the United States on cell tower and cell site leases. With a profound understanding shaped by years of experience, Ken has become a pivotal thought leader, guiding hundreds of municipalities through the complexities of cell tower lease issues. His expertise also extends to assisting private and public landowners, as well as major entities in the airline, subway, university, and public utility sectors. Ken is also a Partner in SteelTree Partners, a boutique sell-side advisory service which has advised the sellers of more than $3.5 billion dollars of towers and other telecom assets. Renowned for his insights, Ken’s perspectives have been sought after and featured in prestigious publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Bloomberg, among others. Ken is regularly engaged by financial institutions and infrastructure funds to evaluate potential investments in the sector.

Join the 5G Talent Talk community Today:

  • broadstaffglobal.com
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
You Might Also Like
  • Edge Ahead: Digital Realty CTO Chris Sharp’s Vision for the Next-Gen Data Universe
  • Riding the Wireless Wave: Big Moves, Bold Priorities and The Power of Community with Patrick Halley of WIA
  • How Brightspeed is shaping America’s Digital Future with Tom Maguire
  • Innovation as a Service: Rethinking Digital Solutions with Yazz Krdzalic of Equus
  • Bandwidth builders: The people and stories behind the fiber revolution with Dan Caruso
  • From Data Centers to DeepSeek: Navigating the Future of Digital Infrastructure with Hunter Newby
Share 0 LinkedinEmail
Avatar of Carrie Charles
Carrie Charles

Carrie Charles is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Broadstaff, the leader in specialized workforce solutions for telecommunications and technology. Carrie is a thought leader on workforce trends, women in tech and workplace diversity, and is the host of the Let's Get Digital podcast on RCR Wireless News for a global audience of 150K+. Carrie Charles currently serves as the Executive Director of Industry Relations of the WIA-affiliated Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum (WWLF), with 2023 marking her fifth year on the board. Carrie serves on the Board of Directors of CableRunner International and the NEDAS Technology Association, and as the mother of a childhood cancer survivor, Carrie has aligned her personal mission with her role on the Board of Directors of the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Carrie additionally serves on the board of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay as the 2023 - 2024 Programs Chair. Using her diverse background as a lifelong entrepreneur, Certified Financial Planner, Certified Master Life Coach and a US Marine Corps veteran, Carrie is passionate about creating a culture of wellness and excellence. For over 30 years, she has helped thousands grow personally and professionally, and has helped companies like General Dynamics, Hewlett Packard and Eli Lilly attract, engage and retain their employees. Carrie has been a featured expert on Axios, Entrepreneur, Inc., NBC, HSN, Clear Channel networks, Thrive Global and various tech publications. Under Carrie's leadership, Broadstaff's growth has received numerous accolades, including Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 (2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020), the Tampa Bay Fast 50 (2023, 2022, 2020 and 2019), SIA's List of Fastest-Growing US Staffing Firms (2023, 2022), WPO’s 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies (2023). In 2022, Broadstaff earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s inaugural Power Partners list. Carrie is a member of EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2022, and a finalist for EY's Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2022 Florida Award. In 2021, Carrie was chosen as Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine's CEO of the Year, and in 2019 was an honoree of Tampa Bay Business Journal's Businesswoman of the Year.

previous post
Editorial Report: Can we really bridge the digital divide without workforce investment?
next post
Swisscom claims ‘pan-Europe’ IoT with satellite extension from EchoStar

White Papers

  • Norton eBook: The 2026 Telco Playbook

  • Enea White Paper: Why Intelligent AAA is the Swiss Army Knife of Telecom

  • CSG White Paper: Telco AI Enabler: Mediation’s Defining Role

  • Enea White Paper: Scalable Database Design for 5G and Beyond

  • Supermicro and NVIDIA Whitepaper: Powering sovereign AI at scale

Editorial Reports

  • Market Pulse Report: Telco AI in 2026 – Trends, Challenges and Opportunities

  • Nvidia Report: The State of AI in Telecommunications: 2026 Trends

  • Report: Scaling Optical Networks For The Hyperscale And AI Era

Webinars

  • Webinar: Building 6G — aligning technology, policy and purpose

  • SIMCom Webinar: Scaling your next deployment – from plastic to provisioning

  • Webinar: Rethinking the RAN as AI, cloud and openness converge

  • Webinar: Scale-Up, Scale-Out, Scale-Across – Building AI-Era Network Fabrics

  • Webinar: NTN in motion – evolving standards, expanding services

Since 1982, RCR Wireless News has been providing wireless and mobile industry news, insights, and analysis to mobile and wireless industry professionals, decision makers, policy makers, analysts and investors.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin Envelope Rss

Useful Links

  • Subscribe
  • About RCR Wireless News
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Archive
  • RSS
  • Wireless News Archive
  • Subscribe
  • About RCR Wireless News
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Archive
  • RSS
  • Wireless News Archive

Edtior's Picks

The Agentic Network — Cisco on the platform path to agentic operations
Private 5G – hype, hope, and (some) hard maths 
Network agents are “ready” for commercial use, but are telcos? (Analyst Angle)

Latest Articles

The Agentic Network — Cisco on the platform path to agentic operations
Private 5G – hype, hope, and (some) hard maths 
Network agents are “ready” for commercial use, but are telcos? (Analyst Angle)
Monday (telco diary) | ‘A new telco growth profile’?

© 2026 RCR Wireless News All Right Reserved. Developed by Eight Hats.

Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy

RCR Wireless
  • News
  • Channels
    • 5G
    • 6G
    • BSS OSS
    • Carriers
    • IoT
    • Network Infrastructure
    • Open RAN
    • Private 5G
    • Telco AI
    • Telco Cloud
    • Test & Measurement
  • Resources
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • AI Fundamentals
    • Analyst Angle
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Fundamentals
      • 5G NR Release 17
      • AI
        • Telco AI in 2025
    • Podcasts
      • Let’s Get Digital with Carrie Charles
      • Wireless Connectivity to Enable Industry 4.0 for the Middleprise
      • Well Technically…
      • Will 5G Change the World
      • Accelerating Industry 4.0 Digitalization
  • AI Infrastructure
  • Programs
  • Events
  • RCRtv
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
RCR Wireless
  • News
  • Channels
    • 5G
    • 6G
    • BSS OSS
    • Carriers
    • IoT
    • Network Infrastructure
    • Open RAN
    • Private 5G
    • Telco AI
    • Telco Cloud
    • Test & Measurement
  • Resources
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • AI Fundamentals
    • Analyst Angle
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Fundamentals
      • 5G NR Release 17
      • AI
        • Telco AI in 2025
    • Podcasts
      • Let’s Get Digital with Carrie Charles
      • Wireless Connectivity to Enable Industry 4.0 for the Middleprise
      • Well Technically…
      • Will 5G Change the World
      • Accelerating Industry 4.0 Digitalization
  • AI Infrastructure
  • Programs
  • Events
  • RCRtv
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
@2020 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign