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meet our LEADERSHIP TEAM
Ken Crawford - CEO/Founder
- Mr. Crawford has worked in the telecom industry since 1996. He has served as the Executive Director of Condo, HOA, and Apartment Business Development in South Florida and the Northeast overseeing Bulk and Non-Bulk business for such companies as Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, Comcast, AT&T, Adelphia, and Spectrum. He earned a B.S. Degree in Business from Southern Connecticut State University
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Don Hilton - Vice President
- Mr. Hilton is a 20+ year telecom veteran where he served as a Senior Account Executive and Area Manager of Condo and HOA Business Development in South Florida and the Northeast working on Bulk and Non-Bulk business for such companies as Tele-Media, Adelphia, Comcast, AT&T, and Spectrum.
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About Us
Telecom Consulting
When it comes time to renew or put in place a new telecom service agreement it's imperative that you don't go it alone. Whether your property desires a Bulk, Right of Entry (ROE), Marketing/Revenue Share, or Cellular Roof Top Rights Agreement we are here for you! The big service providers have teams of lawyers that have written those contracts and guess who they favor? Hint: It's not you!
Unparalleled Experience
Negotiating a telecom contract is not something apartment owners, property managers, developers and board members do very often. Most of the time, this will be the first time they will be exposed to it. The good news is this is all we do each day everyday! Just over the past year, the world of technology has changed so much that trying to tackle this on your own just doesn't make good business sense. Our team has decades of experience working for the "big providers" and we have all gone through their in-house training programs. They taught us how to reach business terms that best suits their needs. We now work for our clients because we know what to look for to neutralize the unfair advantage. This puts you in the drivers seat. They taught us how to negotiate agreements to maximize the contract value on their behalf now let us use what they taught us to maximize the value on YOUR BEHALF!
Our Fee Schedule
Our fee is earned based on 100% pay for performance. That means you will never be asked to pay an upfront fee, charged an hourly rate, or have to pull funds out of your budget to pay us.
We earn our fee based on a percentage of the increased monetary value we negotiated for your property. If we do not bring you increased value at the end of the process, we don't get paid.
SERVICES
OUR STYLE
Over the years, we have built solid relationships with hundreds of Condominium and HOA communities, Apartment Owners, Developers, Property Management companies as well as with service providers such as Comcast, AT&T, Charter/Spectrum, Atlantic Broadband, and others. The style of negotiation we utilize is considered a "collaborative" effort between two parties working towards a common goal. The outcome is a good deal for our client and a valued long-term relationship between the provider and the property.
Our Changing World
The world of technology is changing so rapidly that it's almost impossible to keep up with the changes. Making just one small mistake can be magnified many times over a long-term telecom agreement. It's important to not think about the past or the present but rather, what lies ahead in the future. We are here to "guide and advise" you down that often tumultuous path to ensure that your property is ready for the future.
Client Support
Our clients love us because we take what can be a very overwhelming process and through a "battle tested" detailed and comprehensive decision making work-flow process, we simplify it so you can make an intelligent and logical decision for your property or community. At the end of this process, you will have fulfilled your due diligence obligation to your residents/investors and will have peace of mind knowing that every stone has been turned over resulting in maximum value to your community.
Cellular tower-land-rooftop rights
What You Need To Know...
Drafting a rooftop lease agreement with wireless carriers such as AT&T and Verizon wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint, and others is often a challenge for many property owners. The equipment the Tenant/Lessee wishes to install must be quantified and qualified. The agreed to rental rate is specifically tied to the "EXACT" equipment that was initially installed at the beginning of the lease. Future modifications, additions, replacement of equipment, etc. is a "rent" increasable event for the property owner.
Other Factors To Consider...
How should the termination paragraph read? How much term can you get from the carrier? Should you negotiate an annual or monthly rental payment and does it make a difference? If so, to whom? What about an annual vs. a term escalation?
And There's More...
If I hire a consultant, will they visit the property to ensure the carrier has installed "exactly" the equipment as specified within the lease agreement? Do the construction drawings match up with the lease agreement language and the lease exhibit? Should you consider selling your lease agreement and if so, for how much? Should the carrier be permitted to sub-meter their electric from the owner's electrical service? Does any of this make a difference or create additional work for the owner?
next step(s)
Check Your Present Agreement
Many associations don't realize how much is involved in reaching a final agreement. Waiting until the last minute is the worst thing you can do. We recommend starting the renewal process no later than 12-24 month's prior to the expiration of the existing contract. Look at your agreement and determine when the expiration date will take place.
Contact Us
Once you have determined the expiration date of the agreement, contact us to discuss what options you have. We are available to meet with you and your community to present what we do, how the process works, and how we can bring increased value to your community.
Most Common FAQs
Q: Why can't we just do this ourselves?
A: 10-15 years ago you probably could have done this yourself. However, the Telecom world has changed so dramatically that having a professional specialist is almost a given. It would be like not hiring an accountant, lawyer, or property manager to fill the needs in those areas. Why would you take the chance of not getting the maximum value that you are entitled to especially when there's no out-of-pocket expense?
Q: Can you really negotiate much better value than what we can get?
A: Most definitely! Remember, this is what we do all day everyday. We have negotiated thousands of Access and Bulk agreements from all of the top providers nationwide so we know what they can and can't do. Why just guess if you are getting the best terms by trying to do this yourself?
Q: How long does this process take?
A: It really depends on the complexity of the needs of your property/community. This process is so much more than just negotiating a Bulk rate or a Right Of Entry Agreement. Items such as determining the length of the contract term, having a fiber optic infrastructure, service level protections, Internet speeds, having flexible agreements that change with the times, annual rate increases, etc. are all elements critical to a thorough negotiation process.
Q: Our community/property does not have a Bulk contract in place and we don't want one. Each resident/tenant pays their own cable and Internet bill, can the MDU Consulting Group help us too?
A: YES! A community/property that is not under a "bulk agreement" probably stands to gain more than what a bulk community can. Think about it. A non-bulk community commonly referred to as a Right of Entry (ROE) or Right of Access (ROA) typically generates MORE REVENUE to the provider than a bulk community does. Why? Because such a community/property is not getting a substantial discount of off their services like a bulk community does. Each resident is paying full retail and that generates more revenue (even if not all of its members are subscribers) to the provider. Your community should be SHARING in that revenue too.
Q: How much is this going to cost and how do you get paid?
A: As mentioned above, our fee is earned based on 100% pay for performance. That means you will never be asked to pay an upfront fee, charged an hourly rate, or have to pull funds out of your budget to pay us. We earn our fee based on a percentage of the increased monetary value we negotiated for your community. If your community hasn't realized an increased value at the end of the process, we don't get paid. Oh and by the way, we don't get our fee until AFTER you get yours from the provider. It's really that simple!
Q: OK, we are curious but would like to hear more. What should we do next?
A: We understand. There's a lot of information to absorb and we are sure you have many more questions. The next step would be to simply get a copy of your present agreement and give us a call. We will be happy to set up an on-site meeting at your convenience to answer all of your questions. Of course, there's never any high sales pressure or obligation. It's simply a meeting to assess your present situation and to provide you with more information.