About the State of Michigan Tower Program
Colocation and Build-to-Suit Tower Sites Across the State of Michigan
The State of Michigan Tower Program opens the state's wireless infrastructure to the organizations working to keep Michigan connected. Through a portfolio of 270 existing towers and 4.6 million acres of state-owned land, the program helps carriers, wireless internet service providers, government agencies, and public safety organizations expand coverage and capacity — from busy suburban corridors to the most remote corners of the state.
Our Mission: Bridging Michigan's Digital Divide
Reliable connectivity has become essential infrastructure — for work, education, commerce, recreation, and public safety alike. Yet across much of rural Michigan, broadband and mobile coverage remain spotty or nonexistent.
The State of Michigan Tower Program exists to close those gaps. By strategically developing and managing tower sites in both rural and suburban areas, the program supports the state's goal of better broadband for rural communities — whether that means mobile coverage for carriers, fixed wireless access for internet providers, or critical communications for emergency services.
The result is broader, more reliable coverage that lets Michigan's residents, businesses, and visitors stay connected wherever they live, work, and explore.
An Unmatched Footprint Across the State
The State of Michigan manages roughly 4.6 million acres of land — about 7,225 square miles — carefully balancing recreation, conservation, and, increasingly, telecommunications development. That footprint gives the program a reach few infrastructure portfolios can match.
Many of these towers are exceptionally tall — more than 140 exceed 400 feet — because they were originally built to carry emergency-services communications across large areas. For colocation tenants, that means a broad range of RAD center heights and superior coverage potential. For new development, the program offers access to land that includes Department of Natural Resources forest land and Department of Transportation right-of-ways running along the highways carriers most want to cover.
-
270
Towers Available for Colocation
-
4.6M
Acres of State Land (7,225 sq. miles)
-
140+
Towers Exceeding 400 Feet
-
4
Sectors Served: Carriers · WISPs · Government · Public Safety
A Proven Partner: Pyramid Network Services
In 2022, the State of Michigan selected Pyramid Network Services, LLC to manage colocation for all state-owned towers, buildings, and properties — along with new tower builds and CBRS and DAS installations on state-owned land. Pyramid maintains the state's interests while ensuring tenant timelines are met throughout the process.
Established in 1996, Pyramid is a privately held, nationwide telecommunications development company providing project management, site construction, site acquisition, colocation, program development, and full turnkey site solutions. Its clients include government and state agencies, commercial carriers, tower companies, security companies, educational institutions, municipalities, and landowners. To date, Pyramid has completed work on more than 100,000 wireless sites nationwide.
The program also gives tenants access to land and towers operated by the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, and Michigan's Public Safety Communications System — much of it in rural areas where dependable communications matter most.
“We’ve worked in Michigan for nearly 20 years providing services to wireless carriers as well as public safety communications, and we’re intimately familiar with the wireless landscape. Our knowledge and expertise, coupled with a vast array of state-owned tower sites, right-of-ways for new site development, and other state-owned facilities, will provide a tremendous amount of access and opportunities for new coverage and capacity — and new ways of bridging the digital divide in unserved and underserved areas of Michigan.”
A Transparent, Predictable Process
Drawing on experience from more than 100,000 wireless sites, Pyramid built a project-management program for the State of Michigan that tracks every application end-to-end through a dedicated internal system. That system creates transparency for tenants renting tower space and for carriers seeking to build, with clear costs and timelines communicated upfront.
It's a level of predictability that working with individual landlords often can't offer — and it's designed to increase speed-to-market, helping tenants hit their on-air dates whether they're a national carrier or a local provider working to deliver broadband by a specific deadline.
See how the application process works, step by step. View our process >
Built for Everyone Working to Connect Michigan
The program takes a broad, inclusive approach — working not only with national wireless carriers, but also with rural broadband providers, education-based providers, municipalities, and counties that need infrastructure for emergency-services systems. While Pyramid holds the exclusive right to build new towers on state property, the program also welcomes collaboration with tower companies that need to develop sites.
The goal is simple: to bring in everybody.
Wireless carriers expanding coverage and capacity
Wireless internet service providers (WISPs) delivering fixed wireless broadband
Government entities and MiDEAL cooperative purchasing members
Public safety organizations strengthening emergency communications
Tower companies and educational providers seeking collaboration
Let's Connect Michigan Together
Whether you're ready to apply or just exploring your options, the program team is here to help you understand what's possible and find the right path to your coverage goals.
Prefer to talk first? Contact the program team or email misites@pyramidns.com.