In March 2026, AT&T announced plans to invest $250 billion in US telecom infrastructure development over the next five years, citing growing network demand driven by AI, cloud services, and rising data volumes. Against the backdrop of surging mobile traffic and strained networks, the market is going through one of its most active upgrade cycles in recent memory.
Yet most of this work remains invisible to users. Reliable connectivity depends not only on new technologies but also on the constant modernization of existing infrastructure, close coordination between carriers, contractors, engineers, and field crews, and the ability to upgrade live sites without taking networks offline.
That is according to construction engineer and VS&NC INC CEO Vadzim Charnetski, who manages telecom infrastructure projects for AT&T and Verizon across Florida, Tennessee, and Ohio.
Under his leadership, more than 140 mobile infrastructure sites were completed in the past year alone, alongside dozens of Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and fiber-optic network construction projects.
In an interview with Inside Telecom, Vadzim Charnetski spoke about why the US has had to accelerate telecom network modernization, which mistakes most commonly cause problems at live communication sites, and why the reliability of modern infrastructure depends so heavily on the precision of field teams.
Vadzim, you’re involved in projects across several US states. What’s actually happening in the telecom infrastructure market on the ground, beyond the official reports and press releases?
Most of the work right now involves modernizing existing infrastructure: replacing equipment, reinforcing sites, adding new frequency bands, and preparing networks to handle higher loads. Nearly all of this is done on live sites, so any mistake has a direct impact on service quality.
Another challenge is the tight deadlines and the constant need to coordinate between carriers, contractors, and field teams. There’s also a real shortage of specialists with hands-on experience across tower, fiber, and HDD projects simultaneously.
You mentioned that carriers are operating under significant network strain. How complex do projects get when modernization has to be carried out without taking the network offline, within very tight time windows?
In our work, that’s more the norm than the exception. A typical example is modernizing a live base station within a limited maintenance window. The goal is to replace equipment and partially reconfigure the site without any extended service outage. Work is often scheduled overnight when network traffic is lower, leaving crews with only a few hours to complete everything from teardown to commissioning.
Every step has to be synchronized because a delay in one stage can affect the entire project. Working at height under nighttime conditions adds another layer of complexity. Limited visibility, fatigue, and strict safety requirements demand maximum focus and preparation.
Can you share an example of a project where maintaining service continuity was particularly challenging?
One example was a site in Downtown Orlando, a high-density area with constant network demand. I oversaw the project from the preparation phase through full commissioning. Maintaining stable service was critical because even a brief interruption could affect a large number of users.
The work required careful planning, coordination between multiple teams, and precise execution to ensure the modernization was completed without disrupting connectivity.
Over your years in telecom infrastructure, what mistakes most commonly cause problems at communication sites?
In practice, issues tend to arise from process failures rather than technology failures. For example, actual site conditions may not match project documentation, or cabling work may have been poorly prepared.
Teams arrive on-site and discover configurations that differ from the drawings—different mounts, equipment placement, or space constraints. That immediately creates delays and forces crews to make decisions in the field.
From an organizational standpoint, the biggest issue is often a lack of synchronization between equipment deliveries, site readiness, and crew scheduling. Even highly skilled teams can lose valuable time as a result.
There’s a lot of focus in telecom infrastructure today on automation and new technologies, yet workforce training and safety standards remain critically important. Why does the human factor remain so important?
Despite advances in technology, communication infrastructure ultimately depends on how work is executed in the field. Equipment may be state-of-the-art, but the outcome is determined by the people installing and maintaining it.
This is especially true when working at height. Tower and mast projects are high-risk environments where mistakes can have serious consequences. It takes more than following instructions, it requires training, experience, discipline, and a strong safety culture.
Many projects take place under demanding conditions, including overnight shifts, confined spaces, and tight deadlines. In that environment, preparation and teamwork remain essential.
5G often receives more public attention than fiber infrastructure, even though fiber carries much of the traffic modern networks depend on. Why has fiber become such a major priority across the US?
Because mobile and fiber infrastructure now function as a single system. Base stations generate enormous volumes of traffic, and that traffic must be transported through physical fiber networks.
The US is in the middle of a major transition toward fiber because much of the legacy infrastructure can no longer support current demand. As a result, fiber deployment and mobile network modernization are increasingly being carried out together.
The US telecom sector is investing heavily in network expansion and modernization. How are contractors and engineering firms adapting to the scale of this work?
The scale of the work requires companies to become more efficient in planning, coordination, and execution. Projects are becoming larger and more complex, while timelines continue to shrink.
At VS&NC, for example, we completed more than 140 mobile infrastructure modernization projects in 2025, in addition to multiple HDD and fiber-optic construction projects. Success depends on maintaining coordination between engineering teams, equipment suppliers, construction crews, and network operators while meeting strict quality and safety standards.
Beyond technology, what are the biggest operational challenges facing telecom infrastructure projects today?
One of the biggest challenges is coordination. Infrastructure projects involve multiple stakeholders, and delays in equipment deliveries, permitting, site access, or scheduling can quickly affect project timelines.
The industry is also dealing with a shortage of experienced specialists who can work across different areas of telecom infrastructure. As networks become more complex, finding and retaining skilled personnel is becoming increasingly important.
In your opinion, how long will the current round of network upgrades last before this infrastructure becomes obsolete? And is there anything beyond fiber on the horizon?
Fiber infrastructure is built with significant capacity for future growth, so the physical network itself can remain in service for decades. However, the equipment connected to it must continue evolving as demand for bandwidth increases.
As for what comes after fiber, there is currently no practical alternative capable of replacing it on a scale. The more likely scenario is continued innovation built on top of fiber infrastructure, with improvements in hardware, network management systems, and transmission speeds driving the next phase of connectivity.
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