Small cell design, tower structural analysis, site permitting, make-ready engineering, and wireless backhaul — from a single firm licensed across all 50 U.S. states. Certified MBE.
Wireless infrastructure engineering is a multi-discipline practice that spans RF analysis, structural engineering, outside plant fiber design, and regulatory permitting — often running on parallel tracks across dozens of sites simultaneously. Modern 5G densification programs require small cell nodes every few hundred meters in dense urban environments, each requiring its own structural analysis, ROW permit, pole attachment application, fiber route, and power coordination. At program scale, the engineering and permitting workload is substantial.
The U.S. wireless infrastructure base currently includes over 651,000 wireless structures, with 197,850 outdoor small cells and an annual investment of $63 billion industry-wide. Despite that scale, the most persistent challenge in wireless deployment is timeline — deploying a single small cell from engineering start to on-air takes 18–24 months on average, driven primarily by permitting and utility coordination, not engineering output. Engineering firms that understand how to run permit workstreams concurrently and minimize revision cycles are the primary lever for timeline compression.
Draftech's wireless engineering practice is built on an OSP engineering foundation. The fronthaul fiber connecting small cells to the network, the backhaul connecting towers to fiber POPs, the conduit routing for underground distribution — these are outside plant engineering disciplines. Most wireless engineering firms hand this work off to a separate fiber design firm. Draftech designs both under one roof, eliminating the coordination seam that generates design conflicts and schedule delays when two firms are working from separate packages on the same project.
Draftech delivers the full scope of wireless infrastructure engineering — from small cell A&E through tower structural analysis, site permitting, make-ready, backhaul fiber design, fixed wireless, and DAS. Each service line is described below and linked to its dedicated service page.
Site feasibility, RF analysis, pole loading, fiber fronthaul route design, permit drawings, utility coordination, and as-built documentation for 5G densification programs.
Fiber route design for wireless backhaul and fiber-to-the-curb deployments — aerial and underground, with splice planning, conduit routing, and hub location engineering.
ROW permit applications, pole attachment applications, FCC shot clock management, MUOA coordination, and SHPO compliance for wireless site deployments.
Pole loading analysis, make-ready work order preparation, OTMR coordination, and utility make-ready management for wireless attachment programs.
PE-stamped TIA-222 structural analysis for tower modifications, new tenant collocations, and equipment upgrades. Feasibility and rigorous analysis types.
A&E drawings, equipment upgrade design, structural coordination, zoning drawings, and as-built records for macro cell site modifications and technology overlays.
RF planning, access point site engineering, LOS analysis, backhaul design, and structural analysis for FWA networks serving rural and suburban broadband programs.
Donor antenna design, headend siting, fiber/coax distribution network design, remote unit placement, multi-carrier coordination, and PIM analysis for outdoor DAS deployments.
Every wireless site — small cell, macro tower, or FWA access point — connects to a fiber network. The fronthaul fiber from a distributed radio unit to its baseband equipment, the backhaul from a tower to the carrier POP, the conduit routing under a street for underground fiber to a small cell cluster — all of this is outside plant engineering work. It involves route planning, splice design, conduit specifications, handhole placement, and permit packages for ROW access.
Most wireless engineering firms don't design fiber. They scope the wireless site, produce the structural and RF engineering, and hand off a note in the deliverable that says "fiber by others." The fiber design firm then produces a route that may conflict with the structural findings, reference attachment points that changed in the last design revision, or specify conduit routing that conflicts with the permit package the wireless firm already submitted. These coordination failures are common and each one costs schedule time.
Draftech's OSP engineering background — 44,000+ miles of fiber designed across 22 states — means our wireless engineers and fiber engineers work from the same project package. The structural engineer who determines pole availability knows the fiber route options. The fiber designer who specifies conduit placement knows the pole attachment status. Construction packages go to the field consistent across all disciplines.
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and regional carriers running 5G densification programs across multiple markets. High-volume concurrent delivery with consistent engineering standards across all jurisdictions.
Crown Castle, American Tower, SBA Communications, and independent tower owners. Structural analysis, small cell A&E, and site modification packages on tight delivery timelines.
ISPs and fixed wireless providers deploying BEAD-funded and commercial broadband networks. FWA engineering, backhaul design, make-ready for aerial attachments, and permitting support.
Cities planning 5G-ready pole infrastructure or reviewing carrier ROW applications. Technical documentation, structural certifications, and aesthetic concealment design to meet municipal standards.
MBE-Certified: Draftech International is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)-certified OSP engineering firm. For carriers and tower companies with supplier diversity requirements, we provide the certification documentation your procurement team needs.
Draftech handles the full range of wireless infrastructure engineering — small cell node design and permitting, macro cell site modifications, tower structural analysis under TIA-222, make-ready engineering for wireless attachments, wireless backhaul and FTTC fiber design, fixed wireless access (FWA) network engineering, and outdoor distributed antenna system (DAS) design. We work with wireless carriers, tower companies, neutral host operators, municipalities, ISPs, and WISPs on projects from single-site modifications to multi-market 5G densification programs.
Yes. Draftech operates across all 50 U.S. states. Our engineering team is currently active in 22 states and structured to deploy into any state as program requirements dictate. National carrier programs and tower company portfolios span multiple states — Draftech's licensing and operational infrastructure is designed to support that scale without requiring clients to manage multiple regional vendors.
Wireless infrastructure doesn't end at the antenna — it connects to a fiber network. The fronthaul fiber linking small cell radio units to baseband equipment, and the backhaul connecting those systems back to the core network, are outside plant engineering disciplines. Draftech's OSP background means we design the wireless site and the fiber connectivity under one roof, with the same project management team. That integration eliminates the coordination errors that occur when a wireless engineering firm and a fiber design firm are working from different packages on the same project.
Timeline depends on project type. Tower structural analysis for a standard equipment modification can be completed in 2–4 weeks. Small cell permit packages for a site batch typically take 6–14 weeks from site survey to permit-ready drawings. Full small cell deployment programs — engineering through permitting through construction — typically run 12–24 months depending on municipality permit timelines and utility coordination. FCC shot clock rules cap municipal review at 60 days for collocations on existing structures and 90 days for new structures, but real-world timelines vary significantly by jurisdiction.
Both. Draftech contracts directly with wireless carriers as a prime engineering services vendor, with tower companies for structural analysis and site modification packages, and with EPC contractors as a subcontract engineering firm embedded in larger construction programs. Our MBE certification is recognized by major carriers with supplier diversity programs. We provide the same quality of deliverable and the same project management infrastructure regardless of contract structure.
Whether you're launching a 5G densification program, processing tower modifications, or building a fixed wireless network, our engineering team is ready to discuss scope, timeline, and capacity. Licensed across all 50 U.S. states. Certified MBE.
Talk to a Wireless EngineerOr email us directly at info@draftech.com — we reply within one business day.
SERVICE AREAS
Active in 22 states and deployable across all 50 U.S. states — including our highest-volume BEAD markets:
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