Business: Real estate investment trust and provider of shared communications infrastructure across the United States
Launched: 1994
HQ: Houston, Texas
Employees: 4,500+
Website: CrownCastle.com
Using the internet can feel magical. You grab a metal object out of your pocket, tap on the glass, and in a matter of milliseconds are presented with all the world at your fingertips.
Chris Carr
None of that magic would be possible without people like Chris Carr. He’s the Fiber Sales Manager for South Florida at Crown Castle, the nation’s largest provider of communications infrastructure. Crown Castle’s assets include cell towers, small cell nodes, and fiber that connect people and businesses to the data they need.
Carr focuses on the fiber part of Crown Castle’s business, working together with his team of seven account executives to help solve his customers’ needs. Those needs can vary quite a bit considering the diverse range of clients Crown Castle works with – from K-12 and higher education institutions to large businesses and government agencies.
One of the things that makes Crown Castle stand apart, according to Carr, is “the fact that we own our own infrastructure.” That means that clients can see maps showing the exact route the fiber cables take to arrive at the client’s facility from the core network node.
“Guaranteeing a physical route enables our customers to have an increased ability to design their assets and guarantee diversity,” said Carr. This diversity is important because it gives Crown Castle’s customers maximum flexibility.
“Flexibility is crucial when needs are in flux like during Covid,” Carr explained. He also said that flexibility comes into play when dealing with restoration efforts after natural disasters like hurricanes. “Owning our assets lets us go out and restore service quicker than the competition.”
South Florida Fiber Map
Security is increasingly important for Crown Castle’s clients, as our personal and professional lives become more digital than ever before. Carr said that the company plans to roll out additional security enhancements for clients, helping them thwart threats before they become an issue.
Carr moved to South Florida from upstate New York this past Spring and is bullish about the growth of our region’s economy. “It’s exciting to see familiar names that are moving down here,” he said.
“It comes at no surprise to me that tech would be at the forefront of this growth,” said Carr. “This is a tremendous opportunity for South Florida as a whole. It’s going to turn into an incubator of best efforts across the country, in tech and all industries.”
Carr also enjoys mentoring ambitious young people in his industry. After graduating from college, Carr tried to make it as a professional golfer, but had to abandon his goals. But he said that while this “seemed like a failure 15 years ago,” it has actually “turned into a blessing.” He believes that this life path has led him to a career and company that he is passionate about, as well as enabled him to meet his wife and cultivate strong professional connections.
His advice to young people finding their path in life? “It’s important to stay committed to yourself and true to who you are. Take some initiative but also let things happen. Everything comes full circle.”