Florida Wireless Association

What Florida Wireless Association does

Florida Wireless Association (FWA) is a non-profit industry association founded in 2006 and headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, that serves as a regional networking and educational hub for the wireless infrastructure industry in the Southeastern United States. Its members and stakeholders include tower companies, carriers, vendors, and service providers active in the Florida wireless ecosystem, with board representation from Harmoni Towers, Symphony Towers Infrastructure, Vertical Bridge, and PeakNet (a Duke Energy subsidiary).

FWA's core activities are organized around recurring in-person events: the Annual Charity Golf Classic (running for 19 years as of 2025), the Beach Bash networking event (in its 4th year for 2026), and a Spring Networking Social. Through these events, the association has donated more than $1 million cumulatively to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the David Downie Foundation. The association also maintains formal partnerships with WIA (Wireless Infrastructure Association) for Connect(X) 2026, the South Wireless Summit, and neighboring state wireless associations in Louisiana and Alabama.

FWA operates on a free-membership model and generates revenue exclusively through corporate event sponsorships and event registration fees, with no membership dues. It is governed by a volunteer board of wireless industry executives and supported by a small operational staff (1–10 employees). The business model is structurally a relationship-broker: FWA monetizes access and visibility at its events rather than selling any product, service, or technology platform.

Name

Florida Wireless Association

Legal name

Florida Wireless Association

Website

https://flwireless.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Florida Wireless Association is a non-profit regional industry association founded in 2006 that brings together Florida wireless infrastructure professionals through networking events, educational programming, and charitable fundraising exceeding $1 million cumulatively.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Membership is free for industry professionals, providing access to networking events, industry updates, and charitable initiatives.
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund events such as the Annual Charity Golf Classic, Beach Bash networking events, and the Connect(X) partnership. Sponsors receive visibility within the wireless industry community.
3. Event Registrations: Fees collected from event attendance including golf tournaments, networking socials, and conference partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Florida Wireless Association is a non-profit industry association that provides a free membership program and hosts signature networking and charitable events for wireless industry professionals in Florida. Its core offerings include the FWA Membership Program, the Annual Charity Golf Classic, the Beach Bash networking event, and the Spring Networking Social, along with participation in regional and national industry gatherings such as Connect(X) and the South Wireless Summit.

Product overview

Florida Wireless Association is a non-profit industry association offering a unified membership program that provides networking opportunities, community engagement, exclusive events, professional exposure, and access to industry information for wireless industry professionals. The organization hosts several signature events including the Annual Charity Golf Classic benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and David Downie Foundation, the Beach Bash networking event, and the Spring Networking Social. The association also partners with industry events like Connect(X) and South Wireless Summit to provide additional value to members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FWA Membership Program Free membership program providing wireless industry professionals with networking opportunities, community engagement, exclusive events, professional exposure, and access to industry information. Membership is offered at no cost.
• FWA Annual Charity Golf Classic Annual charity golf tournament bringing together wireless industry professionals to network and raise funds for charitable causes, primarily benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
• FWA Beach Bash Networking Event Annual beach-themed networking event connecting wireless industry professionals in a casual social setting, held in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
• FWA Spring Networking Social Seasonal networking event held at local venues in Florida, providing opportunities for wireless industry professionals to connect and share insights on wireless trends.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million raised and donated to support veterans and families in need

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• WIA (Wireless Infrastructure Association) / Connect(X)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026FWA partners with WIA for Connect(X) 2026, the premier event for the communications infrastructure and digital connectivity industry. The event takes place at Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 4-6, 2026. FWA members receive access to networking events including Launch Party, Opening Reception, Charity Concert, and Women in Wireless Leadership Forum Reception.
• Special Operations Warrior FoundationcoreOthersPrimary charitable beneficiary of FWA's Annual Charity Golf Classic. SOWF provides comprehensive educational support and career development for children of fallen Special Operations Personnel and Medal of Honor recipients, along with financial assistance for severely wounded service members. FWA has donated over $1 million to support this foundation.
• David Downie FoundationcoreOthersCreated in memory of industry leader David Downie, this foundation offers practical support to individuals and families facing cancer—helping with everyday challenges so they can focus on healing. FWA supports this foundation through charitable events.
• South Wireless SummitmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFWA participates in the annual South Wireless Summit, which hosts the wireless infrastructure industry's largest gathering of thought leaders and technology experts focused on expanding next-generation communications throughout the southern United States. Martha Penton is a founding member of South Wireless Summit.
• Louisiana Wireless AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional wireless association partner. FWA shares event information for neighboring state association events such as the Annual Fishing Rodeo.
• Alabama Wireless AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional wireless association partner. FWA shares event information for neighboring state association events such as the Annual Golf Tournament. Martha Penton serves on the Board of Alabama Wireless Association.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CTIA: National trade association representing the entire US wireless ecosystem — carriers, device makers, and infrastructure providers. A broader incumbent than FWA, serving overlapping audiences at a national scale with deeper policy advocacy and event programming.
• Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA): National trade association for telecommunications manufacturers, carriers, and infrastructure providers, focused on standards development and industry advancement. Overlaps with FWA's infrastructure-industry audience at a broader, standards-driven scope.

Direct peers

• Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA): National trade association for the wireless infrastructure industry, including tower owners, carriers, and equipment vendors. WIA is FWA's most direct functional peer — both are membership-based organizations serving wireless infrastructure professionals through events, advocacy, and education — and FWA partners directly with WIA on Connect(X).
• South Wireless Summit: Annual industry gathering focused on next-generation communications in the southern US. FWA is an event co-marketing partner and Martha Penton is a founding member, making this a direct peer in regional wireless industry programming.
• Louisiana Wireless Association: Regional wireless industry association in Louisiana operating an analogous annual events model (including an Annual Fishing Rodeo). Directly comparable structure and GTM to FWA, and an active event-sharing partner.
• Connect(X): WIA's flagship industry conference for communications infrastructure and digital connectivity, hosted in Fort Lauderdale in 2026 with FWA as a co-marketing partner. Connect(X) is a direct functional peer in the events/education layer that FWA also operates in.
• Alabama Wireless Association: Regional wireless industry association in Alabama running an Annual Golf Tournament and similar networking programming. Martha Penton sits on its board, and it operates as a functionally equivalent peer organization in an adjacent Southeast state.

Others

• National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE): Trade association serving the tower construction, modification, and maintenance industry. Adjacent to FWA's wireless infrastructure membership base rather than directly competing, but addresses the same overarching industry with overlapping vendor and carrier member companies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida-wireless

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Florida Wireless Association