There are growing indications that network operators in the US won't begin spending heavily on their 5G networks until 2022. "This year is not going to be the robust year that some of my colleagues are predicting," Alex Gellman, CEO of cell tower company Vertical Bridge, said during the virtual Metro Connect event Tuesday. Others agree. "Our outlook for '21 does assume a pace of activity that is increasing throughout the year, so it's definitely a little bit slower is our assumption here at the beginning of the year, and it picks up in the latter half of the year," Brendan Cavanagh, CFO for cell tower company SBA Communications, said Monday during the company's quarterly call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript of the event. SBA is the nation's third largest US cell tower operator.