By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh
New York City anticipates taking crucial strides to step up 5G coverage, the next-generation wireless technology. The superfast cell service AT&T and Verizon have been boasting about would enable users to have flawless connection for zoom conferencing, enable virtual workout apps, allow on-the-go movie downloads, and even power self-driving cars. For now, however, the ultra-speed remains a myth. As per the NY Times, currently the fast version of 5G travels short distances and cannot penetrate walls. So for now, only outdoor spaces like parks can enjoy the speed, while 5G continues to disappoint inside homes and offices.
As reported by Crain’s NY, this is likely to change over the next year. Tech leaders Apple, Google and Samsung are working to produce more phones capable of running on the network—and more importantly they are spending on 5G infrastructure, so that the equipment is climbing to new highs.
“We are on the verge of announcing the single largest reservation phase to reserve pole-tops that the city has ever put out there,” said Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT). Tisch says that the city is readying for an aggressive rollout plan for the network in 2021, in which the city would make more public infrastructure available for 5G equipment. The short range of the 5G service means much more equipment is needed on light poles and rooftops than was installed for 4G service. So in order to make the 5G service reliable, the carriers have been asking the city to franchise rights authorizing the companies to bid on utility poles and street and traffic lights on which they can install the cellular equipment.
New Yorkers for 5G, a group of industry players and businesses that launched in June, said in a statement, we “welcome news that the city is planning to open a reservation period in 2021, at a time when New Yorkers need reliable and widespread online access more than ever”. Spokeswoman Caitlin Brookner added, “We are hopeful that the reservation period will be both large and consistent.”
As per Crain’s the city has been working to approve a common design to hold 5G equipment which all carriers will adhere to. It also wants to make the service available equitably across NYC. “When the initial infrastructure was laid for broadband, it was not done so equitably,” Tisch said. “We want to ensure that from the beginning, 5G is rolled out throughout all five boroughs, with a focus on neighborhoods that have been previously underserved by broadband.”
