Town officials may be missing a major opportunity by focusing only on where Verizon should be allowed to build a new 160-foot tower. Coincidentally, technology is about to take a giant leap forward, with the advent of 5G (fifth generation) networking, which has the potential to provide not only better cell phone service, but internet speeds comparable to broadband fiber. Large, tall towers will do little to further 5G rollout. Only devices within a few hundred feet of a 5G node will be able to achieve 5G connectivity.
Don’t take my word for it. A page at Verizon.com (www.
verizon.com/about/news/towers-what-they-are-how-they-work) spells it out in words and pictures. Installing 5G networking involves small cells, or nodes, usually mounted atop utility poles and spaced as little as 500 feet apart, to accommodate the distance limitation. For Harvard, this would mean hundreds of cells installed on existing utility poles on main roads, linking up with tall towers in the area to pass traffic in and out.
How fast is 5G? Speed varies with conditions and depends on how well the network of small cells blankets the geography, but where properly deployed, speeds of 1 gigabit per second are typical, 20 times faster than existing 4G LTE and comparable to broadband fiber.
Let’s change the discussion with Verizon. You want your big, new tower that does very little for most Harvard residents? Add Harvard to the 5G deployment plan. Verizon will eventually need a solution for low-density rural areas. Let Harvard be Verizon’s test case.
The need for tall towers won’t go away, but service for Harvard residents, businesses, and public services could be magnitudes better. Instead of compromising Harvard viewsheds mostly for the benefit of Route 2 and Interstate 495 traffic, cellular and internet service could actually be dramatically improved for the rest of us.
According to state and federal regulations, we may not be able to prevent the new tower being built in Harvard. Wouldn’t it be better if we got something meaningful in the deal?
Worth Robbins is a co-owner of the Harvard Press. The views expressed here are his own.
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5G nodes: What they are and how they work
Like other versions of cellular technology, 5G operates by transmitting broadband wireless signals across a network divided into hexagonal “cells.” This division of the network allows for phones and devices to switch from tower to tower, maximizing capacity. Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network uses a wider band of spectrum. With millimeter wave technology, more people will be able to use the network at once.
What are 5G cell towers?
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network utilizes small cells, or nodes, in addition to traditional towers. 5G small cells are similar to 4G towers in form and function. Verizon is building thousands of additional 5G nodes to maximize and deliver 5G millimeter wave technology to customers.
Since 5G small cells are smaller than a traditional macro cell tower, they can exist more discreetly. 5G’s small cells support the high frequency millimeter waves needed for the ultra-low latency and high data speeds of 5G.
How do 5G towers work?
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network uses 5G nodes that transmit and receive data to provide network coverage and capacity to densely populated environments.
Since 5G nodes are small, they can be mounted on street lights, utility poles, buildings, and other similar structures to efficiently deliver the data and bandwidth that users need. Discreet and energy efficient, small cells help make 5G possible.
Editor’s Note: This explanation of 5G technology has been edited for length but otherwise copied from promotional material provided by Verizon on its website, verizon.com.
A typical 5G node installed on a telephone pole. (Courtesy photo)
