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Front Page » Top Stories » 5G availability spurs growth as county targets tech

5G availability spurs growth as county targets tech

Written by on February 1, 2022
  • www.miamitodayepaper.com
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5G availability spurs growth as county targets tech

Miami-Dade’s 5G availability has affected not only the economy but also public safety and home decisions.

Mitch Bierman, partner and chair of airports and aviation services with Weiss Serota law firm, said quick internet availability via the fifth generation mobile network, or 5G, is crucial for public safety because the public must be able to call whoever is needed in an emergency. “Calling 911 can’t be interrupted because of tourist season or an area with many people streaming on their phones,” he said. “Service can’t be slowed if you need to call an Uber or pay for parking.”

“5G is ready to collect data from streetlights and improve traffic patterns, according to what time the largest groups of people are congregating,” said Jorge Valens, IT community engagement manager of information technology development for Miami-Dade County. Internet availability that is collecting data at traffic lights, he said, will help determine the safest time to allow pedestrians to cross.

“I work with a lot of businesses that rely on these upgrades to their service in order to provide the public with the best possible service” in transportation and mobility, Mr. Bierman said. “My industry clients, in general, want to be seen as a partner with local government, providing an essential service to the public. It’s like water and power. It’s essential to business and education.”

With Miami attracting a tech industry, Mr. Bierman said, 5G is necessary. “The speed to market pressure is strong.”

“People want the fastest cell service, but not necessarily the equipment,” Mr. Bierman said.

In November, Miami-Dade commissioners called for an inventory of county properties that could be used for expanding the 5G network. Only Commissioner Eileen Higgins voted no and sought to keep more 5G poles out of her district, saying some installed up to two years ago are still unfinished.

Florida Power & Light is working with AT&T and Comcast to bury these wires underground rather than install more poles with wires hanging across the streets.

Three options are available, and the Miami City Commission hopes for a decision among the three in two months. The option that will hide power lines in Miami the most is estimated as the most expensive at $350 million to $400 million. Overhead poles and wires would be removed, so trimming tree canopies would no longer be necessary. The underground wires would keep electric infrastructure safe during storms when electricity is lost.

Efran Favela, director of retail execution for AT&T’s Florida market, said AT&T is navigating the demand for hyper-speed 5G at some of the biggest event centers in Miami. FTX Arena and Hard Rock Stadium are both connected to 5G.

“There has been a lot of technological advances that rely on network connectivity,” Mr. Favela said. Home appliances like refrigerators, ovens, television sets and washing machines are beginning to become reliable via 5G connectivity because so much can be controlled from an app on a phone. “People consider 5G connectivity when shopping for a home now,” Mr. Valens said. “I did.”

Another large network provider in Miami-Dade is Verizon. “We are committed to helping small businesses grow and recover from the pandemic by leveraging the latest technology with reliable connectivity,” said Chris Sercio, Verizon communications manager.

Enterprise Florida has scheduled a visit to Barcelona Feb. 28 to March 3 for the Mobile World Congress exhibition, the world’s largest mobile event, with 2,400 companies and technological entrepreneurs. Enterprise’s presence would provide platforms for Florida companies to communicate about today’s technology globally, including 5G and other technologies to exchange communication.

A federal problem with unrolling a broader 5G network has been seen at airports across the nation, where 5G wavelengths are interfering with planes’ ability to take off and land.

“Major international carriers are already cancelling flights and cargo shipments for fear that they won’t be able to safely land their aircraft at US airports because of interference from 5G,” said Chris Oswald, senior VP for safety and regulatory affairs at Airports Council International – North America. “A major potential interference between 5G signals and aircraft instrumentation is specifically radio altimeters that enable pilots to know precisely how far above the ground they are during low altitude flights.”

On Jan. 19, cellular companies AT&T and Verizon agreed to pause installations of 5G towers for six weeks until they got further information from the Federal Aviation Administration.

On Jan. 28, the Federal Aviation Administration released a statement that most airplanes can operate around 5G signals if it doesn’t affect an airplane’s ability to measure its altitude. Helicopter landings and 5G safety are still being discussed.

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