(CNN Business) For years, artificial cacti have lined the roadside of a sandy beach in North Scottsdale, Arizona. Although it looks real at first glance, it has built-in antennas and radio equipment that provide his 4G LTE wireless connectivity to the area. These large concealment structures (in this case, about 24 feet tall) are so good that it’s hard to tell a real cactus from a fake one.
Across the United States, ungainly 4G cell towers are often “hidden” by the area’s prominent foliage. The northeastern location is planted with evergreen trees. In the south, it is decorated like a palm tree. And to the west there is a cactus. In some cases, equipment is pushed into existing church bell towers, town square signs, and the sides of historic buildings. A 4G-enabled water tower is installed as a prop on the farmland, giving the impression that it is part of the landscape.
But with the rollout of 5G, the next generation of wireless speeds, cities like Scottsdale can no longer rely on elaborate cover-ups to build on the architecture that has been a mainstay in urban and suburban environments for more than 100 years. They will become dependent on street lights.
4G and 5G enabled cactus built by Valmont Industries in Scottsdale, Arizona area
While not quite as creative as hiding technology in fake factories, the changes are currently unfolding around the world. “As we move forward with 5G installations, design will be just as important, but we’re going to focus more on streetlights than cacti,” said Keith Niederer, Scottsdale’s telecommunications policy coordinator. .
This is because 5G radio signals for small cell sites operate at higher millimeter wave frequencies than 4G, making them more susceptible to being blocked by objects such as wooden fixtures, leaves, and certain materials. As a result, they need to be installed every few hundred feet, and that distance will shrink even more as data-hungry technologies like self-driving cars take over the roads. It also needs to be close to road level so people can access the signal, and the antenna should remain exposed in most cases.
In other words, it’s impossible to fit 5G into a pretty box. This technology needs to be exposed everywhere, frankly, on main streets and residential streets.
4G and 5G-enabled Cactus has been installed in the Scottsdale, Arizona area.
“Aesthetics are very important in Scottsdale. Each street has a different theme and different streetlights,” Niederer added, noting technical limitations. “I want them to blend in as inconspicuously as possible.”
Approximately 30 times faster than 4G in the US, 5G can handle significantly more internet traffic and bandwidth with zero latency, allowing for instant response for data transfers. 4G made services like FaceTime and Uber possible, and 5G is about to do even more. For example, self-driving cars could instantly process all the information needed to make life-or-death decisions, or enable robotic surgery. But in the short term, the rollout of 5G presents an opportunity for companies that hide their technology.
Some street lights in San Antonio, Texas are 4G and 5G compatible
Wireless carriers in the Phoenix metropolitan area, which includes Scottsdale, are working with Valmont Industries, one of the world’s largest concealment companies and the company that manufactured the first disguised pine tree towers in the Denver market nearly 30 years ago. , ensuring the color. , the design and use case fit into the neighborhood. (Valmont just completed a similar project with the city of San Antonio, Texas, replacing its distinctive grooved poles and swooping arms with similarly styled poles, but with stronger I replaced it with a pole with a base and thicker steel.)
“There’s no form factor we wouldn’t consider using,” said Mark Schmidt, Valmont’s general manager of communications concealment. “Our goal is to bridge the gap between the aesthetics of the community, what the jurisdiction wants, and what the wireless carriers demand as a form factor. … But the most natural fit here is Probably traffic lights and street lights.”
With the rollout of 5G, cities like Scottsdale will rely more on street lights and less on elaborate cover-ups. The sign in this photo supports both 4G and 5G.
verizon (VZ), T-mobile (TMUS) and AT&T (T)The company, which owns CNN’s parent company WarnerMedia, is pouring billions of dollars into 5G. New networks and related technologies are expected to add $17 trillion to global economic growth by 2035, according to technology market firm ABI Research. Despite some disruption from the coronavirus pandemic, carriers continue to roll out networks across the United States. Efforts include overcoming engineering issues and installing new mobile sites as employees practice social distancing and the city’s permit office was closed during the early stages of the outbreak. . But tech companies like Cisco say the pandemic has highlighted the need for 5G’s faster, higher-bandwidth connectivity.
Replacing old street lights with 5G-enabled ones to support growth may seem like a relatively small process, but doing so can be a major step for many communities toward becoming smart cities. It will be a step.
A fake water tank hides 4G equipment in Shellville, California. It can also be modified to support 5G.
Once lampposts have access to power, they will become “an integral part of any smart city project,” said Dean Tan, an analyst at ABI Research. It can double as a charging station, security camera installation, or even include an LED display for advertising. The Japanese government is trialling this approach in Tokyo, where smart poles are equipped with public Wi-Fi, cameras, provide real-time traffic updates to help local governments manage urban traffic, and are equipped with digital advertising and An information board is installed.
Mr Tan said hidden companies are playing a big role in the global rollout of 5G and there are “opportunities for growth”. “Other potential options [beyond smart poles] This includes bus stop signs, manhole covers, and even traffic lights. ” he said. However, streetlights are ideal because of their elevation and existing power sources.
A palm tree installation in Indian Wells, California. 4G sites can be converted to 5G support.
Tom Kuklo, global product manager at Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), which has already rolled out components for smart street lights in some international cities, agrees that street lights will soon become important communications hubs. “We are already seeing this phenomenon in China and some other regions where smart poles are very popular,” he said. “They’re becoming part of the landscape, and when you walk past one, you don’t even know it’s emitting a 5G signal unless you’re looking for it.”
He said there was also growing interest in concealment for security reasons. Some groups in the UK have vandalized and set fires to 5G streetlights, citing unfounded fears about health risks and conspiracy theories that they are linked to the coronavirus.
“Concealment is definitely the buzzword and what everyone is trying to do right now,” Cucuro said, pointing to various reasons for the deployment. “Interest in 5G is at least double what it was last year, but he’s still rolling out 4G covert capabilities. Not everyone around the world is in the same position when it comes to wireless connectivity.”
