NEW YORK – In an effort to expand Internet access in New York City, 5G transmission poles are in the works for another Manhattan borough.
Although the intention is good, not everyone is happy with it.
The towers are about 32 feet above the sidewalk, and local Upper East Side leaders think they’ll be an eyesore, especially with one planning to sit right across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“I mean these towers are pretty ugly, they look as tall as the building,” said Upper East Side resident Ray Michaels.
There are already 26 three-story towers in operation across the five boroughs. The city’s plan is to add another 2,000 in the next few years.
Matthew Fraser, the city’s chief technology officer, has a message for residents urging them to vote “no” at this week’s community meeting.
“My message is to give technology a chance,” Fraser said.
He supported New York City Mayor Eric Adams as the administration tested the first Link 5G tower in the Bronx over the summer. It is roughly the size of an electrical pole shaped like a box to hold and enclose the technology.
The goal: to connect neighborhoods that were frustratingly offline, especially evident during the stay-at-home pandemic.
“It was a complete travesty.[In]public housing, 40 percent of households didn’t have access to broadband,” Fraser said.
But the city knows that getting neighborhoods to approve such large towers can be a difficult task. Letter to Manhattan Community Board 8, in which the business community opposes the towers, says the towers are “invaluable tools providing free high-speed Wi-Fi, free national calling, free charging ports for mobile and 911 devices, and 311”. access to millions of people.
Some even thought that beyond the function of the towers, their design was also different and new.
“I like it. It’s like a cyberpunk future. I like it,” said Melanie Haynes.
If the rollout goes smoothly, the idea is that by 2026 people will be able to walk almost anywhere in the city with full bars and full service, and at no cost.
“This is the dream. Broadband available and ubiquitous,” said Fraser.
