On Monday, Oct. 1, Sacramento became one of the first cities in the world to go live with 5G, through Verizon’s new 5G home broadband internet.
Installation of the blazing-fast Wi-Fi began early in the morning at homes around the City, including Christipher Anglewirth’s house in the Pocket neighborhood.
Anglewirth welcomed Mayor Darrell Steinberg, the City’s Chief Information Officer Maria MacGunigal, and Verizon’s Executive Vice President of Operations Tami Erwin into his home for a press event to celebrate the historic moment.
“I’m getting a groundbreaking technology right to my front door, something that just hasn’t ever existed before, so I couldn’t be more excited,” Anglewirth said.
On the back of Anglewirth’s house, a Verizon crew installed a small, low-profile antenna. It receives the high-frequency radio waves the next-generation wireless network uses. A router was set up inside the home. Installation took around 30 minutes.
Furthering its reputation as a hub for developing technologies, Sacramento in 2017 was selected as one of the first cities to host Verizon’s new wireless network. Houston, Indianapolis and Los Angeles also are offering the service.
The City has been working with Verizon for the past year to install small cell towers on more than 200 street lights. Using high-frequency waves transmitted from the towers, 5G wireless offers data speeds similar to traditional fiber cable technology.
The effects of high-speed 5G go beyond homes. Eventually available as free Wi-Fi in 27 parks, the network will expand digital access for underserved communities. In addition, it will increase the City’s appeal as a place to test new technologies such as autonomous vehicles.
“When you look at this over the long term, 5G literally has the potential to start the fourth industrial revolution,” Steinberg said. “There are so many different ways that 5G is going to change the world over time, and it starts right here in Sacramento.”
Mayor Darrell Steinberg reflects on what 5G means to Sacramento.
“We have shown that we can build the infrastructure for companies to come here and deliver new products that will improve the lives of our residents,” MacGunigal said. “The arrival of 5G will change the technology landscape in Sacramento forever.”
5G is now available in various neighborhoods across Sacramento, including parts of downtown, East Sacramento, North and South Natomas, Oak Park and North and South City Farms. The service will be offered in other parts of the City in coming months.
The cost for the home internet service is $50 a month for existing Verizon wireless cell phone customers and $70 for non-customers.
Residents can log on to Firston5G.com to learn more about the upgraded service and sign up.
For more information on 5G and other emerging technologies in Sacramento, log on to the City’s Smart City portal.
