Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) has acquired a majority stake in neutral host 5G small cell operator Dense Air. SIP, a holding company, is backed by Alphabet, parent company to Google, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, reported Cities Today.
Dense Air acts as a “carrier of carriers,” providing shared wireless infrastructure and working with multiple carriers simultaneously. The company serves the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific and aims to close the digital divide and ensure inclusive 5G.
The public-private partnership is the first under SIP’s CoFi program “to expand open, shared connectivity through public-private partnerships.” According to Jonathan Winer, co-CEO of SIP, “By expanding internet access and opening up previously uncompetitive markets in partnership with new and existing service providers, we can give consumers more seamless and affordable coverage.”
SIP has already created connectivity in Michigan on a corridor for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) and California on a residential grid resilience project. The company works to identify specific problems and “convene stakeholders across technology, finance, and the public sector to find new models to deploy innovative infrastructure,” Winer told Cities Today.
SIP and Dense Air plan to announce a joint U.S.-based project soon. The collaboration will involve partnering with cities and expanding high-speed wireless connectivity for students who lack connectivity at home, reported Cities Today.
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