One of the latest 5G sites being deployed in the Baltimore area is in its final installation stages. Located on a tower on Newkirk Street in southeast Baltimore, the site is distinguished not so much by its size as its unique location.
Newkirk Tower gives both mobile network operator and other wireless service provider tenants a critical vantage point from which to serve one of the busiest corridors on the U.S. East coast. The 192-foot, self-supporting tower is adjacent to the heavily travelled I-95 and I-895 interstate highways just north of the entrance to the Baltimore Harbor and Ft. McHenry tunnels.
The tower is less than a mile from the Port of Baltimore, one of the most active shipping container ports on the Eastern seaboard, and overlooks railway terminals for CSX and short line Canton Railroad, several major trucking terminals, and an industrial park to the east. The tower also provides line-of-sight views into Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhoods, just over a mile to the west.
“We’re a small player in the whole scheme of things but we are happy to do our part in the 5G nationwide buildout,” says Michael Forakis, Newkirk Tower, LLC owner. “We just happen to have a tower that offers ideal coverage in this very high traffic area. We think this location can be strategic to any wireless service provider’s coverage plans.”
Forakis did not identify the carrier, citing confidentiality reasons. He did go on to say that the tenant has the option to add more antennas as needed. Forakis also points out that Newkirk Tower is designed to support three other radiation (RAD) centers, one higher and two lower than the current tenant’s elevation on the structure.
Tower installation work is being handled by Network Building + Consulting (NB+C), LLC. “As with 3G and 4G, NB+C is playing a significant role in the development, engineering, and installation of the nation’s 5G buildout. We are excited about the activity and opportunities, and we look forward to supporting this game changing technology,” comments Alex Daly, VP NB+C Technical Services. “The industry will be very active overlaying and upgrading 4G technology to 5G and deploying new 5G services similar to the Newkirk tower.”
By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor
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