“Verizon Wireless is on a mission to bring 5G to Sioux Falls and plans to install over 60 small cells before the end of the year, bringing the city’s total to 71,” reported the Argus Leader. The small cells will be attached to light poles in the rights-of-way, and according to city permitting records, each small cell plus the light pole it calls home is valued at $30,000.
“We’re now starting to see the true rollout of the 5G network across the city, specifically in the core areas of Sioux Falls, which is exciting,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “When fully active, these networks will create innovations and opportunities to improve our residents’ quality of life that we haven’t even thought of yet.”
The Mayor added that many small cells would be concentrated around the city’s two healthcare organizations, plus in the city’s commercial hub. Both the medical community and businesses will be early adopters of 5G.
“Having our health care systems and downtown business communities on the front end of this rollout will also help us kick-start 5G innovation in our city,” TenHaken said.
“We’ve been making great progress on the rollout of our 5G Ultra Wideband network in Sioux Falls,” Verizon public relations manager Heidi Flato said via email. “[Verizon has] 5G nodes up and running in the city, giving customers access to one of the fastest, most robust technologies the world has ever seen.”
According to Jerry Jongeling, Sioux Falls traffic, Light and Power Superintendent, other cities have integrated 5G slowly. Sioux Falls is “the first city to go straight to 5G,” he added.
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