Page 15 - July-Aug2020 Vol38 No2

addressing these issues for the past two Progress in The City of Knoxville Pole Networks Spawn Stiff Competition
years. Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville The City of Knoxville began receiving TCs do not share facilities; each pole
have been working on the small cell small cell applications in 2019. TCs can only accommodate the equipment
installations at varying levels. These installing in the City of Knoxville have for one small cell installation. Therefore,
three have proven to be the cities where consisted of AT&T, Zayo, and Verizon. each TC builds its own “pole network.” In
the majority of TCs are looking to To date, only 110 applications have some locations, stiff competition abounds
deploy their small cell facilities. The been submitted for small cell approvals. to claim a pole first. And remember,
TCs also are utilizing smaller cities, Of those 110, there have been 87 sites the legislative act dictates what can and
like Hendersonville, Franklin and permitted, with the others pending review. cannot be done in most circumstances. In
Murfreesboro. Verizon has picked up the pace this general, the Act does give the wireless
year, with an estimate of hundreds of carriers that right to place their facilities
Nashville: 5G ‘IT’ City small cell applications yet to be applied within the street ROW.
Many TCs have been installing small for. Most of the sites are located in the
downtown area of Knoxville, West Due to the high number of light poles,
cells throughout the City of Nashville Town, and pole locations in the area signal poles, utility poles, and signs
since 2018. Their goal is to make Nashville of Farragut, which are owned and along the street in Memphis, the mayor
an “IT” city for 5G. maintained by the City of Knoxville. requested that the wireless carries not
Other areas include subdivisions place any additional poles within the
Some people may ask “what’s the surrounding the University of Tennessee ROW. The carriers have been complying
difference” between their cell service now campus. with that request. For each installation,
and the new 5G service that everyone a structural analysis of the pole has been
is talking about. The answer is: 5G is The main objective is to cover the conducted to assure the pole will support
an Ultra Wideband that has the capability more densely populated areas, such as the weight of the small cell equipment
of delivering up to 10 times faster speeds the university, shopping centers, and under wind loading.
than most carriers not using 5G. restaurant areas. With Knoxville being
so closely located to the mountains, If the pole passes the structural analysis,
It also means no more dropped coverage in some areas may be spotty or it is used; if not, that pole is replaced
calls in areas that are highly populated have no coverage at all, which is not what by a pole that is structurally sound. To
when an event such as a football the customer is expecting. With the new date, some small cells have been placed
game, concert, marathon, or any small cells being deployed throughout the on traffic signal poles, wooden utility
other entertainment event is being held in City, this should ensure that customers poles, and luminaire poles.
that area. 5G is a multi-platform capable will have more coverage and less dropped
of supporting many devices, thanks to calls. The Memphis Light, Gas and
its speed and bandwidth coverage in The Memphis Experience Water (MLGW) Division is
areas where big cities (like Nashville) are the city’s utility provider and not
experiencing rapid growth in homes, Among the major wireless carriers, subject to the requirements of the Act;
businesses and tourism. AT&T and Verizon are moving at warp therefore, MLGW can charge market rates
speed to implement a small cell network for pole attachments.
AT&T, Extenet, Mobilitie, and throughout the City of Memphis. To date,
Verizon are some of the TCs currently there have been a total of 825 permit The wireless carriers have entered into
installing in the Nashville area. To date in requests received, and those requests agreements with MLGW to use luminaire
Nashville, there have been a total of 1,000 are at various stages of completion. As poles for small cell installations, and these
permits issued, with Verizon leading the noted previously, the small cells are the most common within the city. A
way throughout the competition. In 2019 operate on a grid – more or less – to similar type replacement pole is selected
alone, more than 800 permits were issued capture signals within a relatively small based on the area, and is installed
for Verizon, with 2020 looking to double by MLGW. The TCs then place their
or triple that number. equipment on the new luminaire poles.

Most of the small cells have been
installed along the major corridors of area. As the permit applications are turned Construction Plan Reviews Must Be
the downtown Nashville area, including in for review, they are spread all over the Accurate
such hot spots as The Gulch, Five city. However, even more permits come in, It is vital to have a complete and
Points, Vanderbilt University, Belmont we can see the patterns developing, with accurate review of the construction plans
University, and up and down the every new set “filling in the gaps.”
restaurant/bar scene along the main In a recent meeting with a submitted for small cells, due to the
potential impacts to other equipment and
sightseeing strip known as Broadway.

Just like our service department, we have decades of experienceOnce installations have covered the
representative of one of the wireless carriers that may be on the existing poles.
carriers, the representative turned his The construction plans submitted become
major areas of the cities’ prime locations,

getting you the right parts at the right price. Call us todayTCs move their focus to installing small

cells in the surrounding residential

for ALL the parts you need for your equipment fleet.neighborhoods. The TCs’ goals are to
laptop computer around and clicked a the “as builts” for the site, and need to
button. His screen started populating with reflect correct information regarding
blue dots all over a map of the City of s gns, attachments, etc.
Memphis, each representing a small cell
densify the existing neighborhoods where node. Another component of the overall
5G implementation is the installation
they have already installed many of their “How many blue dots are there,” he was of fiberoptic cable to connect and
small cells. This will enable less gaps in asked.
coverage for the customers. “Thousands,” he said. support the small cell network. The fiber

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