When the pandemic hit in 2020, forcing schools and workplaces to close, Las Vegas city officials found that in some areas, students did not have internet access at home, meaning they could not participate in online learning.
So, with a $2.1 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration, Las Vegas quickly implemented a plan to cover its private 5G wireless network for free access for students.
“There are areas in the city where many families and children, due to economic and social hardship, do not have access to the internet,” said Michael Sherwood, director of technology and innovation for the city of Las Vegas. “So we built a private 5G network that will allow thousands of students to connect to their schools from home.”
The internal 5G network, operated at specific locations such as offices and event venues, has similar features to the service that carriers provide to individual subscribers, but is more secure.
In addition, stability and high speed make 5G the perfect "piece" for the system of sensors, cameras and Internet of Things devices installed throughout the city.
“We have over 500 sensors or access points, including cameras, wireless access points, speakers, air quality, and light sensors,” Sherwood said. Each sensor that collects data requires a network to connect to, and can cost $10 to $30 a month using a commercial network.
Initial tests at Clark County Schools in Las Vegas are showing promising results. The local 5G network has coverage of 1 to 2 miles in the downtown area, providing internet access to thousands of students and families.
From there, the potential data from cameras, air quality sensors, waste sensors and parking lots is fully utilized, improving the living experience of city residents as well as the work efficiency of public employees.
Promoting the use of data to change communities
To expand the network, the city of Las Vegas has partnered with NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp), the IT services company that operates Europe's largest private 5G campus network at Frankfurt Airport (Germany).
Shahid Ahmed, Executive Vice President of New Ventures and Innovation at NTT, highlighted the potential of data-driven insights to create positive change in communities.
“Not many cities in the world are able to fully leverage the amount of data they collect to benefit their communities,” Admed said.
A 5G “2.0” network plan is being considered by the city council, promising expanded coverage, higher speeds and more advanced services for the largest private wireless Internet network in the United States.
According to Admed, they have moved from the planning stage to construction and testing, with deployment expected in early 2024.
One area that is expected to see immediate tangible benefits is transportation. With more than 32 million visitors to Las Vegas in 2021, traffic congestion is a problem city officials believe can be alleviated with sensors connected to a private 5G network.
According to Sherwood, wireless connections between intersections help authorities improve management and eliminate traffic safety “black spots,” such as the city hall intersection, which at times recorded up to 40 traffic collisions in one day.
Bill Baver, Vice President of Smart Solutions at NTT, said that before sensors, cities needed human resources to directly monitor intersections to promptly fix problems, but now that job falls to sensors.
“Analyzing data generated from sensors and video is a smart solution that allows the city to monitor incidents and regulate traffic to improve vehicle safety,” said Baver. “The results have helped the city gain insight into traffic management activities, including better signage and road markings.” After implementing the technology, the city hall location now has only about two to three incidents per day, a significant reduction from the previous 40 incidents per day.
In the future, Ahmed believes that private 5G networks will become more and more popular, especially when artificial intelligence (AI) is booming.
“More data points, more cameras will drive the growth of wireless connectivity. Along with that, large language models can help city governments make more effective decisions about traffic management and urban design,” the expert said.
(According to Insider)
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