Verizon has fulfilled its promise to launch the fifth generation of mobile broadband, or 5G, in Des Moines by the year's end.
Over the last several months, Des Moines contractors have ascended city light and utility poles, installing black boxes called "small cells" containing technology that will change the way many Iowans use smartphones and computers.
Standing near a small cell on a light pole in front of the Iowa Capitol Building on Tuesday morning, spokesperson Liz Maly used a speed-testing app to demonstrate she could achieve download speeds of 1,563 megabits per second on her Samsung Note10+ phone.
That's more than triple the speed of average 4G, she said, providing those with 5G-capable phones seamless video conferencing and gaming as well as allowing them to download large data files. 5G also is seen as necessary to making self-driving cars a reality because its speed will allow piloting systems to react in real time.
Des Moines is the 20th city with live 5G from Verizon. A coverage map on the Verizon website shows that, in states neighboring Iowa, people with 5G-enabled devices can access the network in parts of Chicago; downtown Omaha, Nebraska; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company plans to have the service available in 30 cities by the end of December.
The city of Des Moines has given permits to multiple telecommunications companies in the past two years to install small cells on city-owned poles downtown, city engineer Steve Naber said via email.
In addition to Verizon, those include AT&T and U.S. Cellular, Naber said. "The city does not have the information on whether or not these are associated with 5G, when they would be activated or what their intended use is,” he said.
Maps from several carriers suggest that 5G spans much of the state, but differences in where, when and what kind of 5G each carrier provides makes for a patchwork of coverage.
The technology transmits data to phones and other devices using analog radio signals at various frequencies. But not all 5G is created equally: Variations in frequency affect transmission speeds and ranges.
Lower frequency signals travel farther and therefore create a wider area of coverage, which would be critical for rural Iowans. T-Mobile uses this low-band 5G to reach parts of rural Iowa, according to its website.
Higher-frequency millimeter wave signals, like those Verizon is using in Des Moines, deliver faster service but cover only a small area, such as a few city blocks.
Some critics worry 5G poses health risks like cancer due to radiation, but the World Health Organization says its research to date has found no adverse health effects from exposure to radio-frequency fields. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says studies that link such exposure to health problems have not been replicated.
The Federal Communications Commission regulates radio-frequency emissions, including millimeter waves from 5G equipment, and has adopted recommendations for companies including Verizon.