AT&T Looks to Expand 5G Reach, Though Concerns Remain
*By Conor White*
The race to build vast 5G networks may bring the promise of faster internet speeds and greater connectivity, but it's also sparked some controversy.
One source of complaint: those who shout "NIMBY", or Not in My Backyardーresidents who fear that their towns and lives will be disrupted as such vast infrastructures get built.
Melissa Arnoldi, president of technology and operations for AT&T, told Cheddar that those concerns can be assuaged. She pointed to an upcoming project in San Jose, Calif.ーwhere the company partnered with the city to ensure a smooth, safe transitionーas an example.
"We \[said\], 'Look, we will make sure that the equipment we deploy meets their standards, we will make sure it's not obtrusive to the consumers, and that it's deployed in a very safe way.'"
The San Jose agreement follows similar protests in the state. Residents of Piedmont, Calif., have been [fighting against] (https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/01/25/consumerwatch-5g-cellphone-towers-signal-renewed-concerns-over-impacts-on-health/) new cell towers for months, citing health concerns.
But locals aren't the only ones raising issue. Recent reports suggest that 5G could create a Wi-Fi gap, favoring those in urban cities over people who live in rural areas. [According to the FCC](https://www.axios.com/5g-digital-divide-19b70d34-4978-44df-a1cb-ae9222d113ef.html), 31 percent of rural Americans still don't have fixed broadband service, compared to just 2 percent of city residents, and some fear that divide could get worse with new technology.
But AT&T said in a [press release](http://about.att.com/story/5g_to_launch_in_more_us_cities_in_2018.html) last week that a greater 5G presence will actually bridge that disparity. Expanding to cities like Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, and Oklahoma City by the end of 2018 is one way the company hopes to do that.
The wireless giant's push for 5G only intensified after AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, now known as WarnerMedia, in June.
"One of the key case uses for 5G will be 4K and 8K," explained Arnoldi. "So when you think about transmitting, for example, we did a trial with the U.S. Open on 4K, where we could actually help them broadcast signalsーlive broadcastsーwithout any wires."
John Stankey, CEO of WarnerMedia, has already promised the company will be aggressive in delivering new content to consumers, a necessary move in light of reports that rival Verizon is negotiating with Apple and Google to stream live TV. Verizon is also plotting its own 5G expansion around the country, signifying the rising tide of competition.
Arnoldi said she's optimisticーand excitedーabout the company's future.
"I think if you look at the content we have access to from a WarnerMedia perspective and the technology that AT&T Communications has, I think we're going to have a lot of exciting use cases in the future."
For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjEwOTg=).
The Super Bowl is only a few days away, and the game is currently tracking to be the most expensive one ever.
Gametime, a website and app for last-minute tickets, says the average ticket price for the NFL's championship game is $9,502.50, with the most expensive seats costing nearly $38,000. That's a far cry away from the average ticket price of the first-ever Super Bowl in 1967, which was only $12. The average ticket price increased by more than $8,000 in just the past decade. Matt Rados, Senior Operations Manager at Gametime, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Earlier this week, digital investment advisor Betterment announced that it has hired Makara, a company known for its management of cryptocurrency portfolios. Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she explains why crypto represents such a promising long-term play and how her company stands to benefit from this latest move.
At-home medical labs company Getlabs raised $20 million in a Series A round, led by Emerson Collective and the Minderoo Foundation. Getlabs aims to be the boots-on-the-ground partner to telehealth. The company says more than 70% of medical decisions still require collecting diagnostic tests in person, and that it fills that void by delivering health care directly to their patients' homes. Founder & CEO of Getlabs Kyle Michelson joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The White House laid out plans for a $5 billion investment into a national network of charging stations to ease EV driving anxiety. Bruce Brimacombe, CEO of EV infrastructure GOe3 joined Cheddar News to discuss how much needs to be done for drivers to get over the fear of running out of energy. "People need to be able to do what they're doing now," he said. "But that is the way that if you're going to buy an electric car, you got to feel like you're not changing your world." Brimacombe noted that building out the infrastructure between cities was GOe3's own focus.
Sonos reported better than expected Q1 earnings amid chip shortage with the release of its Roam product. CFO Brittany Bagley joined Cheddar News to discuss the smart speaker maker's successful report and its plans to hit its 2024 targets as people leave their homes as pandemic restrictions ease. "Even as people head out in the world, it doesn't mean they don't like to listen to music at home or watch a streaming movie at home," she said. "So there's still a real role for us and our products in peoples lives, sort of, no matter what else they're doing."
Kalle Marsal, Chief Operating Officer at PetDx, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how next-generation sequencing technology is being used to detect cancer in pets early.
Ashleigh Hinde, Founder and CEO of WALDO, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss why now is a good time to make eyecare a priority, and how they are democratizing access to eyecare for all.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: WALDO CEO breaks down why now is a good time to make eyecare a priority, and how they are democratizing access to eyecare for all; COO at PetDx explains how next-generation sequencing technology is being used to detect cancer in pets early; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Inside The Mind of a Con Artist.'
