5G service rolls out — but not without controversy

Lampposts around downtown Los Angeles are being wired with fiber optic cable and shoebox-sized gadgets to beam the fifth and fastest generation of cellular data, known as 5G, into homes and mobile devices. This high-tech infrastructure build-out is the result of a deal between the city and Verizon — Los Angeles gave the wireless carrier a break on the fees for taking up space on streetlights in exchange for a package of amenities and services. Such arrangements are common nationwide, where local governments have long leveraged access to public property and rights of way as a bargaining chip to accomplish policy goals. But in Sept 2018, the Federal Communications Commission took the unusual step of nationalizing public infrastructure for 5G installation, throwing LA’s deal with Verizon and agreements between other cities and carriers into question in the process.