AT&T announces partnership to showcase 5G at scale

AT&T and property owner and developer JBG SMITH have announced plans to deliver “the first 5G smart city at scale” in National Landing, Northern Virginia, through a new type of collaboration.

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), a public-private partnership established in 2016, encompasses the neighbourhoods of Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard, including around 26,000 residents, 12 million square feet of office space, and over 450 restaurants and shops.

In addition to 6.8 million square feet of existing office space and 2,850 residential units at National Landing, JBG Smith has 808 units under construction and 7.2 million square feet of additional development space. The company is also the development partner for Amazon’s forthcoming HQ2 site and Virginia Tech’s US$1 billion Innovation Campus at National Landing.

AT&T and JBG SMITH have signed a Letter of Intent to deliver what they say will be “one of the most robust network infrastructure deployments in any urban environment”. The project could serve as a blueprint for how digital infrastructure is deployed, according to Senator Mark Warner.

Benefits are expected to span mobility, autonomous vehicles, retail and entertainment, and building automation.

Blueprint

The companies also expect 5G to spur innovation in sectors such as defence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI).

Jason Inskeep, Director, 5G Center of Excellence, AT&T, told Cities Today that collaborating with partners like property companies is an emerging area.

“We see this as a first-of-its-kind, at least in the US,” he said. “However, because of COVID, we are seeing other city and municipality entities pushing us to rethink how we advance areas like crossing the digital divide. That answer is to build the network as a part of the fabric of the city just like buildings and roads.”

On how the financials for such an approach could stack up, Inskeep said: “We are always looking for new ways to make connectivity more accessible. We see potential opportunities for new business models in how the data moves from end point to aggregation point without moving through the bigger network. In our relationship with JBGS, we’ve stayed focused on the foundation knowing as the area continues to grow and come to life, the business model will come to fruition.”

Foundation

The first network infrastructure deployments are planned for the first half of 2022. The network will use a combination of mmWave and Sub-6 GHz  spectrum, enabled by an interconnected series of building side-mounts, street furniture, and underground network infrastructure and will cover Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia.

Matt Kelly, CEO at JBG SMITH, said: “We want to equip innovators with the foundational amenities to revolutionise the way they work, giving them an edge above their competition and the confidence to choose National Landing as their home to ideate and innovate locally and scale globally.”

Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, President and Executive Director of National Landing BID, told Cities Today: “Uniquely positioned to collaborate alongside its network of public, private and civic stakeholders, the BID is actively working to ensure the area’s transition including major infrastructure investments like ubiquitous 5G and next generation mobility options benefit the entire community.”

She added: “To achieve a smart city and attract sought-after innovators and tech employers, the right technology infrastructure like 5G is just the start. It is equally important for public stakeholders and partners to position neighbourhoods for robust urban amenities and retail, walkability, mobility options, housing balance, and next generation parks to deliver the holistic environment that attracts top talent and residential growth.”

The public and private sectors are investing US$4 billion into National Landing’s transport network.