Small cell, DAS and other network improvements from Verizon
Following its historic municipal bankruptcy, the city of Detroit has undertaken large-scale economic development projects; for its part, major carrier Verizon Communications has invested heavily in network infrastructure projects.
All told, Verizon reports recent investment targeting Detroit at $100 million.
“In metro Detroit, we’ve installed small cell technology and distributed antenna systems to add capacity in important high-traffic areas so that our customers have an even stronger experience and so that we’re prepared for future growth,” Verizon Region President Lauren Love-Wright told ABC news.
Verizon said it has recently deployed some 150 small cells in Michigan, with 100 of the units dropped into metro Detroit. Verizon reps say the small cell investment is part of the carrier’s “strategy to stay ahead of the growing demand for mobile data. With demand increasing, staying ahead by boosting capacity is vital.”
The small cells deployed in Detroit support LTE connectivity and that each cover a range of about 1,000 feet.
Verizon’s director of network operations in Michigan told reporters that the overarching goal is reliability.
In Michigan as a whole, Verizon said it has spent some $2.7 billion on network improvements since 2000.
