Avalon Weighs Way to Hike Wireless Capacity

AVALON – Verizon Wireless has approached Avalon with a request to install a technology that promises to help carriers keep up with the growth in demand for wireless data capacity. 
The rise of more powerful smartphones along with the proliferation of internet-connected devices has placed demands on wireless carriers. 
Distributed antenna systems (DAS) is one response the carriers hope will help them segment and respond to areas of especially high demand, freeing up more traditional large-scale antennas to continue adequate wide-area coverage.
DAS technology allows for establishing nodes in areas of wireless data usage, allowing that node to respond to the capacity needs of that limited area.
In describing the technology at the Feb. 28 council meeting, Business Administrator Scott Wahl said that the general range of a node with an antenna atop something the size of a telephone pole or street light fixture is about 1,000 feet.
As Wahl described it, the borough’s larger wireless water tower-mounted antennas would continue to provide the same service they do now, but they would have the benefit of having some very high demand areas of the borough off-loaded to DAS nodes.
The new technology would also serve to provide more reliable coverage to areas of the borough that suffer from less robust cell connection.
All of this sounds good until one considers a few limitations.
The technology today requires antennas mounted on poles where the higher the pole, the greater the coverage.
Avalon and Stone Harbor recently went through a period of property owner anger at large steel poles introduced by Atlantic City Electric as part of the utility’s upgrade of service designed to meet future demand and to increase reliability and resiliency.
Better reliability, greater resiliency and the need to meet growing demand are all the same reasons a wireless carrier might give for needing to introduce its upgraded technology, even one that uses poles.
Another current limitation of the technology is that a single node is usually dedicated to a single carrier, meaning that Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, and any other wireless carrier serving borough users would require a separate node to utilize this technology.
This does not have to necessarily mean separate poles, but it is not clear that the “hot spots,” where demand would benefit from introducing DAS, are always in the same defined area for different carriers. 
Even where it is, some mechanism for sharing infrastructure of poles would have to be present to allow for separate nodes for each carrier that needs one.
Projecting the benefits of the new technology, while planning for the least intrusive additions to visible infrastructure, is part of the challenge facing the borough.
Wahl said that the borough wants to limit carriers to use of existing structures as much as possible while establishing a mechanism for the carrier to petition the borough for new poles or structures. 
The ordinance that the borough is working on would establish a review board that would consider a carrier’s application and renders a decision.
Any appeal would go to the Planning Board.
Another concern is that any long-term franchise provided to a carrier could result in “abandoned” infrastructure, (poles), if newer technology allows the carrier to move away from DAS during the franchise period.
There is much to be considered before a decision on DAS technology can be made. Council members were clear that they want to know more about options in installing the technology before they consider an ordinance.
Any ordinance eventually introduced regarding the use of DAS in Avalon would also necessitate a public hearing before adoption.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.